Without the help of garage door springs, people wouldn’t find garage doors very convenient. Your garage door springs hold a lot of weight, and make it possible for a 0.5 horsepower garage door opener to smoothly lift and lower a garage door that might weigh from 100 to 400 pounds. Depending on the size and materials used in the manufacture of the garage door, the garage door system needs a compatible opener and springs so they can last 10,000 opening and closing cycles.
There are two main types of garage door springs, torsion springs and extension springs. Both high-tension springs, torsion springs and extension springs both have pros and cons to long-term garage door operation.
Torsion Springs
Torsion springs work together with bearing plates attached to the garage door frame and cables located at each end of the garage door. The springs create leverage as they wind and unwind during opening and closing, reducing the force needed to open the garage door. This takes the pressure off the garage door opener and increases the opener’s longevity. Coating a torsion spring helps them last 15-20,000 cycles.
A garage door can have one torsion spring or come in a set of two – a left-hand spring wound to the left and a right-hand spring wound to the right. The springs generally range from 16- to 48-inches long.
Extension Springs
Extension springs are installed vertically on either side of the garage door and will last up to 10,000 cycles. Under constant load, extension springs produce energy by stretching and contracting as the door opens and closes. When a garage door is closed, an extension spring remains stretched to nearly twice its regular length. Once the coils of an extension spring eventually become permanently stretched, this is when you need garage door spring replacement.
Torsion Springs
Extension Springs
- Inch of pounds per turn
- Safer operation
- Lasts longer cycles before repair
- Quieter operation
- Sturdy
- Pounds per inch of extension
- Cost-effective
- Easier install
- More maintenance
- Designed to lift a specific amount of weight
Torsion spring systems are safer and last longer, requiring fewer garage door spring replacements. Designed to raise garage doors that can weigh as much as half a ton, torsion springs are more durable than extension springs, offer quieter operation, and are more cost-effective when you don’t need garage door spring replacement or garage door opener repair as often. Their inch of pounds per turn, or IPPT, refers to the inch-pounds of force from each turn of the spring. Extension springs are easier and cheaper to install, but they are not the best option for homeowners.
The popular vote in the garage door industry sways heavily towards torsion springs, but depending on your garage door application, extension springs may be a better fit. The choice between different types of garage door springs helps the operator practice better maintenance. Garage door springs hold a lot of the power in your garage door system, and their state ensures your safety around your garage door.
Who’s Lifting That Garage Door?
If you were in the middle of using your garage door and a garage door spring broke or let go, the door would come crashing down. What weighs half a ton, your garage door becomes a guillotine and could injure or even kill people at worst –or damage your vehicle or other possessions at best.
Even if you’re not using the garage door opener and you open the garage door manually, the springs make it easy to raise and lower the garage door.
When your garage door is unbalanced, your garage door springs are often to blame. Some springs wear down faster, especially if the garage door is frequently used. Other mechanical parts of the garage door and garage door opener will also last much longer when they work together with a balanced garage door.
Friendly Reminder to Maintain Your Garage Door Springs
Sort of like those friendly reminders, “Be Kind, Rewind” stickers on every Blockbuster VHS, this is your friendly reminder to “Be Kind to Your Garage Door, and Maintain Your Garage Door Springs.”
Preventative maintenance appointments are the perfect opportunity to detect and fix minor issues before they cause further damage. Contact Doors Plus More for a garage door maintenance appointment for your residential, commercial, industrial, or agricultural garage door.
