When to Schedule Garage Door Spring Repair in Torrance
The springs are the most important component of your garage door. They are usually installed along the wall over the door or down the center of the ceiling and do all the heavy lifting, while the opener functions as a regulator. Remarkably rugged and durable, these springs will wear out eventually, like any machinery. Here are a few things to look out for to determine if it’s time for your garage spring repair in Torrance need repairing or replacing.
Extension springs are lightweight and are the ones that run perpendicular to the door-mounted on tracks above the horizontal bar but below the ceiling. They also extend as the door closes and coil as the door opens.
There are two types of springs that make garage doors open and close whether the door is electronic or manual. They are torsion springs and extension springs. They store energy and release it by coiling and uncoiling when you open and close the door.
When it’s time for garage door spring repair in Torrance, you will notice that the extension springs are color-coded according to the amount of weight they can lift. Torsion springs feature codes for right wind or left wind.
Yearly Checkups by a Spring Repair Torrance Professional
Most garages are the primary entrance to a home and get opened and closed many more times than the front or back door. Opening and closing once a day wears out new springs in about 14 years, with regular maintenance and repairs. Most people open their doors several times every day, which reduces this number to 3.5-7 years.
Whether your garage door opener is new or was already there when you bought the house, you can count on replacing the springs at least once. Unless you are a professional repairman for garage door spring repair in Torrance, don’t even think about changing the springs yourself. They are tricky and can be dangerous because they hold a massive amount of energy that can recoil and cause you great injury if not properly handled.
A Broken Torsion Spring
A high-quality, durable spring should last through 10,000 cycles of opening and closing the garage door. They wear out over time or become damaged by salty air, destructive weather, fire or other causes. Because they are the most common problem, it is easier for a professional to diagnose the problem with your garage door.
Since broken torsion springs can be a safety hazard, it is important to call spring repair in Torrance as soon as you detect any problem with the door opening or closing. The problem may or may not be the spring, but it’s not worth waiting to find out. This is especially true if your door is old.
How to Recognize Damaged Springs
As soon as your garage door malfunctions, you should examine the mechanism. Aside from worn-out or damaged springs, you may also discover a distinct break. Either way, the problem will be obvious.
You can recognize damaged springs using two methods:
• Improper balance – The door moves but doesn’t open and close properly. This means it is not correctly balanced. One sign is if the door quickly falls after it slightly opens. Another sign is the door moves much slower than it used to move. Sometimes it could also move too fast. This will depend on what the cause of the malfunction is. An improperly balanced door will also make a lot of noise as it moves up and down.
Damaged springs don’t always lead to a poorly balanced door. The balance problems can put a strain on the springs and break them or cause damage with frequent opening and closing, however.
• Excessive noise – As mentioned above, a smoothly running garage door should not make a lot of noise. Some noise is to be expected, but if you start to hear excessive squeaking, it may mean the springs are starting to wear out. The easy solution could be to lubricate the springs. This is part of what professional checkups include. If that doesn’t help you need spring repair in Torrance.
How to Find Broken Springs
It may not be easy to identify a damaged spring, but a broken spring is usually easy to spot, especially if you are nearby. When a torsion spring breaks it will make a sound that resembles a gunshot. It is an extremely loud bang because of the tension that builds up in the spring.
If you hear this noise, take a look at the spring above the door. You might see a visible break, but the break may not be clean, and if this is the case, it will be harder to detect. It will be even harder to detect if the spring has stretched out and not snapped. Some clues you can get from the door are:
• The cables that attach the door to the springs are hanging
• The door appears to hand crookedly
• The top of the door is misaligned
With damaged springs, the door typically won’t open or close. Even if the garage door still opens and closes, you can see that it’s not running smoothly. Some signs to look for are:
• The door slopes to one side and sometimes becomes stuck while it is opening or closing
• The door exhibits excessive jerking as it opens or closes
• The door simply will not move even after activating the emergency switch
• The door closes very rapidly, which could be a danger to a child, elderly person or a pet
• The safety mechanism stops the door from functioning
• The door will be extremely heavy if you try to open it manually
Stay Safe and Service Your Garage Door Once a Year
Garage door spring repair in Torrance is much less expensive than replacing the whole garage door opener. Your door may still function, albeit awkwardly, so you may postpone getting professional help, but you should never postpone professional help for a damaged spring. They can snap at any time, and if someone is inside the garage when this happens, it can cause serious injury.
Electronic garage door openers have several components that make the mechanism run smoothly every time. Without proper maintenance, you will see the door start to hang awkwardly, start and stop on its own and simply stop functioning altogether.
When you arrive home on a dark night or need to leave quickly in the morning are not the times to have a malfunctioning garage door. Having an annual checkup will help you avoid problems when you least expect them.
