No matter what type of garage door drive that you choose, it will perform the same actions, but you might be wondering which garage door drive opener to choose. Should you choose the belt drive, or should you choose the chain drive? Maybe the screw drive or the jackshaft drive? Some of the ways that the they will differ include how they get built, their strength and amount of noise emitted. If you’d like to learn more, please check us out at garage door repair pro Dallas, TX.
Broken Springs
You have a few signs that the garage door spring has broken. Look for a 2-inch gap on the spring, which indicates that a break occurred. Other signs can point to a broken garage door as well, such as the door closing with greater force, the door not opening or closing, the door appearing crooked as it closes or the door opening only a couple of inches before it closes.
Why Do Garage Door Springs Break?
Garage door repair springs break because of wear and tear. Over time, rust may start to form as humidity exposes the metal springs to moisture. Galvanized springs don’t experience the same danger of rusting as other springs because of a protective layer. The risk of a deadly failure increases as the extension springs wear out with time.
Garage Door Safety: Protect Your Children
The garage door counts as the heaviest item in the home, sometimes weighing from 300 to 400 pounds. In some cases, children see the film Indiana Jones and think of it as cool to slip beneath the door before it closes. Here’s the problem: Life isn’t a movie. Garage door injuries have a reputation for causing brain injury or even death. Don’t take the risk that it will be your child that suffers an injury.
How a Technician Services Your Garage Door
The experts at garage door repair pro Dallas, TX will enter the garage with a checklist. They will use the checklist to examine the potential issues with garage doors. Usually, the things that we look at include the springs, the rollers, the cables, the garage door opener and the door sections and panels. With springs, the torsion springs must get examined occasionally. For the cables, you have to check to see that you don’t have signs of fraying. On the rollers, the technician will look for signs of bending or possible breakages.
The Dangers of Broken Garage Door Springs
Important for getting in and out of the garage, the garage door spring also serves a key role in safety. Garage doors weigh anywhere from 130 to 400 pounds. If you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, a garage door spring breaking can cause serious injury. Because the springs have to lift anywhere from 130 to 400 pounds, they have tons of pressure behind them. A garage door spring snapping can maim or kill. Never work on extension springs yourself because it requires the expertise of a knowledgeable technician.
What Happen if a Spring Broke?
Garage door with a broken spring should have the door left closed. If the door remains in the open position, only close it if you can safely do so. Use the click from afar to close the door. Unplug the garage door opener from the wall to ensure that no one accidentally opens it. Otherwise, call in a technician to do it. Don’t risk injury.
You may think of breaking a finger as minor, but don’t underestimate the damage. We know of someone who worked on a garage door spring. It snapped and broke his thumb. The thing is, it did more than break his thumb. The spring caused permanent nerve damage so that he could never use that hand again. On top of that, when the spring broke, it ricocheted and smashed him in the face. The power behind the spring caused a massive laceration. Don’t underestimate broken garage door springs. Even torsion springs pose a danger.
Where to Find the Springs on Your Garage Door
The location of the garage door springs vary. Torsion springs, usually much larger, will sit above the garage door. Extension springs are usually between 2 to 4 feet in length. You can see them above the tracks, but most of the newer models use a torsion spring because broken garage door springs from a torsion spring don’t pose the same danger. Not only does it improve safety, but they last longer and are sturdier. Still, call the experts even with a torsion spring.
The new garage door includes safety cables on the springs to hold it in place. In the past, garage door springs could break with such momentum that they would smash through a wall and injure the person in the next room. If a spring on the garage door has broken, do not open the door. You increase the pressure on the working springs and have a high risk of it breaking. Call Star Solutions for broken garage door springs. Garage door springs deal with the most pressure as the door closes. Because of this, they often break with the door closed.