Are All Garage Door Springs the Same?

If someone asked you what part of the garage door mechanism lifts and closes the door, what would you say? If you’re like most people you’d say the opener opens and closes the door. And that would be a perfectly understandable and reasonable answer. It would also be technically incorrect. You see, the opener is actually more of a starter and regulator than it is an opener. It provides the little jolt of energy required to get the door moving and then regulates that movement to ensure it is smooth and effective. So if the opener isn’t actually opening the door, then what is? The answer, as any garage door service in Northglenn will tell you, is the garage door springs.

Are All Garage Door Springs on Broomfield Homes the Same?

Even among those who understand the role of the springs there is a common misconception that all garage door springs are alike. That is, that garage door springs are a one-size-fits-all affair. In reality, that’s not the case. Garage door springs come in different sizes and strengths and it’s important that you have the right spring for your particular door. Otherwise, all manner of problems can and will arise. Some will simply cost you money. While others may endanger your safety and the safety of your loved ones.

There are basically three things that can be wrong with your garage door springs. Either they’re too small or they’re too big or they don’t match. Let’s look at all three.

What Happens When the Springs are Too Small?

If the springs are too small for your garage door this can cause some very serious issues. First of all, if the spring is too small it will not be able to handle as much of the load as it should. This will bring additional stress on the other components of the door mechanism. Most notably the opener. If the springs aren’t pulling their weight the opener will be forced to compensate. This is a good way to burn out the motor. Or at the very least, shorten the lifespan of the opener significantly.

Springs that are too small will also cause undue stress to be applied to the chain or belt or screw-drive. The chain or belt could wind up snapping while the door is in motion. And that is a potentially very dangerous situation. The cables and pulleys can also be affected by springs that are too small. In addition, the drums the cables wrap around could wind up becoming misaligned as a result of too much stress. Or one of the cables could snap.

What Happens if the Springs are Too Big?

If the springs on your garage door are too big you’re going to wind up calling the garage door service in Broomfield for help before too long. Garage door springs that are too large wind up putting just as much stress on the opener as springs that are too small. It’s just a different kind of stress. When the springs are too powerful the motor needs to work extra hard to regulate the movement of the door. The springs will be trying to pull it too quickly up or down and the opener will be forced to work as a brake. Having to constantly hold the door back is going to put unique and significant stresses on the motor. The result will again be premature burnout.

It’s also possible that the motor won’t be able to slow the door down to a safe speed. In which case woe to anyone or anything that’s near the door when it’s in motion. Of course, a door that’s moving too fast is going to put stresses on other components as well. Including the rollers, tracks, cables, drums and more. All of which will be subjected to an increased likelihood of failure.

What Happens if the Springs are Mismatched?

In the not too distant past garage doors used either two extension springs or one torsion spring. In recent years, however, there has been a shift to two torsion springs as well. And this makes sense. That’s because during the time when the single torsion spring reigned supreme there was nothing to stop the door crashing to the ground if the spring snapped.

So the decision was made that torsion springs, like extension springs, should be installed in pairs. With each spring tasked with lifting one side of the door. The two spring approach works great for the most part. With one exception. Sometimes when replacing either an extension or torsion spring the person doing the work will install a spring that doesn’t match the other, existing spring. This creates an imbalance in the forces being applied to the entire door mechanism.

These uneven forces can cause rollers to pop out of tracks, tracks to become misaligned and the door to hang unevenly. The cables on either side of the door also pull on the door unevenly. This can cause the panels of the door to start to loosen and spaces to appear between them. All this dysfunction in the door will, in turn, put unwanted stress and strain on the motor, chain, belt or screw-drive mechanism as well.

The Bottom Line

Garage door springs on Northglenn homes are not something that should be taken for granted. If you need to have a spring or springs replaced on your door make sure you call the pros from A Better Garage Door. We’ll get the job done right.