Garage Door Spring ?

[G-Man]

I have the standard single garage door (not fortified for hurricanes or anything), I think it's 7' tall by 9' wide with glass across the top panel of the door with springs on either side (no tensioner in front) with a medium duty electric lifter.

We use this door as our main entry in and and out of the house so it goes up and down 15 - 20 times a day, sometimes more.

One evening while watching TV in the room next to the garage, I heard the wickedest sound and ran in to the garage to see what happened.  One if the springs snapped at a point near the pulley while the door was down.  That noise was the spring retracting very quickly and slamming into the rail on the other end.

So I replaced both springs with the same ones based on color coding.  Couple years later, another one snapped on the other side.  Replaced them this time with the next color up (heavier spring).  Lasted a year and one snapped again.  3 springs, 2 on one side and one on the other so I can't blame it on something happening on just one side.  I keep the rollers clean and lubed with WD40 pretty regularly.

Why would going up to a heavier spring make one snap sooner?  The door does move smoothly going up and down, no bouncing or stuttering, lifter is about 4 years old and runs smooth and quiet.

Anyone have any ideas?  Am I just buying cheap springs from Home Depot?  Are there better springs?  Are these door/spring combinations not supposed to get that much use?  Thanks.

[BobB]

I'm not an expert on this, but heaver springs is not the answer to your breaking problems.  The springs help offset the weight of the door as it lowers, and unless you have painted your door, it should weigh the same as the day it was installed.  I suggest you disconnect the opener an see what effort is required to manually raise the door.  I have had the same springs for over 25 years.  Perhaps you need a better source for your replacement springs.  You need to spring a little bit more for your springs (pun intentional)...

[Earl43P]

My $.02 is to run wire rope through the center of each spring, such that WHEN it snaps, all pieces of the spring are contained and can't go flying far from the track. Obviously the ends of that segment of wire rope are attached at the ends. I just use (closed) S hooks for that.

Before my garage was crushed, I had one spring snap while the door was closed and it scared the snot out of me, but was contained by the wire rope. I suspect it was the heat, because it was above-ish the propane wall  mounted heater and frigid outside.

[Oss]

does Progressive make garage door springs?  Just wondering.   

Glad nobody was hurt and the bike wasnt either.  I like the (picture hanging) wire thru the spring idea

Have a Zissen Pesach G-Man

[Jess Tolbirt]

if the spring snapped any where except for the piont of attachment i would say cheap springs,, the springs should as stated above simply help the opener open the door,, heavier springs are not necessary..

[rainman]

ever think of just leaving you door open till you go to bed or is NY that rough of a place to live

[John Schmidt]

WD-40 is essentially FISH OIL, not a very good long term lube, especially for heavy duty applications. Get some good oil in that oil can and start really lubing the entire system. I do my own oil changes on the car and bikes and when I drain the new oil into the motor, there's always a bit left over in the bottom. I turn the container upside down and let it drain into small cup or what have you. Then pour that into my oil can. That gives you new oil, in my case synthetic, in your oiler, and not a can full of fish oil.

As for the breakage, sounds like one side is dragging a bit and over time will over stress that spring. Then add the lack of real lubrication.....

[baird4444]

the biggest issue and wear I have seen is the bearings in the pulleys at the top corner where the cable changes direction and goes down the track is a major wear point. I once had a door that I had to change these pulleys every year cause the bearings would go out.
    Springs should last almost forever. are they breaking at a wear point where they have
rubbed on a rail or track? I have seen this happen before as well. If so you can raise the connecting
point at the other end or I once riveted nylon slabs to the top of the rail to stop the wear from rubbing.
        - Mike
             

[Daniel Meyer]

My 2 cents...call a garage door company and spring (heh) for the $150 or so it will take for them to install the torsion spring system. They are safer, better on the door (always lift evenly), last longer with less maintenance/etc. Really a marked improvement on the old style side springs.

But if you keep them, follow the advice above and run a cable through the springs so they cannot fly loose when they break. (that's required in most places nowadays). Those things have killed more than a few folks.

[G-Man]

ever think of just leaving you door open till you go to bed or is NY that rough of a place to live

Theres more money in my garage than in my house.  I don't wear jewelry or expensive clothes, but I got nice tools! 

[R J]

Just for information only.

Kids shop door goes up and down at least a 100 times a day running cars in and out.

When we had the springs on the side we would break at least one every 3 months.

We went to the tension spring in the front of the door about 19 years ago, we are still on the original tension spring.

This is well worth the $$$ to have it installed.

JMHO, and $.002 worth..

[G-Man]

Thanks all for the good advice.  There is a "safety cable" running through both springs.  Thank goodness cause if the spring flew and hit one of the nikes I'd be really upset.  Now it's just a nuisance to get it repaired. I'm gonna replace the spring tomorrow and look into the tension thingie. 

[G-Man]

does Progressive make garage door springs?  Just wondering.   

Glad nobody was hurt and the bike wasnt either.  I like the (picture hanging) wire thru the spring idea

Have a Zissen Pesach G-Man

Back atcha brother!

The last time a spring snapped I was supposed to go riding with you and Tom (X-Man) and Steve (I think).  I didn't know that it had happened so I just hit the button and when the door started to go up it wracked in the tracks and jammed.  Couldn't get the bike out.

[Hook#3287]

I lost a spring last year after 24 years of service.  Raynor door.  But it wasn't the spring, it was the cable in the pulley system that the spring is hooked to that went south.  Bought new cable at Home Depot and replaced it.

IF your going though springs, something must be putting undue force on them.  Seems like springs should last pretty much life time of the door.

[f6john]

     I have been installing and repairing garage doors for about 20 years and most everything that has been sais goes along with my experience except for one point. Springs do have a usable life span with a limited number of cycles in them. The more you use them the sooner they will eventually fail. I suppose there are differences in the quality of the steel used to make the springs that would affect the life span. I have a 30 year old raynor door that I have replaced the spring only once. I have a friend who has a CHI door that is 20 years old that he has replaced twice. In both these cases they are torsion springs. Extension springs are subject to the whole "cycle lifespan" as a torsion spring.

[oldfartfrankie]

Are your springs  extension or torsion?  Extension type have a color code on the end of the spring. Buy the same color springs. Replace ALL the springs at the same time!  A 9x7 should be 1 per side. c

Clamp the door up or use the operator to hold it open. Check ALL the rollers, pulleys and cables for wear and wobble.
Replace as necessary. Install new springs. Lube ALL pulleys & rollers, operator track/ rail.

Release the operator from the door and close by hand.  If you have too much side to side movement, loosen the lag
Bolts slightly & move the track towards the door. Retighten. Check door. OK? --- Reconnect opener & test run.

Make sure you have a cable run through the spring on BOTH SIDES!. This will keep the spring from flying around in the garage! Wouldn't want anyone getting hurt. Keep the cable on the outside of the pulleys and tie the cables at the top of
 the door track.

P.S.  If this works as it should, I' all send you a bill. If not, I'll deny any knowledge of this message !   

[Patrick]

I must I haven't read the other posts.

Make sure you run a small cable thru the spring to keep it from causing any damage or injury.

The springs should be the same. Actually a slightly smaller spring will be less likely to snap. Problem is that springs are not all created equal and it seems hard to get good quality ones today.

When installing the springs make sure you are adjusting them properly to just take the weight off the door so the door operates with one hand.