Garage door blues

johnkitchens

So I went to open my garage door this afternoon and this happened.

saluki2007

No Bueno

Elijah

Gonna be hard to recover from that one. I don't think duct tape will do. How dramatic was the release? 

GregW

Be very careful if you decide to repair it yourself. 
Garage door springs are probably the most dangerous thing in a home.
I have a friend that came very close to loosing an eye working on a garage door spring.

lousubcap

Been there and definitely agree with the above.  Had a very heavy dual car door and the spring decided to fail much like yours.  Light weight doors these days have some very impressive insulation qualities.  Went that route and I think the opener is happy as well.  FWIW-

RRP

GregW said:

Be very careful if you decide to repair it yourself. 
Garage door springs are probably the most dangerous thing in a home.
I have a friend that came very close to loosing an eye working on a garage door spring.

I agree! It's not worth the bucks to DIY. I "think" I can tackle many repairs, but that one is one I left to the professionals. I watched the whole time the guy was replacing mine and he told me several horror stories. Oh and BTW "they" advise you to have both replaced at the same time and I did.

Skiddymarker

It is a simple task, nice if you have experience and the right tools to do it. Granted a hunk of rebar or a 3/8" rod wil do to crank the tension. @RRP suggested do both springs on a double spring assist door and that is very good advice. 
Once you disconnect the working spring, might be wise to slide a bath scale under the closed door to get an idea of the weight, the springs should be matched to the load they have to assist. 
If you are not comfortable with attempting this, as suggested above, leave it to the pros. 
The trolley looks to be riding on a T or I track, suggesting the installation is fairly recent.Springs can't be that old. 

johnkitchens

We went out to open the door, and it only went up about two feet. After examination I noticed the spring. I have very heavy very thick wood doors. They are pretty, but they are so heavy. 

I called my garage door guy, and he is sending his crew over in the morning to make the repair. I will tell them to go ahead and replace both springs. I have three doors in my garage, and this one is the one I use. It gets opened and closed a lot more than the others so I guess it makes sense that it was the one that failed. The doors have been up since 2008. 

Killit_and_Grillit

If it makes you feel any better, I was putting down epoxy in my grandmother's garage this afternoon and thought I grabbed the anti skid material but it was extra citric acid. 

Did the while floor before I realized it. I have no idea what's going to happen but the instructions say in BIG BOLD LETTERS not to do that. 

RRP

lousubcap said:

Been there and definitely agree with the above.  Had a very heavy dual car door and the spring decided to fail much like yours.  Light weight doors these days have some very impressive insulation qualities.  Went that route and I think the opener is happy as well.  FWIW-

True! My original 18' door was a heavy beast of composite material and even the cross members were solid metal - not the bent frames used today. Anyway my original motor and chain drive were heavy duty. When I had the door replaced after 35 years the motor and drive were still good and there was no need to replace them thus saving me several hundreds of dollars. Today that HD motor whips that new insulated light weight door like it is a rag doll!

SemolinaPilchard

RRP said:

lousubcap said:

Been there and definitely agree with the above.  Had a very heavy dual car door and the spring decided to fail much like yours.  Light weight doors these days have some very impressive insulation qualities.  Went that route and I think the opener is happy as well.  FWIW-

True! My original 18' door was a heavy beast of composite material and even the cross members were solid metal - not the bent frames used today. Anyway my original motor and chain drive were heavy duty. When I had the door replaced after 35 years the motor and drive were still good and there was no need to replace them thus saving me several hundreds of dollars. Today that HD motor whips that new insulated light weight door like it is a rag doll!

Since the weight of the door has changed, you may need to make an adjustment. Some of the openers have something called a force setting. They recommend the setting be just high enough to raise the door. 

DoubleEgger

Oh snap! 

RRP

SemolinaPilchard said:

Since the weight of the door has changed, you may need to make an adjustment. Some of the openers have something called a force setting. They recommend the setting be just high enough to raise the door. 

Actually the installer did make that adjustment. I guess maybe it is in my mind of how quickly and effortlessly that door goes up now.

Skiddymarker

Eight to 10 years is pushing a standard door spring, so if that's what they were, they don't owe you much. I think a standard spring with as many as four cycles per day you can expect about 8 years or so. High cycle springs, cost more but can have twice the lifespan. (Not a door expert by any means - just before Xmas I helped a neighbour replace the cables and springs on his door and the advice of the parts guy has not yet been erased by too many adult beverages) 

OhioEgger

Skiddymarker said:

Eight to 10 years is pushing a standard door spring, so if that's what they were, they don't owe you much. I think a standard spring with as many as four cycles per day you can expect about 8 years or so.

