Your garage door has several moving parts that keep it functioning well. Over time, those moving parts can become worn, and if you don’t give them the proper maintenance, your door could break and no longer open for you. Certain parts will even prevent the manual use of your door. The torsion spring is one of those parts.

 

What Are Garage Door Torsion Springs?

A garage door torsion spring stores mechanical energy through the twisting and rotating design. These springs are mounted horizontally above your garage door opening. When the door is closed, the spring is wound tight. This adds energy to the opening system. When you then open the door, cables attached to the spring cause it to unwind, and the energy from this helps the door lift.

How Long does Torsion Springs Last?

The lifespan of torsion springs depends on how often you open your door. For the average family that opens the door three to five times every single day, the torsion spring should last around five to seven years. Typically, they have 10,000 cycles before they will break. However, cold weather and dampness, which causes rust, can shorten this expected lifespan.

When a torsion spring is needing to be replaced, it will weaken. Eventually the door will be too heavy for the weakened spring to open, and it will break. When the spring breaks, the door will not open. If the spring breaks during the opening or while the door is in the open position, the door will slam shut and can hurt someone standing underneath. Because of this risk, it’s best to replace the torsion spring when it’s nearing the end of its expected lifespan or starting to look rusty or worn out.

How to Properly Replace Your Garage Door Torsion Spring

Replacing a torsion spring is not a DIY task. The parts and tools necessary to replace torsion springs can be life threatening if not used properly. Also, because torsion springs are under tension, the spring itself is incredibly dangerous. Contact garage doors repair and service company to get someone to come to your home to help with your garage door torsion spring.