How to Safely Maintain Garage Door Torsion Springs in 5 Easy Steps
Torsion springs are the long springs mounted horizontally at the top of your garage door and help the door open and close. But with great power comes great responsibility. These springs hold a lot of tension, and without the proper knowledge, safety precautions, or tools, trying to handle torsion springs can lead to serious injury or damage.
This post has everything you need to know about torsion springs so you can handle them with confidence and keep you and your home safe.
1: What’s that noise?
If your torsion springs are squeaking whenever you open or close your garage door, applying lubricant can help reduce the noise. We also recommend applying lubricant once every three months for routine maintenance. Lubricant penetrates and neutralizes rust, and cleans corrosion and oxidation on your garage parts, which helps your door operate more smoothly and quietly.
Sometimes squeaking is an indication of a bigger problem, so if the noise persists, contact a professional to inspect your door.
2: Just right
Torsion springs are specifically designed for certain garage door sizes and weights. Always use replacement springs with the same size and specifications as the existing springs to ensure the safety of you and your property. When selecting an overall length, you can safely go up or down by one inch, if necessary. Otherwise, do not try to compensate by using a different wire gauge or size.
Can't find the exact size that you need? Build a custom torsion spring here.
Learn how to find the correct torsion spring replacements for your garage door.
3: Two is better than one
Always replace both torsion springs at the same time, even if only one is broken. This ensures that the tension remains even on both sides.
Torsion springs are designed to last for about 10,000 open-close cycles or 7 years with average use. High cycle torsion springs are designed to last even longer. Visit our torsion spring page for standard cycle to high-cycle spring conversions.
4: What goes up must come down (and vice versa)
After installing new torsion springs, be sure to check that they are wound correctly so that your garage door will function properly. To test this, lift the door up halfway.
If the door moves down by itself, the springs aren’t wound enough. In this case, wind the spring one or two more quarter turns.
If the door moves up by itself, the springs are wound too tightly. In this case, unwind the spring by one or two quarter turns.
If the door balances in the half open position, the springs are wound correctly.
5: When in doubt, hire a professional
Torsion springs store a significant amount of energy and hold the weight of your garage door. Trying to adjust, remove, or replace torsion springs without the proper knowledge or tools can result in serious injury or damage to your property.
Always hire a trained door technician to perform any work on your garage door’s torsion springs if you have any doubts about your own abilities to do so. When removing or replacing torsion springs by yourself, always follow instructions carefully, take the recommended safety precautions, and use the proper tools.
With these safety tips in mind, you're ready to adjust or replace your torsion springs with ease and peace of mind.
This post has everything you need to know about torsion springs so you can handle them with confidence and keep you and your home safe.
1: What’s that noise?
If your torsion springs are squeaking whenever you open or close your garage door, applying lubricant can help reduce the noise. We also recommend applying lubricant once every three months for routine maintenance. Lubricant penetrates and neutralizes rust, and cleans corrosion and oxidation on your garage parts, which helps your door operate more smoothly and quietly.
Sometimes squeaking is an indication of a bigger problem, so if the noise persists, contact a professional to inspect your door.
2: Just right
Torsion springs are specifically designed for certain garage door sizes and weights. Always use replacement springs with the same size and specifications as the existing springs to ensure the safety of you and your property. When selecting an overall length, you can safely go up or down by one inch, if necessary. Otherwise, do not try to compensate by using a different wire gauge or size.
Can't find the exact size that you need? Build a custom torsion spring here.
Learn how to find the correct torsion spring replacements for your garage door.
3: Two is better than one
Always replace both torsion springs at the same time, even if only one is broken. This ensures that the tension remains even on both sides.
Torsion springs are designed to last for about 10,000 open-close cycles or 7 years with average use. High cycle torsion springs are designed to last even longer. Visit our torsion spring page for standard cycle to high-cycle spring conversions.
4: What goes up must come down (and vice versa)
After installing new torsion springs, be sure to check that they are wound correctly so that your garage door will function properly. To test this, lift the door up halfway.
If the door moves down by itself, the springs aren’t wound enough. In this case, wind the spring one or two more quarter turns.
If the door moves up by itself, the springs are wound too tightly. In this case, unwind the spring by one or two quarter turns.
If the door balances in the half open position, the springs are wound correctly.
5: When in doubt, hire a professional
Torsion springs store a significant amount of energy and hold the weight of your garage door. Trying to adjust, remove, or replace torsion springs without the proper knowledge or tools can result in serious injury or damage to your property.
Always hire a trained door technician to perform any work on your garage door’s torsion springs if you have any doubts about your own abilities to do so. When removing or replacing torsion springs by yourself, always follow instructions carefully, take the recommended safety precautions, and use the proper tools.
With these safety tips in mind, you're ready to adjust or replace your torsion springs with ease and peace of mind.
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Broken torsion spring? Learn how to select the right garage door torsion springs for your garage door, and then how to install your springs by yourself.