Springs: A Garage Door's Best Friend

Springs are the main operating system for the garage door. People often wonder how a 1/2hp motor can lift a 150- or 200-pound garage door, and the real answer is that it probably couldn't--not without a little help. This is where your garage door's springs come in. These springs are wound with an incredible amount of required tension, and it's this tension that does the majority of the work when your door is opening or closing. Maybe you like to leave your door cracked open to let in some air? That's the springs at work again. Or maybe you've opened and closed the door manually, and with surprisingly little effort. That's the springs at work for you one more time.

A broken garage door torsion spring.

We last wrote about springs over a year ago, and we think that post covered some very important information. You can view the full post here (and we recommend you do), but we'll recycle some of the key points below.

• Springs don't usually shatter into pieces when they break, so it's not immediately obvious that a broken spring is causing a door not to open. Due to the incredible tension we talked about above, however, you are likely to hear a loud BANG when they break, and it would be very difficult or impossible to open the door manually.

• A broken spring is one of our most common service calls.

• In addition to inconvenience, broken or old, rusty springs can create a safety hazard for family members and pets that may be passing under an open door. For this reason, checking and properly lubricating springs is always on our checklist during all service calls.

• Springs are made to fit your unique garage door. We keep a large number of common sizes in stock, and we can also custom make some sizes in our shop. In most cases, we're able to replace broken springs the same day, and we're always able to get you up and running with a safe, temporary fix, should a special order be necessary.

Much like garage doors and nearly everything else, springs face extra pressure due to our warm, salty air. For this reason we use only the highest quality high-cycle springs, and we stand behind this quality with our own 3-year warranty.

To close out another great year with you all, we're offering our biggest savings ever on spring replacements. During the month of December 2016, save $50 off of any single-car door spring replacement, and save an incredible $100 off any double-car door spring replacement! Whether you have a broken spring or preemptively want to replace an old pair, use code word SPRINGS to take advantage of this great deal when calling 871-8888 to schedule your appointment!

Door Won't Open? Check the Springs.

On any given day, we receive at least one call for a broken torsion spring - the unsung and unknown heroes of the residential garage door that do nearly all of the heavy lifting when you open or close your garage door. Because the torsion spring doesn't typically shatter into pieces when it breaks, it's not immediately obvious that it's the cause of the malfunction, but the signs are easy to spot: the door only opens a few inches (if at all) before shutting; the door is very heavy and maybe even impossible to open manually; and finally, the visible break or crack in the springs coiling. A story we've heard on too many occasions is that of someone hearing a loud BANG, unable to place the source of the noise, only to later discover that they can't get their garage door open. Invariably, their torsion spring has snapped in one or multiple places, and due to the tremendous, necessary pressure wound into the springs, it makes a loud noise.

A broken torsion spring.

In addition to the inconvenience of a broken spring, old or rusted springs can create a safety hazard for children, pets, or adults that may be playing near or passing under a partially open door. Ever wonder how a 1/2 or even 1/3hp motor can open and close a heavy door, or how you can manually open it without too much effort? We're all superheroes to some extent, but the truth is that the torsion springs are doing the majority of the work, and when they snap, the full weight of the door can come crashing down. For this very reason, checking and properly lubricating your springs is always on our checklist during service calls. Unfortunately, you can never know when exactly a spring will snap, but routine maintenance and replacement of visibly worn springs is a great way to potentially avoid injury and any added repairs from the door slamming shut.

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Much like each model of garage door is slightly different, torsion springs are made specific to the dimensions and weight of each garage door. Maui Garage Doors keeps a large selection of the most common sizes in-stock for same-day replacement, but even if we don't have your specific spring in stock, in nearly all cases we can get you up and running that day with a temporary fix. We stock and order only the best springs, and as a result we're able to offer every spring we replace with a three-year warranty. Due to the pressure of the spring and the dangers involved in installing, it is also very important to only have these installed by a professional.

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Have a broken spring or want to preemptively replace an old rusty pair? Throughout the month of October, we're happy to offer $20 off a single spring replacement and $40 off the cost of a double spring replacement. Call 871-8888 today to schedule your next service appointment! One of our professional service technicians will take a good look at your springs and inspect the rest of your door's hardware as well.