how to fix garage door springs

Springs are one of the most important parts of the garage doors that help open and close the garage door smoothly. Every garage owner probably knows the importance of springs in their door mechanism. However, most people might not even think of this mechanism until they face any problems while opening or closing the garage door.

The main function of a garage door spring is to counterbalance the weight of the door so that the opening and closing operations can happen smoothly. In other words, these springs work the same way as the counterweights to balance the weight of garage doors.

Generally, garage doors weigh hundreds of pounds, and you will need the same amount of force to lift your garage door without any damage. Practically, this can’t be achieved without garage door springs. Even automatic garage door openers are not capable of doing this. That’s why garage door springs need special attention compared to other components.

Therefore, if you face any difficulties while closing or opening your garage door, it is worth checking the garage door springs. If you find the garage door springs have been damaged or broken, then you will need to replace them to ensure the proper functioning of your garage door. But one thing that you need to keep in mind that garage door springs are one of the crucial components of your garage door. So, you will need to find the right size springs for your garage door to ensure the same amount of force that your existing spring is offering.

Also, you will need to understand the type of garage door springs and their functions to get the right springs for your garage door. Many people also have faced injuries and accidents while replacing the garage door springs because of improper knowledge about the functions of these springs. This is why many people think that it is dangerous to replace the garage door springs.

However, by having a better understanding of garage door parts and springs, you can conduct your garage door repairs efficiently. Here we have included all the essential things that you need to know about garage door springs to perform your garage door repairing tasks without any hassle.

Types of Garage Door Springs

Before you find springs for your garage door, first, you will need to know about their types. Generally, garage door springs are available in two types, namely Torsion springs and extension springs.

The springs that have attached above the closed door are known as Torsion Springs. On the other hand, extension springs can be found above the upper tracks on both sides. Let’s know about each type of garage door springs in detail.

Garage Door Torsion Springs

Torsion springs are usually found above the garage doors attached to a metal shaft. The location of these springs can vary according to the design of your garage door. In some garage doors, the metal shafts pass through the springs, while in some other garage doors, the metal shaft houses the springs. Also, the spring can be located in the middle or at one end of the metal shaft.

The garage door Torsion springs apply torque to the shaft to balance the garage door. The shaft is attached to drums at each end, which is further connected to the bottom of the door with the help of cables. This way, the torsion springs open and close when the garage door opens and closes. Torsion springs come with a cycle life that defines how many times the spring can open and close the garage door before breaking.

The lifting capacity of a Torsion spring is determined by the torque it produces. Some essential points that you need to consider while choosing torsion springs include length, wire size, and inside diameter. One garage door can have one to four torsion springs according to the weight and size of the door.

Garage door torsion springs are further divided into standard, EZ-SET, torque master, and steel rolling torsion springs. Let’s discuss each type of torsion spring in detail.

Standard Torsion Springs

Standard torsion springs are categorized into two types, namely standard residential torsion springs and standard commercial torsion springs.

Standard Residential Torsion Springs

These torsion springs are mostly used in residential garage doors. They are usually mounted on the spring anchor bracket above the garage door. Also, some designs have residential torsion springs in an offset mount. Where two torsion springs are needed to balance the garage door, they are mounted on the spring anchor bracket above the garage door. This design is considered to be safer than other designs. In this case, if one spring breaks, the other spring balances the garage door and prevents it from falling.

Standard Commercial Torsion Springs

In commercial garage doors, a minimum of two torsion springs in used to operate the garage door. The torsion springs used in the commercial garage doors are mainly designed in four ways, namely linear, duplex, triplex, and mixed.

The linear torsion spring system is usually used for wider garage doors. In a linear torsion spring system, at least four or more springs are combined to fit the wider garage doors. The main advantage of this torsion spring system is that it is cheaper compared to duplex or triplex systems.

In the duplex torsion spring system, you can find two large springs on both halves of the garage door. Moreover, this system has another two springs inside the torsion springs. This spring system offers more torque to lift the wider garage doors without requiring any additional space.

The triplex spring system works the same way as the duplex system. However, this spring system contains two springs inside the outer spring.

In the mixed spring system, you can find a combination of the linear, duplex, and triplex spring systems. If the garage door is heavy, then you can consider using the mixed spring system to ensure better performance. The main disadvantage of the duplex and triplex spring system is that it is difficult to identify if there is a break in the innerspring.

