As a homeowner with a garage door, it is important to understand how it works. You might hear the garage door repair company talk about something called an extension spring and a torsion spring. If you don’t watch out, not knowing what these springs are and what they do could mean that the company charges you more than they should for replacing or fixing them.
Garage door springs both torsion and extension are responsible for managing the door’s counterbalance system. If there is a problem with the spring, it will render your garage door inoperable. The counterbalance system of a garage door is a weight that helps to offset the weight of the garage door to open it. So, it’s pretty obvious that if something goes wrong with the system, it means the garage door stops working.
What are Torsion Springs?
Torsion springs are the most common garage door springs around. They are used in most modern garage doors and are available in different sizes and lengths. Their sizes are based on the garage door’s track radius, height, and weight. Large torsion springs are installed on top from where they will operate a garage door’s sliding mechanism which then lifts the door using cables.
The spring itself will wind and then unwind to raise and lower the door. The drawback of torsion springs is that they are expensive, but the upside is that they can last very long. The long-life is one reason why they are extensively used today.
Extension Springs
Extension springs are found in many older garage doors and some cheap new ones too. However, they are best suited to lighter and smaller garage doors. The good thing about these springs is that they don’t take up a lot of space overhead because they are located on the side and not the top of the garage door.
The downside is that the garage door operates with a jerk, that’s also one of the signs that the garage door uses an extension spring. The jerking motion means more wear, and it isn’t unheard of for the spring to snap, causing the garage door to fall.
What Does This Mean for Home Owners?
People who want to buy a garage door will want to get one with a torsion spring and not one with an extension spring. When buying the door, it will be imperative to check the spring’s rated number of cycles as well as the warranty. So, the more cycles you see stated the better and longer the spring should last.
Those who are buying smaller size garage doors will find that an extension spring should suffice. However, there should be some safety mechanism in place which prevents the door from falling and injuring if the spring snaps. Doing so will help you avoid property loss as well as ensure that your family is safe.
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