As you’re adding pumpkin spice to your coffee, and a jacket before you head out the door, contact Merchantville Overhead Door Company for potential broken garage door spring replacement. Cooler weather causes some mechanical parts in your garage door system to stiffen.
To avoid a broken torsion spring, follow these two maintenance hacks if you don’t want your next step to be an emergency appointment. As the season changes from summer to fall, ’tis the season of the broken garage door spring! If your garage hasn’t been looked at by a garage door professional, the perfect time to replace your worn-out garage door springs is now!
Add Lubricant
Merchantville Overhead Door Company recommends garage door lubricant whenever the weather changes from colder to warmer temperatures and from warmer to colder temperatures. Professional lubricant can be found at your local department store.
Torsion springs, the most common type of spring in a garage door system, experience accelerated wear whenever the weather starts to grow significantly colder or warmer, causing them to break. Their importance is fundamental to your garage door’s operation, and a broken garage door spring is one of the most common repairs we see. Because springs hold the weight of your garage door, it can be dangerous if your garage has a broken garage door spring.
That is why Merchantville Overhead Door Company recommends that you don’t attempt to touch broken springs or replace a broken garage door spring yourself. You also do not want to try to force the door open with your garage door opener. This could cause the garage door opener’s motor to burn out.
Door Balance Test
Perform the steps below for a door balance test if you would like to check the health of your garage door springs. If your garage door springs are still intact or they’re working better with added garage door lubricant, your door should open quite easily and without excessive force.
1) Disengage the opener by pulling the emergency manual release cord hanging from the opener.
2) Lift the garage door to your knees and then release.
3) Repeat lifting the garage door to your waist and release.
4) Repeat lifting the garage door once more to your shoulders and release slowly making sure it doesn’t fall full force.
If the door is too heavy to open, or the door falls at any of the heights, your springs need to be tightened or replaced. The door balance test is to see if the springs are balanced, and the garage door should stay in place whenever you release it at knee, waist, and shoulder height.
We advise against tightening the springs yourself when it fails the door balance test. Keep in mind that garage door springs have two resting places: open and closed. If you wind the springs a few quarter turns, the spring is now resting in a position with more resistance. This can cause the spring to break sooner.
If you do not end up tightening the springs, it can put undue stress on the motor. If the motor burns up, replacement costs will be much greater versus a simple garage door spring replacement.
Perform the Door Balance Test With Extreme Caution
Keep in mind that springs are only designed to last between 10-15,000 cycles of opening and closing your door. This translates to between 8-12 years depending on how often you use the garage door.
If you have a broken garage door spring, you won’t be able to lift the garage door at all. When completing the door balance test, be sure to proceed with extreme caution, or have someone there to hold the other side of the garage door in case it falls suddenly.
A Review
Always lubricate your torsion springs twice a year whenever the weather changes to prevent broken garage door springs.
If you suspect your garage door springs are broken, contact Merchantville Overhead Door Company immediately. In the meantime, an at-home door balance test could determine whether your garage door springs need to be replaced.
Contact Mercantile Overhead Door for Broken Garage Door Spring Replacement
If you are seeking garage door spring prices, feel free to contact us at (856) 338-1314! We’re open 24/7 when you need us! Also, we can help you determine which spring type will best suit your garage door system if it is time for a spring replacement or for an upgrade. Trust Mercantile Overhead Door Company to take care of all your garage door needs in Camden NJ and the surrounding area!