EZ-SET Torsion Springs

Though they are similar to the standard torsion springs, they have different hardware. The EZ-SET torsion springs are mounted on the middle of the torsion shaft. Also, most wider garage doors have two EZ-SET torsion springs. In such designs, the torsion springs are mounted on the left side of the garage door.

Apart from that, you can also find some wider garage doors with two shafts and a coupler to connect the two shafts. This design helps you to replace the EZ-SET torsion springs with ease. In the case of wider garage doors, you can find the support bracket in the middle, but the single car garage doors don’t include any supporting bracket.

Torque Master Torsion Springs

The torque master torsion springs are designed to offer better safety than the EZ-SET torsion springs. These springs have a nested design that stays fastened inside of the shaft. Also, the shaft doesn’t have a circular cross-section, so one part of the shaft is extended outward.

Some torque master springs also come with a winding cone that expands more than the shaft and passes through the cable drum. There is a winder to mount the winding cone. The torsion spring can be wound with an electric drill.

The cable drums are made of plastic and are used to support the ends of the shaft. The three grooves of the torque master torsion springs are designed to sit at a Hight than the other grooves. On the other hand, the rest of the grooves are designed to wrap around the drum with a 2-inch diameter. The center support bracket has a circular piece that rotates with the shaft when the garage door opens. This way, the torque master torsion springs function.

Steel Rolling Door Torsion Springs

As you know, the steel rolling doors are not similar to the most garage doors available in the market. They usually have some interlocking shafts connected together to form the door section. This design offers higher mobility for opening and closing the garage door. Such garage doors have a barrel on the top on which the door gets wrapped securely. This way, it is very easy to operate steel rolling garage doors.

In general, the barrel includes a torsion spring inside it to counterbalance the weight of the door. Some steel rolling doors also come with two springs to balance heavier garage doors. Moreover, these springs are not visible outside because the barrel remains closed on both sides. The barrel also includes two head plates on both sides. Inside the barrel, two shafts are passed through a bearing and the head plates. There are idler brackets inside the barrel, fastened using screws to support the shafts.

The main purpose of these shafts is to support the torsion springs inside the barrel. One end of the spring has a cone that is attached to the shaft, and the other end is secured with the help of an idler bracket. This way, the steel rolling door torsion springs function.

How to measure garage door springs size? No chart watch video Tutorial below:

 

Garage Door Extension Springs

Garage door extension springs can be mounted above the horizontal tracks or along the sides of the garage door. These springs counterbalance the weight of the garage door by extending and contracting when the door opens and closes. Residential garage doors use only two extension garage door springs, while commercial garage doors use multiple extension garage door springs.

According to the design, you can find garage door extension springs in open-loop, closed-loop, and clipped end design.

Open Loop Extension Garage Door Springs

Compared to other types of extension springs, open-loop extension springs are the weakest ones. These springs have a wire at the end, which determines how the spring will function. If this wire gets damaged, then the spring is not ideal for use, and you need to replace it.

Closed Loop Garage Door Extension Springs

These springs are stronger than open-loop extension springs because they have two coils at the end. These coils get connected to the pulley and eyebolt for smoother operation.

Clipped End Extension Springs

This type of extension spring is a robust one compared to all extension springs. These springs can be used with garage doors weighing up to 200 lbs. for better performance. Moreover, the clipped end garage door extension springs can last for a long time and are used in most garage doors.

As per the size of the door, the extension springs are two types, and those are as follows:

Sectional Garage Door Extension Springs

These are the most common types of extension springs to use. These springs pull the cables to counterbalance the garage door. These springs get stretched to balance the door because the weight of the door is on the cables while closing the door. This way, it helps operate the garage door easily.

In residential garage doors, two extension springs are used on both sides of the door. One end of these springs gets connected to the pulley, and the other end is connected to the eye bolt.

In the case of commercial garage doors, there is a special kit to connect multiple extension springs for better operation. However, they have the same setup as the residential garage doors.

One Piece Garage Door Extension Springs:

One-piece garage doors are one large piece that opens and closes. There are tracks in this door setup that guide the garage door for opening and closing. In this setup, extension springs are attached to a pivot pin that extends to counterbalance the weight of the garage door. These types of garage doors usually use two to four extension springs to balance the garage door appropriately.

Garage Door Springs Color Code

How to adjust and Replace Garage Door side extension Springs

Conclusion

Now, you know different types of springs used in the garage doors and their functions. Torsion springs are usually mounted above the garage doors, while extension springs are mounted along the side of the garage doors.

So now, you can identify the type of springs used in your garage door and determine the damages. Then you can easily replace the springs in your garage door and experience optimal performance.