Garage door springs are probably among the essential parts of your garage door that need to be in their best condition. While the garage door opener is the part that initiates and controls how the doors move, the torsion spring and extension springs are the ones that counterbalance the weight of these motions.
Since you activate your garage door several times a day as you head to work or do errands, the torsion spring works a minimum of two times each time. And so, the mechanical components that perform the cycling motions (lifting and dragging down the doors) are utilized daily. And that means that the garage door springs do wear out eventually.
Garage door spring repair is best left to professionals because it’s one of the most hazardous repair jobs involved in garage door maintenance. But it won’t hurt if you know the basics of garage door springs – the ones that we’ll discuss here. That way, you’ll know what to expect from the repair project.
Replacing Torsion Spring: What to Know
If you need to replace garage door springs right now, here are some important facts to consider before contacting your local garage door repair professionals.
Find out the exact wire size
With springs, size matters! It’s one of the most important things to consider because you need the exact measure of the coiled spring that can support the entire door. Too small, and it won’t have enough tension to support your doors.
How are torsion springs measured? Get a measuring tape and run it down the length – you should get at least 10 to 20 coils for an average-sized garage door. The measurements should be in inches. Don’t tamper with or adjust the springs when making measurements, or else you won’t get the exact length.
Once you get the exact measurement, refer to standard wire size charts to determine which torsion spring fits your unit.
Measure the garage door spring diameter
The next measurement you need is the spring diameter. When you look at the stationary or winding cone, there should be a number, usually 2.0 or 1.75 – these indicate either a 2-inch diameter or 1.75-inch diameter measurement. It’s essential to get the inside diameter right so you can install a spring replacement that will fit snugly into place and produce the right amount of torque.
If there’s no number indicated, measure the spring while positioned on a flat surface and run the measuring tape along the inside diameter. If you’re not too confident about doing this, it’s ideal to have an expert garage door technician do the diameter measurements.
Measure the entire spring length
You have to get the right length of the spring, too, because if you get a torsion that’s too short, it may not be capable of lifting or opening the door.
Get your measuring tape and measure the spring from end to end. Keep in mind that the length of the spring should be measured to the nearest 1/4 inch. And do the measurements when the garage door is closed.
Find out the wind direction of your torsion spring
Wind direction pertains to the exact path that the spring is wound. It’s vital to know the spring’s wind direction so that the garage door spring replacement you’ll get is wound the same. Installing a wrongly-wound spring will cause the door to malfunction, so you have to get the correct info on this one.
The good news is, this info is pretty straightforward to determine on your own. Check the two different springs along the opposite sides of the bar and start from the stationary cone that separates these springs.
The left-wound spring will be situated at that right portion of the cone, while the right-wound spring is placed on the left side. If the endpoints are in a clockwise direction, it’s left-wound, and vice versa.
It may be a bit confusing at first, but it’s just the way the springs are built! This set-up will only be different if you have a reverse spring system. But otherwise, most garage doors adopt the design as mentioned earlier.
Learn about spring color codes
Garage door springs come with color codes that inform technicians about wind direction and wire size for easy guidance. This system can be confusing for novices, so let’s discuss the meaning of the color variations.
Torsion springs use a color-coding system based on wind direction:
- Black: right wind
- Red: left wind
There’s also a color-coding system to show the lifting capacity of extension springs, which will be a significant factor for garage doors with varying panel types:
- Tan: 100 lbs.
- White: 110 lbs.
- Green: 120 lbs.
- Yellow: 130 lbs.
- Blue: 140 lbs
- Red: 150 lbs
- Brown: 160 lbs
- Orange: 170 lbs
- Gold: 180 lbs
- Light blue: 190 lbs
The latter color-coding sequence will repeat once you reach 200 lbs, i.e., tan is 200 lbs, white is 210 lbs, green is 220 lbs, and so forth. These codes make it easier for professionals to gauge the correct spring type to install on your doors.
Let Our Experts Handle Garage Door Spring Repair!
Now that you have all the vital information about replacing torsion spring on garage door, make sure you have all these details before replacing worn-out springs.
All correct measurements and specs for diameter, wire size, wind direction, and length can ensure that you don’t invest in the wrong materials and that your garage door spring will fit perfectly for your residential or commercial garage doors.
Of course, you will need professional assistance on how to replace torsion springs. It’s a high-risk repair job that garage door repair technicians know how to do. Alpine Garage Door Repair is here to help you with all these matters. We work with all types of garage doors, and our experts can do garage door spring repair and garage door maintenance.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about garage door springs!