You press the button on the wall, hear a rumble, and that heavy door lifts up. It feels like magic, but it’s actually just physics. A lot of homeowners think the electric motor pulls the door up. It doesn’t. The real muscle is the springs.
Your house uses these springs every day. But there are two different types. Knowing if you have Torsion or Extension springs matters, especially if they snap on you late at night.
Here is a quick way to tell what you have.
Look Up: The Torsion Setup
Go into the garage and close the door. Look up at the wall right above the door opening. Do you see a metal bar running side to side with a big black coil wrapped around it?
That is a Torsion Spring.
These are the most common type we see in Silver Spring homes. They work by twisting. When the door comes down, the cables pull and wind up the spring, storing energy. When you open it, that energy unwinds and lifts the weight.
- The good: They are smoother and last longer.
- The bad: They are under crazy tension. If you try to fix this yourself with a screwdriver, you can get seriously hurt.
Look at the Sides: The Extension Setup
If you don’t see a big spring above the door, look at the tracks on the ceiling where the door rolls back. Do you see long, skinny springs stretching out along the sides?
Those are Extension Springs.
You usually find these on older doors or garages with low ceilings. They work by stretching out when the door closes.
- Safety check: These springs need a safety cable running through the middle. If that spring snaps and there is no cable, it turns into a whip that can damage your car or hit someone. If yours don’t have cables, you should call us to put them in.
Why Should You Care?
Springs wear out. It’s just a fact. They are rated for about 10,000 “cycles” (up and down is one cycle). Eventually the metal gets tired and gives up.
When a spring breaks, your door is dead weight. A garage door can weigh 300 pounds or more. Your little opener motor cannot lift that.
If you hear a loud “BANG” like a firecracker in the garage, that was probably a spring snapping. Don’t try to force the door open. And definitely don’t try to replace it with parts you bought online. The tension is too high for DIY tools.
We Fix Both Types
It doesn’t matter if it’s the old style extension springs or a new torsion system, BWI Garage Doors can handle it. We keep the parts in our trucks so we can fix it right then and there.
If your car is trapped inside, you need professional garage door repair in Silver Spring MD. We know these things break at the worst times, that’s why we offer 24/7 service. We can safely swap out the broken spring and get your door balanced again.
Take a look at your springs today. If they look rusty or you see a gap in the coil, give us a ring before it breaks.
