Every year, thousands of people get hurt due to various garage door-related accidents. One of the most common causes of these accidents is broken garage door springs.
If your garage door’s springs get damaged, you need to get them replaced ASAP. Although we suggest you get help from professionals to do so, you can also do it yourself, if you really have to.
Before dealing with the broken spring, you have to gather all the necessary tools. Then you must disconnect the garage door opener’s power to ensure safety.
You should then remove the springs depending on their types. Next, you have to install the new springs in their place and test the door to see if the work is done perfectly.
Here is our guideline on how to replace a broken garage door spring.
Garage door broken spring replacement guideline
Garage door springs keep the balance of the door when it is opened, and also ensure you can smoothly open and close your garage door. When these springs break or get damaged, they can cause significant damage to both life and property.
So, when your garage door springs break, you must work quickly to replace them. It is better if you leave the task to professionals, as it needs skills and experience. But there are times when you must act fast and replace the springs yourself.
If you find yourself in this kind of situation, here is our step-by-step guide for how to replace a broken garage door spring.
1. Collecting necessary tools
Before you replace broken garage door springs, you need to gather all the necessary equipment. These tools are specialized to replace springs, so you might not have all of them at your disposal.
But don’t worry, as you can find them in your nearest hardware shop. These tools are:
- New Springs
- Vice Grip
- Winding bars
- Ladder
- Safety Glasses
2. Disconnecting the opener
Once you have gathered all the tools necessary, you need to disconnect the garage door opener. This will ensure the door will not accidentally activate and come down on you.
If you know how to replace broken garage door springs safely, you have to ensure this step.
3. Releasing the tension
Once you have reached the springs, you need to release tension from them, depending on what type of springs they are. If the garage door has extension springs, they will be installed at the slides.
On the other hand, torsion springs will be situated in the middle of the door.
Here is how you can release tension from your garage door springs.
- Extension springs: Place the vice grip on the part of the garage door track that is nearest to the bottom roller.
Then detach the safety cable from the garage door track hanger. After that, disconnect the safety cable from the spring, which will release the tension from the spring. - Torsion springs: You will need the winding bars to release tension from your torsion springs. Put one winding bar into the winding cone, and secure the bar and the cone with a vice grip.
Then do the same with the other side of the torsion spring. Then unwind the spring carefully, until you feel no tension on it.
4. Removing the springs
The next step in our broken spring replacement guideline is removing the springs. Removing them once you release tension from your garage door springs is quite easy.
Slowly remove the springs from their mounting brackets. Please ensure you take notice of how they are installed, as you will have to install the new springs in the exact same way.
5. Installing new springs
Once you removed the damaged springs, you need to install the new springs the same way the older ones were installed. If you have torsion springs, use winding bars to install them onto the torsion tube. Ensure the springs are secured properly.
6. Restoring tension
After the springs are installed, you need to restore tension in them. For your torsion springs, make sure there is an equal number of turns on both sides.
Every type of door and spring has a specific number of turns to have the appropriate tension in them, so you need to follow the manual provided by the manufacturers.
7. Testing the door
Finally, you have to test your door to see if the garage door spring replacement has gone perfectly. Remove the vice grips and reconnect the garage door opener. Then open and close the door a few times to see if it is operating smoothly.
Final Words
Knowing how to replace a broken garage door spring is helpful in two ways. First, you can replace your garage door spring yourself if needed. Second, you can see if the professional service you have hired is authentic or not, by watching how they work.
We provide the best quality garage door broken spring replacement service, so all you need to do is contact us.
FAQ
How do I know if my garage door spring is broken?
There are a few signs that will tell you that your garage door springs are broken. These are:
Difficulty in opening and closing the door
Loud banging noise when the door is closing or opening
Visible gaps in the garage door, etc.
How long do garage door springs typically last?
The time a garage door spring lasts depends on the usage. In general, a garage door spring lasts about 10000 cycles or 7-10 years.
Can I use any type of spring to replace a broken one?
No, you can not use any type of spring to replace a broken one, as each door is designed to have a specific type of spring.
