Springs are the part of a garage door most affected by living in a wet climate. Most garages in this city are detached or reached from an alley, and most of them are unheated, which means the coils overhead sit in damp air from October through April. That combination is hard on oil-tempered steel that is under constant tension and cannot be repainted once it has been wound.
Why Springs Fail In A Damp Garage
Corrosion starts as pitting on the surface of the coil. Damp air alone will do it, and a cold garage stays damp even on the days it is not raining, because the slab and the steel hold the cold and the moisture in the air condenses on them. Every pit is a stress riser, and a spring that is cycled several times a day works that weak point every time the door moves. That is why we see coils break through the middle far more often than we see springs wear out evenly, and a broken torsion spring usually announces itself with a bang the whole block hears.
Torsion And Extension Springs
Torsion springs sit on a shaft above the door and lift its weight through cables and drums. Extension springs stretch along the horizontal tracks above each side and lift the door through pulleys, and they must have a safety cable threaded through them so a break is contained. The correct spring depends on the weight of the door, the height of the door and the size of the drums, which is why springs are matched rather than guessed. On older garages here the door may have been re-panelled or insulated by a previous owner, adding weight that the original springs were never sized for.
- Torsion springs lift through cables and drums and are wound on a shaft above the door
- Extension springs stretch above the horizontal tracks and rely on a safety cable to contain a break
- Both types are rated in cycles, where one cycle is one open and close
- Springs should always be replaced as a pair, never one at a time
- A door fitted with a jackshaft operator needs torsion springs, because there is no shaft otherwise
Cycle Ratings And Planned Replacement
A standard residential torsion spring is commonly rated at around 10,000 cycles, which is roughly seven years on a door that is used four times a day. High-cycle springs rated at 25,000 cycles and above use heavier wire and are the right choice for a door that is used constantly or for a commercial application. More cycles only help if the wire survives long enough to use them, and in a damp garage it may not: pitting turns into a break somewhere short of the rated count. Knowing the rating and the age of the springs lets us tell a homeowner roughly how much working life is left, instead of waiting for it to break and then explaining what happened.
The Balance Test, In Two Minutes
Close the door, pull the manual release, lift the door to about waist height and let go. A balanced door stays where you put it. A door that drops has springs that have lost tension; a door that lifts itself has been wound too tight or has the wrong springs fitted. Stop using the opener until it has been checked, because an unbalanced door puts its whole weight on the operator and on the cables.
Warning Signs Not To Ignore
- A loud bang from the garage, followed by a door that will not open
- The door rises a few inches and stops, or reverses straight away
- A visible gap in the coil, or a coil that has come off its winding cone
- One side of the door rising before the other
- A door that suddenly feels very heavy at the handle
- Slack or kinked cables at the drums, or rust staining running down the cable
Why Spring Work Is Not A Do-It-Yourself Job
A wound torsion spring stores enough energy to cause serious injury, and the same is true of the cables and drums that hold the door's weight. The winding bars used to release that energy have to be the correct diameter for the cone, the number of turns is calculated from the door weight and the drum rather than estimated by eye, and releasing a spring incorrectly can throw a bar across the garage. A door wound unevenly can drop without warning. This is the one part of the door we never advise a homeowner to touch.
What We Do On A Spring Service Call
- Weigh the door and confirm the springs fitted are matched to it
- Replace both springs together, on a shaft that is checked for wear and straightness
- Inspect and replace cables and drums where the wire is worn, kinked or rusty
- Check the bottom brackets and hinges, where water collects and corrosion usually starts
- Lubricate the springs and hinges with a lubricant suited to a wet climate
- Re-balance the door and reset open and close travel limits and force
- Test the safety reverse and photo-eye alignment before leaving
- Record the spring cycle rating so the next replacement can be planned
A spring that is inspected before it breaks is a scheduled visit with a known part and a free written estimate. A spring that breaks on a Saturday evening with a car in the garage is an emergency, and it usually happens on the first cold week of the wet season, when every door in the city is being used harder. The difference between the two is usually one maintenance visit a year. F1 Garage Door answers the phone around the clock for emergencies and carries the spring sizes common to Seattle's older single-car and alley-access garages, and every replacement carries a one-year parts and labour warranty. Call (206) 647-7202.