New garage door torsion springs save you big money in repairs.
Every homeowner hates when their garage door starts to sag or not retract properly. But you might also have heard that it is impossible to install the springs yourself. You might also have heard rumors to the effect that you can’t even purchase these torsion springs or that it is illegal to do so.Well, you can actually buy garage door torsion springs, but even so, it is absolutely essential that you learn exactly how to install them safely before doing so, or you could seriously hurt yourself or others.
And it is good advice to avoid attempting this job if you are at all concerned about your ability to finish it safely – if you have any doubts at all, it is wise to instead call a professional.While replacing torsion springs might seem like a big or expensive job at first glance, it need not necessarily cost a lot – if you take the time to learn how to do it yourself. Again, this is NOT a task that you should attempt unless you are fully versed on how to go about doing it properly, as you could definitely injure yourself or others if you go about it the wrong way.
Fortunately, it isn’t all that hard to find instructions on how to install garage door torsion springs the correct way with full attention to safety. In addition to the information available online, like this torsion spring replacement website, and in books, you also might be able to find either information or even classes on garage door repair at your local home improvement supercenter.
So, to start with, what exactly are garage door torsion springs? Well, generally speaking, they are the springs that are attached to a metal rod located above a garage door.Depending on the particular setup in your garage, either the spring itself could be inside the shaft, or the rod could pass through the center of the spring. If your garage door design is such that the rod passes through the middle of the spring, the spring could potentially be mounted in the center of the rod, or it could also be sited at the end of the rod.
In the latter instance, the torsion spring should be located near the outer edge of the garage door. There are basically only three properties of garage door torsion springs that can determine how long the springs can last and how much lifting power the door apparatus will have. These three factors are the inside diameter of the spring, the overall size of the wire, and, of course, the length of the spring. The lift of the door, which is dictated by the torsion spring’s torque, determines how heavy a door the spring can lift.