Identifying Garage Door Spring Issues

Here at Garage Door Repair Suffolk we often get service calls for garage door spring problems. Many of these callers wonder if the problem is their springs or their opener (or even something else!). That’s why we’ve put together this simple guideline to help you identify your home or business garage door spring issues. Keep reading and if you have any questions about any of this, give us a call. Our Suffolk, VA garage door repair shop offers affordable service, same day appointments, and free consultations so take advantage of our professional expertise and get your springs back to working right!

Springs Are Important!

You already know that. It doesn’t hurt to emphasize the point, however. Many people know that their garage door/opener system has springs but they have no idea where they are or what they do. In a nutshell your torsion or extension springs are high powered metal coils that wield tremendous pressure so that they can lift and lower your very heavy garage door each time you use it. When you consider that the average residential garage door weighs several hundred pounds, that’s quite a feat!

Spring Problems

Springs come in two types. If you have torsion garage door springs they can be found directly above your closed garage door. You can’t miss them; just look up and if you see springs attached right above the door itself, they are torsion. Extension springs are at the sides of the garage door and are in the vertical position, just above the upper tracks.

Is your garage door not working right? Chances are, it’s your springs! Springs can be repaired if the damage is not too extensive. They tend to fail about the same time so many Suffolk, GA garage door repair pros will service both of them just to be sure and to save you having to call back and repeat the process again right away. If you notice your garage door working poorly or not at all, be sure to call Garage Door Repair Suffolk as soon as possible so that your set of springs can be repaired instead of full replaced which will cost a little more.

Spring Safety

Here at Garage Door Repair Suffolk, we are often asked if DIY (do it yourself) spring repair is possible or recommended. Yes, it’s possible; no, we don’t recommend it! There are suppliers who sell replacement spring parts and the myth is that you can save a lot of money by servicing your own springs. In reality, it takes experience, tools, skill and knowledge to expertly and safely repair torsion or extension springs. It’s also time consuming, especially if you don’t know what you are doing! Your time is better spent finding an affordable garage door repair shop that can do the job for you safely and on your time frame. Garage Door Repair Suffolk offers this service at the best rates and with same day service. We’ve even got you covered with our 24/7 emergency spring assistance that responds fast and works on location.

Squeaky Springs

Do your springs make noise? Listen for unusual sounds from your springs. Loud metallic breaking sounds are more cause for alarm than squeaks. If you hear simple squeak sounds coming from your springs you CAN lubricate them without doing anything risky. Garage door lubricant is available at most hardware or home improvement stores. It’s inexpensive and easy to apply. Just follow the directions on the package and/or ask questions at the store. Garage door lubricant can protect against rust, corrosion and weather damage and is quite useful in this humid Georgia climate.

Symptoms Of Spring Damage

There are some tell-tale signs that your garage door springs are in trouble. Some are quite noticeable and others, not so much. You can try a balance check that is quite easy to do. As a rule, your garage door should always open or close easily. Try opening the garage door manually. Do this by disconnecting the opener unit. Simply pull the cord with the red handle on the end. This action disengages the trolley from its attachment on the rail. Your garage door is now in manual mode. Just be sure to do this with the door in the closed position so that it doesn’t come crashing down on you!

Next, try opening the garage door a foot or two. Is it hard to open or does it fall back down? If so, your springs are out of balance or badly damaged and will need service.

Tilted Garage Door

Another big sign that one of your springs has snapped is a tilt to your garage door. This can be quite noticeable in the open or closed position.

Opener Motor

Is your garage door not working? It may be your opener. The best test is to see if you can hear the opener motor running. If you hear nothing and there’s no movement, it’s probably your opener. If you hear a humming sound and there’s still no movement then it’s your springs.

Is Your Car Trapped?

Sometimes, springs can break while your car is in the garage. Check the above paragraph on spring balance testing and use that method to manually open your garage door. Make sure that the door is in the down position; if your car is trapped it probably is but it could be raised when the springs broke so just be sure it’s closed.

Don’t forget; spring repair or replacement is serious business. Your set of extension or torsion garage door springs can last for over a decade with daily, regular use. They are worth servicing correctly and safely and using a local professional shop like Garage Door Repair Suffolk is also affordable and convenient. We invite you to call and get additional details along with free, no obligation price quotes. If you run into trouble, use our 24-hour garage door spring emergency service for lightning quick and responsive spring help that gives real value as well as peace of mind!