What To Do When The Garage Door Torsion Spring Breaks?

Even the best garage doors can get damaged. It’s one of the most used parts of any home. The garage is not just used for parking the car, but also for storing certain items. People use the garage for many more things. Perhaps it’s the zone where you spend most part of the day.

The garage door protects all belongings from moisture, mould, theft, extreme weather conditions, and so on.

What happens when a garage door torsion spring breaks? This article will help you to understand what to do in this case. So, keep reading to find out.

Identifying the Garage Door Springs Before Fixing It

There are two kinds of garage door springs – torsion springs and extension springs. This article is about torsion spring damage. These are located horizontally across the door opening’s header.

Just so you know, extension springs are located at the upper part of your door track. Torsion springs are mounted on the metal bar right above the door. It’s visible, so you won’t have any issue spotting it.

What Really Happens When a Garage Torsion Spring Breaks?

Garage doors might be robust, but there is no chance they’re unbreakable. Damaged torsion springs may go unnoticed, but once it stops operating, they will be noticeable.

Here’s what happens when your garage spring breaks:

• You hear a loud noise from your garage. It will be like a thud. When you head to the garage to inspect, it’s possible that the spring got broken. You will hear a crashing sound.
• If there is a gap in the torsion spring, you will be able to know that it’s damaged. Springs are tightly wound up and connected from one end to the other end.
• The garage door will fall really fast. A functional garage door is when it smoothly lifts or lowers the door. When a spring breaks, the door will come crashing down because it doesn’t have connected springs anymore.
• You might notice that the door has now become crooked. That’s because the weight is not distributed equally.
• Loose cables can be seen when springs break. You might find slack cables too that hang from the ceiling.

Never try to use manual labour when your garage torsion spring breaks. This could be a dangerous act.

Revealing the Top Reasons for Torsion Garage Springs Breaking

There could be innumerable reasons for garage springs breaking.

• It could be rust or corrosion. Springs are made of metal which is prone to get rusted. If your spring is rusted, it is possible that it will break at some point. Use a lubricant to avoid rust, but if you already have a broken spring, it’s time to look at the solutions to replace the torsion spring.
• Poor maintenance could also be the reason for garage springs breaking.
• General wear and tear can happen to any torsion spring. Maybe it’s warped or rusted and it happened over a period of time.
• Did you install the wrong parts? This could be the reason for the garage springs breaking. You always need to install the right parts to avoid breakage.

Is It Safe For You To Open a Garage With a Broken Torsion Spring?

It’s not the best idea to open a garage door with a broken torsion spring. Firstly, it will come crashing down and you may get hurt.

Moreover, it will cause further damage to the garage door. Torsion springs are responsible for doing all the heavy lifting, so if these are broken, the door won’t hold in place and may seem crooked too.

It’s a risk to open a garage door with a broken torsion spring.

Garage doors can be heavy (some are even up to 500 pounds). If one of the springs is broken, you will be lifting the weight on your own without the help of torsion springs.

Repairing Torsion Springs of Garage Doors

Fixing the spring of this heavy door can be a dangerous act. There is plenty of tension in the spring, especially when it breaks so it can cause major injuries. You need to have the proper tools and knowledge to fix the torsion spring.

Make sure you have a winding bar, screwdrivers, pliers, and any object that helps to wind and unwind.

You would need a few things to start the repair which include a ladder, clamps, locking pliers, rags, wrench, socket wrench set, winding bars, hammer, and so on.

First, you need to lock the garage door so that it does not fall down while you are fixing the springs. Insert the winding bar into the hole and loosen the screws.

Use a socket wrench to loosen the centre socket. Remove the bolts and nuts that connect the torsion spring.

The purpose is to remove the old spring and place the new one in a safe manner. Make sure the screws are tight when you place the new spring inside. Discard the previous spring and ensure that the new one is in place.

You would also need to install a new centre-bearing plate and stationary contents into the bracket.

The process is successful when you wind the tension springs, stretch the new ones, and perform spring lubrication. Do not start using the garage door again without testing it. Lift it manually to at least 3 feet and see how that works.

You can make necessary adjustments if you are not satisfied with the installation. Ideally, you should call a professional to do the re-installation or replacement of torsion springs.

Concluding Thoughts

The torsion spring is the weight-lifting element of a garage door. If this is broken, your garage won’t function properly and you will also be exposed to different kinds of risks. You would need to pull up the garage door manually which increases the chances of getting injured. It is best to let the professional diagnose the concern. They will also get the new torsion springs for replacement. Without proper tools and extensive knowledge, it is impossible to replace torsion springs. Let the professional handle this concern, but don’t let it go unattended.