Garage door springs are vital components of our home garage doors because they offset the standard weight of the door. These springs make it possible for the garage door to open and close easily by hand or by an automated door opener. No matter how good the door springs are, they also have a short shelf life and over a period of time, they become less effective. This is why it is quite normal to find homeowners replacing old springs with new ones once in a while. If you have a garage in your home, how do you know when your garage door spring is ripe for change?
Symptoms of weak door springs
When the springs in your garage door no longer function, you will notice that the door weighs much more than it used to due to the loss of steel resiliency. If the springs in your garage door have lost their effectiveness, it will be increasingly difficult to lift the door due to its general weight (an average garage door weighs about 200 pounds or more).
So in essence, an aging spring adds more load to the door opener and this is a clear sign that the springs need replacement. If your garage door uses an electric opener, you will also notice a creaky sound as the opener strains itself in an attempt to lift the garage door.
Have you noticed any of the above signs of late? If you have, the time may be right to replace your old door springs with new ones.
A Step by Step process on how to replace Garage door springs
Replacing your garage door springs in Anaheim, CA is a relatively simple and straightforward procedure if you have the required tools to get the job done. With the right tools and spare parts, you can save quite a lot of money in the process while extending the shelf life of your garage door for a few more years. In the following steps below, we will show you how to replace the old springs with new ones safely. Please do take safety precautions such as wearing gloves and goggles to protect your eyes and hands before you commence work.
Tools required to replace broken or worn-out springs
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Vise grips:
To keep the shafts from falling off when you remove the old springs
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Winding bars:
You will need two of these. Winding bars will be used to remove the springs in need of replacement and to add sufficient tension to the new springs
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Wrenches:
You will need wrenches of different sizes. (9/16 inches, ½ inches, 7/16 inches and 3/8 inches). Or an 8-point socket.
Step 1 – Release the Spring tension
Put a winding bar in one of the spring winding cones and gradually release the tension. Do this carefully and continuously until the spring is loose.
Step 2 – Release Spring with your wrench
Now, release the springs with a ½ inch wrench from the center cone.
Step 3 – Clamp the Vice grips
To prevent the shaft from falling off once the spring is loose, clamp the vice grips to hold the shaft in place as you remove the springs.
Step 4 – Loose all attachments
At this point, you will have to loosen and slide the springs to the end. Loosen the drum keys as well as the cable. Now slide the loose drum to the middle of the bar. Do the same thing to the other side of the door.
Step 5 – Remove the Old Springs
Removing the old springs is easy. Simply slide the shaft to the middle of the door to remove the door so that you can slide the springs off.
Step 6 – Use the proper spring combination
To fix the new springs, use the proper torsion spring combination for the left side and the right side. Altering the spring combination will not work. Also, note that the wire should extend over the top of the door springs.
Step 7 – Bolt the new Springs
After installing the new springs you will need to remove the vice grips you initially placed in the middle of the shaft to enable you to bolt the springs well enough to the center bracket.
Step 8 – Use your winding bars to add tension
To add proper tension to the spring, consider the height of your garage door. For a garage door standing a 7ft for instance, you need about 30 quarter turns of your winding bars. If your door is higher than 7ft, more turns will be required.
Step 9 – Tighten the Keys
At this stage, make sure you leave at least one winding bar propping upwards at the last turn. Now, fasten the keys with at least ¾ turns.
Step 10 – Tighten the keys and wind up the cable
At both ends of the door, wind up the cable, then tighten the drum keys in each drum.
Step 11 – Remove the last winding bar
At this closing stage, lift the spring with your free winding bar so you can remove the first bar. Now move to the other spring to set the tension.
Step 12 – Test the garage door
With the task complete, check to see if the garage door is easy to lift. At the first try, the door may rise on its own but that is not something you should worry about. After lifting and pulling the door a few times, the new springs will kick in just fine.
Is it better to handle your garage door springs replacements on your own or should you hire professional help?
Often times, many homeowners in Orange, CA wonder if it is in their best interest to replace their worn-out door springs on their own or whether to hire an expert to see to it. The final decision rests with you and you alone, however, you can’t go wrong if you hire an expert to handle the project on your behalf. Having handled garage door spring repair for many homeowners, experts are in the best position to work on yours. Their understanding of door springs and how they work places them in the best possible position to not only repair your garage door but to also provide you with functional recommendations regarding general maintenance issues.
Watching online tutorials may help but trial by error may leave you feeling frustrated especially if you do not have the required tools to get the job done or if you don’t know much about the various spring sizes and the ones that will fit your garage door. For these reasons and more, hiring professional help appears to be the best decision after considering all other alternatives.
What to look out for when hiring a Garage Door Professional
When hiring a professional, you also need to make sure that the expert you hire for the garage door replacement is qualified. Here are a few ways to gauge the expert’s level of experience.
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Track record:
Experience matters when it comes to garage door springs replacements and general garage door repairs. The company or expert you go for should be one with a proven track record in the field. Find out how long they have been in operation and ask to see some of their work portfolios if necessary.
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Check for license and insurance:
Asking for their license is one way to be sure that the professional is not operating illegally. In the case of property damage when your door spring is being replaced, their insurance company will pay for the cost of damages.
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Online profile:
Hiring a professional or a company with an online profile is another way to ensure that you only hire the best. Read the reviews posted by previous clients, check customer feedback and gauge what residents in the community think about the quality of their services. If you find more positives than negatives then this can serve as an indication that their service can be trusted.
Benefits of using the services of a Professional
Here are some of the benefits of using the services of a professional for your garage door spring replacements.
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Saves you time and money
Believe it or not, hiring a professional will save you time and money. First of all, since you are not a professional, handling the project on your own will take you so much time. Secondly, there are extra perks you stand to gain by hiring an expert. The expert will inspect the garage door before initiating repairs and replacements. Furthermore, you will save yourself the cost of paying for repairs in the next few months since the job will be done well enough the first time.
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Avoid injuries
Injuries do occur during repairs so it may be in your best interest to sit this one out for the professionals to handle. Using the wrong tools or handling the right tools wrongly may lead to injuries.
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No need to buy tools
You don’t need to buy the required tools to get the job done. Professional repair companies have all the tools so hiring them will save you money that would have been spent on tools procurement.
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Work guarantee
A lot of professional repair companies issue work guarantees to clients after working on their garage doors. Should the springs wear out within a specified period, the company will bear the cost of further replacements.
In conclusion, you can handle your garage door spring replacements and general gate repairs on your own if you choose to and the 12 steps we highlighted in this article can guide your hand. However, if you lack the basic technical skills and tools required or you do not want to do a shoddy job, hiring a professional will save you time and money. What’s more? you also get to enjoy a warranty that protects you from incurring future costs on repairs if the springs installed in your garage door don’t work as well as they should.
