You probably have paid very little attention to your overhead door springs if you are just like most people. While understandable, this carelessness is also a bit unfair. There's absolutely no single part in your overhead door and garage door opener that is more crucial to the opening and closing of the door. That's one good reason for giving some respect to the springs. Here's another: Overhead door springs are life-threatening! Very dangerous. Do yourself a favor and look at Garage Door Safety Tips prior to considering replacements or repairs.
If you are having problem with your overhead door, it may result from some problem with the springs. (To learn more on recognizing overhead door problems, see Garage Door Troubleshooting.) Garage door springs often break, and they may be replaced. There are companies out there who offer replacement springs to DIYers, and there are DIYers who have securely and successfully replaced their own springs. I won't try to convince you not to use such approach if you require new springs, but I will strongly suggest that you very carefully weigh the hazards versus the benefits in this project before making a decision to do so. And I also advise that you make certain your health insurance premium is paid up.
This particular post is not a how-to on overhead door spring replacement. It is designed to acquaint you with garage door springs and some of the routine maintenance tasks you may complete by yourself.
Two Types of Garage Door Springs
There are two different kinds of springs used on overhead door. Torsion springs are fastened right above the closed down overhead door, while extension springs are located over the upper tracks on both sides.
Garage Door Springs more info and Your Safety
Garage door springs are tightly wound, implying they are under a great deal of tension. The moment they break, or when some naive DIYer attempts to tamper them, they can cause a whole lot of pain. Wise DIYers understand that this is one household job that is best entrusted to the professional. (For recommendations on choosing an experienced garage door expert, see How To Find the very best Garage Door Installers and Repairmen). If your garage door is old, or if it is showing signs of age, let an experienced professional examine your garage door springs.
Use some garage door lubricant to the springs and see if it makes any difference. For suggestions on the best lubricants to use on your overhead door, check out this site. For some further suggestions on minimizing the noise of your overhead door, see How To Quiet a Noisy Garage Door.
Overhead door Safety Cables
The two kinds of garage door springs discussed above work in different ways. A garage door using extension springs will have a safety cord on every side of the door running through the spring and affixed to the wall or ceiling.
Call a garage door pro and get a pair mounted in case you have extension springs on your garage door but can not locate any safety cables.
Out of Balance Springs
The best sign of a well-functioning overhead door is that it opens up and closes down easily and quietly. The issue can be significant when it stops working as it should. Try controling the garage door by hand (pull the cord connected to the arm connecting the rail trolley system to the door). If the door continues to be tough to control, the issue could be that the springs are out of balance. In this case, you can be sure that the trouble isn't going to fix itself. And failing to take care of it could result in an escalating list of worn out and damaged components. Get in touch with a professional As Soon As Possible.
Garage Door Spring Brackets
Overhead door springs are affixed to brackets on the bottom of the garage door. As with the springs, those brackets are also under a great deal of tension and should only be readjusted or otherwise maintained by a pro. Newer types of overhead door have tamper-resistant brackets that prevent the not experienced but curious among us from getting into trouble.