Torsion Spring Replacement

The Spring Above the Door

A torsion spring sits on a steel shaft above the door opening. As the door comes down the spring winds up and stores the energy; as it goes up the spring gives it back. That is why a balanced door can be lifted with one hand despite weighing as much as a person and a half.

Confirming It Has Failed

Look at the shaft. A broken torsion spring shows an unmistakable gap in the coil, usually one to three inches, as though a slice was removed.

You will also see the symptom before you see the spring. The door lifts a few inches, strains, and stops, because with no counterbalance the opener is being asked to lift the whole door on its own and it hits its force limit. That is the safety system working correctly.

Sizing, Which Is the Whole Job

We weigh the door. From that weight comes the wire diameter, the inside diameter, the length and the wind direction, left or right.

A spring that is approximately right will lift the door and will be wrong in every way that matters: the door will not hold position through its travel, the opener will compensate on every cycle, and the spring itself will wear early.

Why Both Come Off

Both springs have run the same number of cycles, so the second is rarely far behind. Beyond that, a door on one fresh and one tired spring lifts unevenly, which loads the track sideways and drags the rollers.

The Visit

1. Disconnect the opener and take the door weight by hand.
2. Unwind the old springs with winding bars, safely.
3. Inspect cables and drums, since this is the only sensible moment to do it.
4. Fit the new pair, wind to the correct turns for your door height, seat the set screws on the shaft.
5. Balance test: lift by hand to waist height, and the door should hold position.
6. Reconnect and run both safety reversal tests.

Cycle Life

Standard springs are rated near 10,000 cycles, roughly seven years at four openings a day. Nearer the water expect less, because salt corrosion creates stress points on the coil.

Call Chemistrytimes at (562) 660-6010.