Are garage door springs dangerous? As long as they work properly and look in good condition, they are safe to use. However, a failing or broken spring could cause a hazard for people using the doors or standing in the area.
Avoid garage door injury risks by trusting our experts for garage door repair in Louisville. Learn more about why safety precautions for door springs are so important.
How Doors on Garages Work
When opening, the opener system must counterbalance the garage door’s weight to open it in a controlled, safe manner. Springs and cables provide the force required to counterbalance and safely control the weight.
Garage door standards require installing several safety features, such as photo-eye sensors. However, these standards only provide protection if the parts of the system are in good working condition. If one of the parts breaks or seems close to failing, injury hazards are possible.
How Long Do Springs on Doors Last?
Are garage door springs dangerous as they age? Like most mechanical devices, the metal in the spring will eventually break and fail from constant use and stress.
You can expect the coil to last for 3 to 5 years under average usage. However, our repair team judges the lifespan of these parts by the amount of usage they receive instead of their actual age.
The springs in the system will usually last for about 10,000 opening and closing cycles. This number is roughly equal to using it four times per day for seven years.
If they support larger doors or more weight than average, they’ll last for fewer cycles. If you live in an area where extreme temperatures are common during the year, the lifespan will be shorter.
Understanding the Hazard of a Failing Spring
Should you be worried about garage door spring hazards? The spring works under a great deal of tension, which makes it one of the most dangerous garage door components.
Doors made for garages are hefty, usually ranging from 100 to 300 pounds when installed at a house. If the spring breaks, the door could drop suddenly. People standing nearby could suffer severe injuries or even death.
Additionally, the coils are under significant tension as they raise and lower the door. They could hold several hundreds of pounds of force when supporting the maximum weight. Should this force release while you work on the coil or stand near it, it could fly loose and cause an injury or fatality.
How To Recognize Signs of a Spring That’s Under Stress
Why are garage door springs dangerous, and how do you know if they are beginning to fail? One of the most common signs of issues is a series of grinding or whining noises. Such sounds indicate that the coil is under quite a bit of stress and is beginning to wear down.
Stand at a safe distance and look for signs of rust on the metal coils. Eventually, the corrosion from the rust will cause the metal to fail or need to be replaced. When our technicians perform regular maintenance on the system, we will prevent rust from forming on the metal.
Types of Springs That Are Most Hazardous
Are garage door springs dangerous, and are some designs more hazardous than others? Your system could make use of three different kinds of coils.
Torsion Spring
Most garages in the United States have a torsion system, including residential and commercial setups. The torsion coils sit over the top of the doors, meaning you probably can’t reach them without a ladder. These large, tightly wound coils use thick-diameter metal to support significant amounts of weight.
Torsion systems last a long time and are safer than other designs, but they will eventually fail.
Extension Spring
The extension system is not common. The extension coils are located along the sides of the opening, meaning they’re well within reach of curious children. They’re also fully exposed, making them susceptible to damage from something bumping into them or hitting them.
Torquemaster Spring
The Torquemaster coil system offers the safest option, but it’s also the least common. It only works with lighter garage doors from a couple of manufacturers. The coil comes completely encased in a metal tube, meaning it cannot fly loose.
However, this design makes it impossible to see damage on the coils without disassembling the system.
How To Minimize the Danger From a Failing Spring
Why are garage door springs dangerous, and how can you reduce the hazard? Letting our professionals do repairs and maintenance is the best way to prevent a hazardous situation.
Perform Regular Maintenance on These Parts
Our experts can visit your home once or twice a year to maintain the entire system. We’ll lubricate the coils for you. This allows them to move freely, extending their lifespan and resisting damage.
We’ll also inspect the entire system to look for any damaged parts. When other parts start to wear out, they could cause more stress on a coil. This could lead to the coil breaking down before the end of its expected lifespan.
Seek Immediate Repairs for Any Problems
If you need our repair services, you can trust that we will focus on high-tension spring safety. You might need our repair technicians to visit if you notice issues, including:
- Grinding noises
- Whining noises
- Rough openings
- Slow opening process
If the noises seem to originate from the coils, call us right away. Do not risk potential injury from a spring that suddenly fails and cannot support the weight of the door.
Let Our Professionals Safely Handle All Your Repair Needs
Are garage door springs dangerous for our professionals? They can be hazardous for anyone, but we understand the proper techniques to reduce our professional spring repair risks.
When you hear odd garage door noises that seem to come from the coil, don’t wait to seek our help. Let us fix the spring before it breaks down and causes a hazardous situation. Call Action Overhead Door Inc. today at (502) 955-7725 for an appointment to inspect your entire system.