That's my  understanding too. I've had them break after as little as six years.

Jeremiah

Been there. Tried to fix it on my own, and made matters worse. Those buggers hold some weight for sure. 

DaveRichardson

I love my composite insulated doors!  Much quieter operation and I can lift them without the springs!  My opener thinks I'm just playing with it because it doesn't have to hardly lift a thing.  I just hate the crappy light that comes with it.

As a kid, we had the solid wooden door on the double width door at our house.  My room was above the garage.  The spring let loose on that one and it scared the holy crap out of me upstairs in my room!  We tried to lift the door to get the car out, but there was no way in hell we could lift it with 3 of us trying.  Only after taking physics di I have an appreciation for what those tension springs do.

Dobie

My doors light I suppose but the house was built in 97 and still going.

RRP

DaveRichardson said:

I love my composite insulated doors!  Much quieter operation and I can lift them without the springs!  My opener thinks I'm just playing with it because it doesn't have to hardly lift a thing.  I just hate the crappy light that comes with it.

As a kid, we had the solid wooden door on the double width door at our house.  My room was above the garage.  The spring let loose on that one and it scared the holy crap out of me upstairs in my room!  We tried to lift the door to get the car out, but there was no way in hell we could lift it with 3 of us trying.  Only after taking physics di I have an appreciation for what those tension springs do.

My parents had a heavy metal door that pulled down in one piece. I was about 10 or 11 and went running out to go to town with my dad. He didn't know I was following and as he always did - just grabbed the rope and yanked it down hard to shut the door. It hit me squarely on top my head and the only time in my life even to today that I was ever knocked out cold from that wallop on the noggin! 

calracefan

Had a garage door guy tell me to double the life of the spring periodicly spray it with white lithium grease.

Canugghead

Agree with everyone about not trying to diy, I would not touch the spring with a ten-foot pole!

FWIW, whenever practical I try to leave the doors open as long as possible, the OCD in me thinks the springs are 'relaxed' and less stressed with the doors in open position 

Toxarch

Relaxed or compressed doesn't matter to the life of the spring. It's the movement in between that wears the spring. And like mentioned, oil or grease the spring to help it last. The cheap Walmart can labeled "Lubricant" in the automotive area works great. Spray it once a month.

Canugghead

@Toxarch  I'm no mechanical engineer, what I believed was just an 'intuition'.  

I've just googled on spring stress for the first time and found this interesting article, it kind of confirms my layman's thinking:
http://www.leancrew.com/all-this/2011/09/lets-twist-again/

I agree lubricant helps too.

northGAcock

John, I have been fighting with mine lately myself. I think I finally have it working right. Mine was a simpler fix....but getting them d@mn little lights at the bottom to line up ain't always easy. 

Dredger

I have always been in the commercial sales side of the door business, but most door companies have a residential division and I have heard some real horror stories about residential customers attempting to replace their torsion springs by themselves. If our own doors have ever needed servicing, I schedule a crew to come out. That being said, using lithium grease is a normal part of servicing doors. It doesn't build up and cause problems. Also, don't forget the side tracks. It helps reduce roller drag. Another point to consider is if you ever paint your doors, it can alter the weight of the door panels.

billt01

I was told by someone who repairs springs regularly to put a coat of engine motor oil on them. They will last "forever". 

I did exactly that shortly after I moved into my home 15 years ago. They are still going so there may be something to it.

fishlessman

i had a big bay wood door come down next to me a few years back. 24 foot tall. then a rain of glass a chain let go off the motor, springs are from the 50's. i think that thing would cut you in half, i dont like to stand under it at all now.  the spring isnt that hard a fix

Skiddymarker

Canugghead said:

@Toxarch  I'm no mechanical engineer, what I believed was just an 'intuition'.  

I've just googled on spring stress for the first time and found this interesting article, it kind of confirms my layman's thinking:
http://www.leancrew.com/all-this/2011/09/lets-twist-again/

I agree lubricant helps too.

Fantastic article, kept me occupied for hours, told SWMBO it was the forum's fault in general and your fault specifically. 
BTW - don't over oil the springs as the lubricant will possibly drip onto the door, don't ask how I know this.....

Canugghead

@Skiddymarker thank @Toxarch for the 'nudge' 

johnkitchens

My guys came out on Monday morning. They only had 2" springs with them. My doors have 4" springs so they had to order a set. They won't be back until next week to finish. 

They did however install a spring block so I can use the door until they return. They also lubed the other two doors. That is something I should have been doing all along! 

Teefus

Been there. It made a hell of a noise when it broke. I had a pro come out and fix it. I know my limitations.