How to Know When Your Garage Door Springs Need Replacement

You may be able to spot the signs of a faulty garage door spring right away. If you see any of these problems at your house or workplace, contact us immediately, and we’ll get to work on replacing your garage springs as soon as possible:
  • The springs make a lot of noise or produce weird screeching, snapping, thumping, or groaning sounds.
  • The springs are unable to hold up the door.
  • The springs look corroded, frayed, or broken.
  • The door falls off the track frequently.
  • The door is not aligned properly.
  • You have neglected to oil your springs (or arrange for garage door service) for several years.
  • You have had multiple garage door spring fixes, but the spring issues persist.

How to Choose the Best Garage Door Springs?

The quality and functionality of your garage door depend largely on the springs you use. To ensure optimal door performance and minimize maintenance costs, you need to select the right type and size of springs and install them correctly. In this article, we will explain the different types of springs and their advantages and disadvantages.

What are Extension Springs for Garage Doors?

Extension springs are a type of spring that can be used when there is not enough space to install torsion springs at the back of the door. Usually, two extension springs are needed for each residential door, one on each side. However, some commercial and residential doors may need more than two springs.

Features

  • They expand and shrink to lift and drop the door.
  • They can be installed on the sides of the door or over the horizontal tracks.
  • They usually attach to the track hang, frame, bolt, pivot pin or pulley with open or closed loops or sometimes with clipped ends.
  • They have a safety cable that secures them when they snap to prevent accidents.

The Different Kinds of Extension Springs for Garage Doors:

Sectional Garage Door Extension Spring

This is the most popular type for residential doors. They expand and shrink on the cables to operate the door, transferring its weight to the cables. A wire serves as a safety cable for this type of springs. To install them on the door, one end is usually attached to an open eye bolt or an S-hook while the other is linked to a pulley with a pulley fork. A special kit is needed for the commercial doors to mount multiple springs.

One Piece Garage Door Extension Spring

This type of spring is a single large piece that drags along the pivot pin to raise the door. It is not recommended to use a weather stripping on a door with this type of spring as the door moves inward and outward during operation. Therefore, doors with one piece extension springs should be placed in areas with mild weather conditions.

How Torsion Springs Work for Garage Doors

Torsion springs are a type of spring that can handle the weight of large and sturdy garage doors. They are suitable for both residential and commercial doors, especially in areas with extreme weather conditions.

Torsion Garage Door Springs

Torsion springs are commonly used to install heavy duty doors of the garage. They are ideal for both residential and commercial doors especially those in harsh weather environments.

Features

  • They are durable and powerful enough to handle heavy door loads.
  • They are installed over the door with a metal shaft, so they require ample garage space.
  • They balance the door by using the torque, which makes them unwind and wind when the door opens and closes.
  • Their lifespan depends on the wire size, length and inner diameter.

The Different Types of Torsion Springs for Garage Doors:

EZ-Set Torsion Springs

These are similar to the standard torsion springs but with different hardware. They are attached to the winders at the ends of the shaft. They have a black winder marked with “R” or “L” to indicate which side of the garage door they should go. A heavy double car garage needs two of these springs while a lighter one can use one spring. A single car garage works well with one spring.

Standard Torsion Springs

These are the most common type for residential garage doors. They can be installed as single or double springs depending on the weight of the door. To make the springs safer, they should be fixed to the anchor brackets at the center of the door. It is better to use two springs so that if one breaks, the other can support the door and prevent injuries.

Wayne Dalton TorqueMaster Torsion Springs

These are the safest type of springs compared to others. They are mounted inside the shafts with a stationary cone. A standard garage door uses one or two springs that can raise and lower the door safely and effectively. On the other end of the TorqueMaster spring is a wind cone that goes through the cable beyond the end of the shaft. Winding can be done with an electric drill, using a special winder that grips the wind cone. However, for newer doors, a wrench is recommended.

Standard Commercial Torsion Springs

Light commercial garage doors use two standard commercial torsion springs. However, most commercial doors are heavy and need more support. In this case, they use four or more springs. The setup can be done in four different ways:
  • Duplex system- Two large springs are placed on each side of the door and each spring has a smaller spring inside. This setup can lift heavy doors because of the extra torque.
  • Linear system- This involves four springs, two on each side of the door. This system is good for wider garage doors where large tracks pass through. These springs are cheaper than others.
  • Mixed system- This combines linear, duplex and triplex systems. Here, one or more sets of triplex or duplex system springs are installed on each side of the door as long as the shaft can fit them. This is a preferred option for heavy commercial doors.
  • Triplex system- Like duplex, two smaller springs are put into a larger spring.