Spring replacement · Riverside County
The springs do the lifting.Not the opener.
A double door weighs 150 to 250 lb and the motor is rated for about thirty. Everything else is the springs. When one goes, the door stops being a door and becomes a hazard.
How it works
Counterweight,not machinery.
A torsion spring sits on a steel bar above the opening and stores energy by twisting. Wound correctly, it offsets almost the entire weight of the door, which is why a healthy door lifts with one finger.
Extension springs do the same job differently, stretching along the horizontal tracks either side. They are common on older Riverside homes and must have safety containment cables threaded through them.
Springs are rated in cycles rather than years, one cycle being a single open and close. They fail from metal fatigue rather than misuse, which is why failure is sudden and why nothing you did caused it.
The part itself
- TypeTorsion or extension
- Rated inCycles, not years
- Standard10,000 cycles, about 7 years
- Upgrade25,000 cycles, roughly double
- ReplacedIn pairs, always
- CarriedCommon sizes on the van
Warning signs
Spot a tired springbefore it fails.
Most of these give you warning. Catching one early is the difference between a scheduled visit and a door on the floor.
- A visible gap in the coilOne to two inches of daylight where the spring should be continuous. This is a confirmed break.
- The door feels enormously heavyPull the release and lift by hand. If it will not stay at waist height, the tension is gone.
- It opens crookedly or in jerksUneven tension, usually one spring weaker than the other.
- The opener strains and stopsThe motor hitting its force limit because the door is heavier than it should be.
- Loud bang, then nothing worksThe failure itself. Most people hear it from inside the house.
Stop using it if
- You heard a bangThe spring has gone. Running the opener now strips the drive gear.
- There is a gap in the coilConfirmed break. The door is being held by nothing but the cables.
- The door will not stay up by handUnbalanced. It can come down fast and hard.
- A cable has come off the drumSpring failure has already moved on to the next part.
Any of those and the door should not be operated. Running it makes a one-part job into a several-part job.
The repair
Replaced in pairs,wound properly.
Bo carries common sizes on the van, so most spring jobs are done in a single visit. Where a door needs a non-standard size, he will tell you at the door rather than after.
What the visit involves
- We measure the spring, not guessWire size, inside diameter and length. The wrong spring wrecks a door slowly.
- Both are replaced togetherSame age, same cycles. Replacing one means paying the call-out twice.
- Wound to the door, not the chartThen balance-tested by hand at waist height.
- Cables, drums and bearings checkedA failed spring often takes something with it.
- Safety reverse tested before we leaveNon-negotiable, whatever else was done.
Get the springreplaced properly.
Bo measures the spring, replaces both, re-balances the door by hand and tests the safety reverse. Most jobs finish in one visit.
Why pairs, always
- Same age, same cyclesThe second spring is weeks or months behind the first, not years.
- One call-out, not twoReplacing a single spring means paying to see us again shortly.
- Balanced tensionTwo springs of different ages pull unevenly and wear the door.
Questions
Spring questions,answered straight.
The ones people ask while standing in the garage looking at it.
Ring and ask. Bo has been doing this in Riverside County for over thirty years and there is no charge for a question.
(951) 232-9778Mon–Sat · 8am–6pmWhy will you not quote over the phone?
Because a door cannot be priced down a phone line honestly. Weight, spring cycle rating, hardware age and access all change the figure, and none of them can be assessed from a description. A phone number is a guess, and guesses get revised upward on the driveway.
Why did my garage door spring break?
Torsion springs are rated in cycles, one cycle being a single open and close. A standard 10,000-cycle spring lasts roughly seven years on average household use. They fail from metal fatigue rather than misuse, which is why failure is sudden rather than gradual.
Cold snaps and heavy use both shorten the interval. A garage used as the main entrance to the house can run three or four cycles a day, which halves the expected life against a household that uses it twice.
Can I still use my garage door with a broken spring?
No. The springs carry the weight of the door, not the opener. With a broken spring the opener is trying to lift 150 to 250 lb on a motor rated for about 30. Running it strips the drive gear and often pulls the door off its track.
If you have already heard the bang, the cheapest thing you can do is stop. A spring job left alone stays a spring job. A spring job that keeps being operated becomes a spring, cable, track and panel job.
How long do garage door springs last?
Between seven and twelve years for most households. Springs are rated in cycles rather than years, so the honest answer depends on how often you open the door. A 10,000-cycle spring on a door used four times a day is spent in under seven years.
Higher-cycle springs cost a little more and roughly double the interval. On a garage that doubles as the main door to the house, they usually pay for themselves.
Should garage door springs be replaced in pairs?
Yes, on a two-spring door. Both springs are the same age and have taken the same number of cycles, so when one fails the other is usually weeks or months behind it. Replacing one means paying the call-out twice.
Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
We would strongly advise against it. A wound torsion spring stores enough energy to break bones, and winding bars slip. It is one of the few household repairs that regularly sends people to hospital.
If you are determined to try, at minimum use proper winding bars rather than screwdrivers, and never stand directly beneath the bar.
What is the difference between torsion and extension springs?
Torsion springs sit on a steel bar above the door opening and twist as the door moves. Extension springs run along the horizontal tracks either side and stretch. Torsion is the modern standard; extension is common on older Riverside homes.
Extension springs must have safety containment cables threaded through them. If yours do not, that is worth fixing whether or not they have failed.
How do I know if my spring is broken?
Look at the spring above the door. A broken torsion spring shows a clear gap of an inch or two in the coil. The door will also feel enormously heavy if you try to lift it by hand after pulling the release, and the opener will strain without moving it.
What does a broken spring sound like?
Most people describe it as a gunshot or a loud bang from the garage, often heard from inside the house. It is the sound of the stored energy releasing all at once. If you heard that and the door will not lift, you almost certainly have a broken spring.
Is a broken garage door spring dangerous?
The break itself is over in an instant and rarely hurts anyone. The danger comes afterwards, from a heavy door with nothing holding it up. Do not pull the emergency release while the door is open, and keep children and pets out of the garage.