The garage door secures one of the most important storage spaces and accessible areas of your home. It does this while operating consistently and with little need for maintenance. One of the most essential elements of the this system are its springs. The function of a spring is to counteract gravity to make the door light enough for you or for the opener to lift it. This post will go over some common issues that you may encounter with your garage door springs.
The garage door cables are broken
Homeowners often mistake an issue with the springs for the cables because when a spring breaks, the cables become unwound. They might end up splayed all over the garage. However, there is nothing wrong with the cables most of the time. It is rare for them to break due to an issues with the springs.
The garage door goes up about half-a-foot and stops
A common issue occurs when the garage door goes up slowly but fails to pick up speed, stops, and goes back down. This could happen because there is a problem with the opener’s motor. It could also be a sign that the springs are not operational. To test if it is the springs, close the garage door and pull the emergency release rope. Then, try to lift the door on your own. If it is really heavy, that is a strong indicator the springs are broken.
The garage door comes down too fast
You’re probably accustomed to your garage door closing at a certain speed, so anything that exceeds that is unusual. The cables and springs are not designed to accommodate the full weight of the door. They rely on the springs. So, if it is falling faster than usual, that could be an indication that the springs are not working.
The door is crooked when raised or lowered
Another issue that indicates a spring problem is that the door raises and lowers unevenly. Again, the springs are responsible for countering the force of gravity. So, when they don’t work, the opener is unable to open and close the door easily.
The garage door starts and stops
If the door moves in a stop-and-start motion, that could be a sign that one of the springs in a two-spring system is not operational. Some garage openers cannot lift doors with only one spring. So, the jerking motion could be an indication that the opener is struggling. It could also be a simple lubricant problem. Try adding lubricant to the pulleys, hinges, and rollers. If this does not fix the issue, a garage door repair company can help.
There was a loud bang when using the door
When a garage door spring breaks, an enormous amount of energy is released which can result in a loud noise. The spring unwinds in under a second, causing a loud noise due to the coils spinning on top of the shelf. Homeowners often mistake this loud bang for break-in or other issue and don’t notice the broken springs until they try to leave the following morning.
There is a two-inch gap in the spring
Another common indicator of spring issues are gaps in the spring. When the spring is wound, it grows about two inches in length. Once the spring is wound up, the winding cone clamps down on the shaft so that the drums can wind the cables that pull the door up. When the spring breaks, the gap remains.
The top part of the door is bent
Modern garage doors are divided into sections called panels. Broken springs could result in the top panel being bent by the cables. This problem can often be fixed by replacing the struts which bends the section back into place without a panel replacement.
The emergency release rope won’t work
The emergency rope utilizes the springs to enable you to lift the garage door easily. But, if you pull the rope and it won’t budge or is heavy, then the counterbalancing spring could be broken.
Garage door spring repair in Amarillo, Texas
A garage door repair company can help you fix all the above problems and more. If you need repair or replacement services, give Integrity Overhead Door a call today. We are experienced in providing services like Repair for Residential, Commercial, and Industrial doors, as well as Installation. Call us at (806) 418-5237 or Contact Us by email to learn more about the brands and services we have to offer.