Garage Door Issues: 3 Reasons Torsion Springs Can Fail
When it comes to your garage door, the parts that do the heavy lifting are the torsion springs. When these springs decide to break and fail on you, it can be a major problem. This is particularly true when you don't what they are, how to fix them and/or what causes the damage. It is important to be familiar with this knowledge before you find yourself stuck inside your garage, late to work and the garage door won't open. Here are three reasons why garage door torsion springs can sometimes break:
General Wear and Tear
One of the main reasons that your garage door torsion springs will fail is due to general wear and tear. When torsion springs are properly installed, they are rated for roughly 10,000 cycles. One cycle is the door going up and then it comes back down.
As a general rule, one day will consist of at least two cycles, possibly, even more, depending on just how much you use your garage door. For example, you may run errands or the children may go in and out of the garage door to play. It doesn't take long to use up those 10,000 cycles.
If you use your garage door more than just a couple of times a day, it may be a good idea to consider investing in higher-rated torsion springs. These tend to be able to last far longer than your standard torsion springs.
Rust
When rust builds up on your torsion springs, the lifespan of the springs will significantly be reduced. The corrosion will result in an increase in friction on the coils as it moves, which weakens the coils. To help prevent the build-up of rust, you should try to spray your coils with WD-40 several times a year. To help you remember to perform such a task, try to do it at the beginning of each season change.
Improper Maintenance
Though it is true that your torsion springs will fall prey to wear and tear eventually, you can prolong this from happening by ensuring you perform proper maintenance throughout the year. This includes the aforementioned application of WD-40 to the coils, in addition to checking the balance of the garage door. This should be done roughly four times a year. You can do this at the same time as the WD-40 application.
In order to check your garage door's balance, you will need to lift your garage door up about halfway and simply let it go. If your springs are still in good condition, then the garage door should remain in place. If they're beginning to fail, then the door should fall slightly.
If your garage door torsion springs are failing, contact a professional or company like R & S Garage Door Inc immediately for an inspection today.