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Garage doors are becoming more and more common in both commercial and residential areas.
This just shows how important it has become to our daily lives.
An important part of overhead garage doors that are often times taken for granted is the garage door springs.
Garage door springs are what make it possible to open and close your overhead garage doors.
When we neglect garage door springs, they tend to break down or wear out faster than they should, and when this happens, it can be quite troublesome.
Garage doors with broken springs are unable to move or open at all so when this happens to you, you are either stuck on the inside of your garage or on the outside.
Whichever it may be, it is not a situation that you should be happy about.
The best thing you should do when this happens is to contact your local garage door repair company and seek assistance.
Replacing garage door springs can be really dangerous and risky most especially if you are a complete novice on the job.
However, if you are confident in your skills and you think you are more than capable enough to do the repairs, then this guide will show you how to replace a broken garage door torsion spring and the different tell-tale signs that would tell you when it is time to have your springs replaced.
How to know if your torsion springs are starting to wear out
Torsion springs are the springs that are located on the top of your overhead garage door.
They serve as counterweights that support your garage door’s weight and at the same time makes it possible to open our heavy garage doors.
Compared to its counterpart, the extension springs, torsion springs can be a little more difficult to deal with.
This is why we recommend you to call for professional assistance if you have no idea exactly what you are doing.
So how do we know when it is time to have our garage door torsion springs replaced?
I mean you wouldn’t actually wait for it to break down before having it replaced, would you?
Well, if you are curious, then here are some of the most common tell-tale signs that will let you know that it is time to have your springs replaced.
Poor Physical Conditions
When your spring’s appearance looks like it’s about to break apart or crumble, then it is probably best to have it replaced right away.
See if your springs are stretched out.
If it is, this means that it is no longer capable of supporting your garage door’s wait and that you should probably have it changed.
Or check if gaps are starting to form in between your spring’s coils.
The garage door is malfunctioning/ not working properly
Another sign that will tell you that you probably need to change your garage door’s springs is when the garage door itself is no longer functioning as it should.
After all, your garage door springs are what makes it possible to open and close your garage doors.
See if your door is experiencing any of the problems below. If it is, then most likely, your spring is the cause behind the malfunction. See the list below.
- Cables are saggy
- Garage door no longer can keep itself open
- The garage door won’t open
- The garage door is unbalanced when opened or closed
- The garage door opens and closes halfway
- The garage door’s top section is misaligned.
It is true that these problems indicated above can also be caused by other factors, but mostly, when this happens, your spring is the reason behind it.
So for preventive purposes, if you start experiencing any of the above problems, check your spring out for any problems.
Your garage door is making a lot of noise
Another very good indicator that there is something wrong with your garage door is if it is making some noise that it normally doesn’t.
For one, if your torsion spring does break on you then you will likely hear a very loud bang coming from your garage door.
However, even screeching noises can indicate that your springs are no good.
When you hear noises coming from your garage door, make sure to check and inspect your garage door’s spring.
Replacing your broken garage door torsion springs
Before we can get to start, there are some things you need to make sure that are all available and prepared.
Without these, you won’t likely be able to pull the entire process off.
See if you have the following tools ready and available for use:
- Winding Bars
- Vise-grips/ C-clamps
- Ladders
- Wrench sets and/or Adjustable Wrenches
Once you have these tools, you can now proceed with the actual process of replacing your garage door’s springs.
Without further ado, here are the necessary steps on how to replace a broken garage door torsion spring that you need to follow diligently:
- Completely close your garage doors. This is done to release whatever tension your garage door springs are holding in, allowing you to replace them safely. Also, disconnect your garage door openers to prevent any incidents.
- Using your winding bars, loosen the garage door spring you wish to replace. Your springs are held in place with screws so to loosen your springs, insert one of your winding rods on one of the bottom holes of the winding cone and make sure to hold it tightly. Once ready, you may now proceed to remove the set screws holding the springs in place.
- Once the set screws are removed, the next thing you should do is to unwind your garage door springs. Unwinding is done using both winding bars, pulling them alternately until the spring is released completely.
- Next, remove the nuts and bolts connecting your garage door spring to the center brackets of your garage door. Once done, slide the spring towards the side brackets.
- After that, detach your lift cables. Now make sure that you clamp the torsion tube so that it doesn’t move by clamping it to the center bracket.
- Now that your garage door springs are completely removed, you may now proceed to install your replacement torsion springs. Repeat all the steps you did above in reverse in order to install your new springs.
- Once installed, make sure to lubricate them.
- Check the functionality of your garage doors with the newly installed garage door torsion springs.
Once everything is set and done, make sure you plug and reconnect your garage door openers so that you may use them like you used to.
If the procedures above have left you even more confused, you may refer to this video to help you out with your task.
Conclusion
So, were you able to successfully install your new garage door torsion springs?
If you have, then good job, I’m sure you had your fair share of troubles experienced along the way.
Easy as it may seem, replacing your garage door springs was never an easy job, to begin with.
If you were one of those who failed or never attempted to repair it at all, then the best you can do is call a professional to help you out with your problem.
If you are living in Ottawa and are looking for a garage door repair company near you that can help you with your garage door spring replacement needs, then we are more than happy to help you out.
Garage Door Repairs Pros is a repair company located in Ottawa that offers garage door related services.
May it be garage door installation, repair, or maintenance services, we will always be available to help you out.
Our company provides 24/7 garage door repair services so if your garage door suddenly broke on you at the oddest hours of the day, you do not have to worry as we will still be available to help you out.
For more inquiries about our rates and services, you may contact us at (613) 909-8982.
What are you waiting for? Call us now!
