What To Do If Your Garage Door Spring Breaks
Posted on: 6 April 2015
Is your garage door spring broken? You probably didn't even know until you tried to get your car out of the garage and the door wouldn't open. You might have heard a loud banging or crashing noise from somewhere in the house, but houses make a lot of noises that can't be readily identified. It is not surprising if you ignored it. Most people would do the same. But now you are facing a broken garage door spring and your car is in the garage. What do you do? Here is how to handle a broken garage door spring the correct way.
1. Figure Out What Spring Is Broken
Your garage door has two different types of springs. There is the torsion spring and the extension spring. Here is the difference between the two:
Torsion spring--Located above the garage door, the torsion springs create the lift force necessary to raise the door.
Extension spring--This spring counterbalances the weight of the door to allow it to hang safely from the door frame. Located on either side of the garage door, these are very simple looking springs compared to the torsion spring.
You must look for the broken spring by locating and identifying the torsion and extension springs. The broken one will usually be obvious, as it will have uncoiled, have a clean break in it, or be hanging down low below where it should be.
2. Remove Your Car from the Garage
You need to be able to use your car. Even if you don't have any errands to run, you never know when something will come up that will require the use of your vehicle. You've got to get it out of the garage while you are waiting for the spring to be repaired.
To do this, you need to pull the emergency release cord above the door. This is a red cord, so it should be easy to identify. Once you pull the cord, it will allow you to manually lift the door. Just be careful, because a garage door is heavy. According to IllinoisDoorGuy.Hubpages.com, it can weight as much as 300 pounds.
3. Call a Garage Door Repair Company
This is a project that is better left to the professionals. Attempting to do it yourself can be very dangerous, since you are working with a high-tension spring and a heavy garage door. You could easily get quite hurt if you don't know exactly what you are doing.
The best option is to call a professional garage door repair company to make the repair for you. Buying your own spring or springs beforehand can often save you some money.
Ask the repair company about garage door spring prices when you call, so you will know whether to buy your own prior to the repair person's arrival or not. Sometimes, repair companies can get special deals on springs and will pass the savings on to you. It all depends on the company.
4. Buy Replacement Springs
If it turns out it will save you money to do so, go to your local home supply store and buy replacement springs. If the torsion spring is broken, you will just need one spring. If the extension springs are the issue, you ma need one or two springs, depending on whether one or both of them are broken.
Conclusion
A broken garage door spring is one of the most common repairs that garage doors need. The springs have to support a lot of weight, and changes in temperature in the heat of summer and cold of winter can easily break a spring. Call a professional to make the repair, and start enjoying the use of your garage again.
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