Garage door maintenance
 

My garage door spring broke this week and I later discovered that two of my neighbors had the same problem over the last year. Our houses were built in 2004, which is apparently getting to the end of a spring's lifespan.

Apologies to those who are well aware of this (and perhaps @DangeloInspections has more detailed information to add), but just a friendly heads-up that it's probably best on older homes to inspect the spring every so often. It never occurred to me at all.

Nobody wants the door falling on their car as they drive in or out!

One of the springs broke on our garage door about two weeks ago, and our home was also built in 2004.
I’m curious as to what you would look for when inspecting the springs?
I would guess the metal fatigues in time with repeated stress, and the metal eventually snaps at the weakest point.
Highly recommend Ryan O’Cull for replacement and door service. 352-617-0522

Ryan is the best in The Villages, hands down.

There are suggestions online on what and how to check, but who knows how accurate they are. There are so many different types of doors and mechanisms.

I was taught to wind the springs 7 tunrs on a normal double wide door. You can verify this if they ran some chalk on the spring before winding. Also wipe the springs yearly with oil to keep them lubed. Checking the winding will show you if the spring is slipping. Of course this was years ago.

And in my opinion. replacing the springs is one job I leave to the pros.

coil springs can easily break your arm--use Ryan, he's a pro-doesn't charge much--most likely you don't have the proper pins for locking the spring keepers,

Ditto Ryan O'Cull.

Door springs
 

[QUOTE=Chatbrat;1587299]coil springs can easily break your arm--use Ryan, he's a pro-doesn't charge much--most likely


Suggestion: Every 4 months, have a small tag on door for a reminder. Run the door up and down, use a semi stiff brush to do the rollers and guides and springs. As door goes up and down. spray a small amount of WD ON the pins holding the runners. Wipe off excess. On the springs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,LEAVE THEM ALONE YOU ARE NOT A DOOR SPECIALIST. also CHECK WITH MVP DOORS, THEY ARE ON rolling acres, AND WILL GIVE GOOD ADVICE. YOU CAN BE HURT BADLY BY PRETENDING TO BE A DOOR INSTALLER. also STAY AWAY FROM THE OCCASIONAL MECHANIC COMING AROUND. BE SAFE.

:bigbow: bbbbbb

IMO there no way knowing when garage door spring going to fail. Usually here Big Bang or pop like gun when off and rattling sound of the spring vibrating. If you listen to your garage door sound as it goes up and down you will hear change when problem has occurred. Or just look up at the springs periodically and you can see the difference in two and the popped on will be unwind and floppy on one end.

The garage door not going to fail with one spring broke, but it puts pressure on the door motor having to pull half the weight or the garage door due to both springs or more counter balances the weight of the garage door to make it easy to lift manually and easier for the door motor to lift. My house was alao built in 2003/2004 time frame. Had broken spring two years ago. Who knows how many times they have been replaced, depends on cycle times. Mine goes up and down several times a day, more cycling sooner it will fail. Ryan IMO this the best And loves cash payment. I wouldn’t even attempt to replace it myself unless I had to. IMO too dangerous for the jack of all trades.

Ours broke this past week. Home built in 2008. Called Ryan O'Cull. Came within 20 minutes. Replaced both springs. We're back in business. Yeah Ryan!!

Previous
 

I should add to,my posting that at that time I was a garage door installer and repair person for Overhead Door company in another city. I mention counting the chalk marks only to see if the spring has slipped. We also told people to once a year wipe some oil across the springs and move the door up and down. I would not do any replacement work because of the danger as a homeowner

[QUOTE=bbbbbb;1587773]
I read somewhere to NOT use WD40 but to use LITHIUM GREASE SPRAY on door parts/tracks/rollers because WD40 is mostly water.


How to Lubricate a Garage Door: 10 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

[QUOTE=EdFNJ;1587940]IMO Unless you wipe off all the overspray of the grease and it actually gets into the rollers all it going to do collect dust and dirt. Dirt has fine sand particles which act like sand paper eating up roller surface and tracks. So, my suggestion is us it sparingly with nozzle that direct the stream rather than spray.

IMO if WD40 mostly water why don’t it rust the tools I us it on with unplated surfaces? WD 40 evaporates in little time why it not as effective as grease. IMO the evaporation get rid of the moisture until you use the tool again.

[QUOTE=EdFNJ;1587940]:ohdear: GOOGLE is our friend.......

"WD-40® literally stands for Water Displacement, 40th formula. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed the product back in 1953. The chemist, Norm Larsen, was attempting to concoct a formula to prevent corrosion—a task which is done by displacing water."

:ho: