Garage Door Masters

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Identifying garage door spring issues

Have you ever wondered if you are having garage door spring issues? Maybe the problem is something else, like your opener unit or your cables. How can you really tell? Maybe you wanted to know but were hesitant to call a garage door repair technician because of diagnostic charges or the fear of looking “dumb.” Don’t worry; you are not alone. Here at Garage Door Masters we often get calls about possible spring problems and the homeowners often tell us that they are guessing due to not being able to pinpoint the actual problem. Union City, GA has many repair shops where garage door issues can be detected and fixed but you don’t have to call any of us to actually know about spring issues; we’ll tell you how to spot them right away right here on this post. So what’s the point of learning this? Don’t you still have to call for repair? Why not let your garage door repair experts find the problem and fix it like they are paid to do?

False alarm

Surprise! Your problem may not be spring related at all! It’s nice to know whether it is or not. You might not need a service call from a local garage door repair tech at all! We’ll show you some fast and easy checks to see what the problem might be and then if you need spring repair or replacement, go ahead and make an appointment.

Do it yourself checks include making sure your remote battery is good, keeping items out of the way of your safety sensors and keeping your garage door tracks clear of debris and other items that may impede the movement of the rollers. You can do these checks quickly and easily and without incurring any cost at all. A run down battery in your remote can send a random signal to your opener or it can be too weak to send a signal at all. Since your garage door isn’t working, you might mistake this for a spring issue when it’s not. A clogged garage door track can send you’re raising or lowering garage door back down or up because the rollers cannot move all the way and this too might be mistaken for spring problems.

A little background

All garage door springs are not alike. They come in two main categories; torsion and extension springs. They do the same basic job; they lift and lower your several hundred pound garage door whenever you come and go. It’s not your opener that does the work; it’s really your springs that get the job done! Torsion springs are the ones most commonly used in new homes being built today. They last longer and are generally safer to operate and service. They also cost more but it’s not a huge difference. If you have torsion springs, they are located on the inside of your garage door, on top, and are mounted horizontally. They usually last about 15 to 20 thousand cycles with a full cycle being one opening and one closing of your garage door.

On the other hand, extension springs are the older variety. These are mounted vertically on either side of your garage door, on the inside, and since they extend or expand on use, they can be quite dangerous if they break. They cost a little less than the torsion variety and are usually only good for about half the cycles, too.

Warning indicators

As ominous as that sounds, there are signs that you are experiencing honest to goodness spring issues. Here are some:

Does your garage door start to go up, but only slowly, and then suddenly it starts to continue upward really fast?

When your garage door is closed, does it look lopsided or tilted to one side? This partially squashed look is due to one of your springs being damaged.

Did your garage door start to go up and then suddenly stop; about halfway up?

When your garage door is moving either up or down, does it look like one side is moving faster than the other? Is one side “struggling” to catch up?

When operating your garage door with your remote or with your wall button does it seem like one side is doing all the work and the other side is going along for the ride? 

Is your garage door unresponsive when you tapped the remote or the wall button? Is your car seemingly trapped inside?

Did your garage door give off a loud snap or bang sound when you were attempting to operate it?

These are some (by no means all) of the symptoms of damaged garage door springs. If you’ve done the preliminary checks mentioned above and notice any of these signs, you most likely have spring damage.

Can I repair my own springs?

We don’t recommend you even trying. First of all, spring repair, installation or maintenance of any kind is flat out dangerous. Every year people are hurt or even killed by attempting to do this very thing. We understand that you might like do-it-yourself projects, or that you might want to save money over calling a repair professional. The fact is that you most likely lack the training, tools and experienced needed to service your torsion or extension springs and since both are dangerous, we recommend that you forgo the repair job, on your own. You can sustain injuries, void out your warranty and cause property damage all at the same time; not worth it at all!

Call a pro!

When you need a cavity filled, do you do it yourself? When your roof need re-tiled, do you do it yourself? You most call a professional and that’s exactly what you should do in this case. Spring repair or replacement should not be taken lightly. Get good quality springs, have them installed correctly and maintain them according to what your garage door repair specialist tells you. Your springs will repay you with reliable service and safe usage for many years to come!

Garage Door Masters

24 Hour Mobile Garage Door Service
Hours:
Dispatch Address: 2151 Red Oak Cir, Union City, GA 30291
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Email: service@unioncitygaragedoorrepair.net
Phone: (678) 582-1312