What Causes A Garage Door Spring To Break

Many people have experienced the frustration of their garage door spring breaking when they least expect it. For some, it can be when they pull into the garage after a hard day at work and find out that the spring just snapped with a loud thud.

While many people will be tempted to pick up a toolbox and examine the issue, the best thing to do here is to Call a Professional. A garage door spring breaks for a myriad of reasons, but fixing it is dangerous and should be left to the professionals.

In this article, we will look at the reasons why a garage door spring breaks.

Excessive Wear and Tear

In our experience, this is the no.1 reason why garage door springs break. A torsion spring on average can last for 10k cycles. Each cycle is when a garage door opens and then closes. On average, a garage door is used for 730 cycles a year. So, the average life of the torsion spring is around 13 years. That said, for some people, the spring can last longer than others. Other factors, such as the quality of the spring, also play a role in how long it lasts.

Buildup of Rust

Rust is another reason why a garage door spring can fail or break. Rust increases the friction of the spring, causing it to break faster as the coil becomes weak. However, rust can easily be prevented by a homeowner by spraying some WD-40 on it every few months, the advantage of which is both lubrication and rust prevention.

Improper Maintenance

No or little maintenance is another reason why a garage door spring would break. Apart from the homeowner performing routine maintenance themselves, it is important to hire a professional team to carry out more extensive maintenance.

Professional maintenance helps spot potential issues before they become a health hazard or a source of frustration. That’s why professional maintenance is so important at least once a year.

The Use of Incorrect Springs

Many people may say that the new spring that was installed didn’t last as long as they imagined it should. Well, there are a number of reasons for it, i.e., incorrect spring length, incorrect spring type, or the use of a low-quality spring. Many inexperienced garage door installers or those attempting to cut costs, will compromise on the type of springs used.

The same goes for garage door manufacturers who may use a single long torsion spring instead of two or more springs to distribute the weight of the door. The result is that the spring does not last as long as it should.

Conclusion

Garage Door Springs, on the whole, are made to last. However, they need to support the load of a door that’s several hundred pounds. That’s why it is so crucial that you invest in annual garage door maintenance and inspection.