How To Tell If Your Garage Door Springs Are Broken

Automatic garage doors have increased the level of convenience modern homeowners enjoy when it comes to utilizing their garage spaces. With the help of an automatic garage door opener, a homeowner can raise or lower a garage door without ever exiting a vehicle or manually touching the door itself.

Springs play a critical role in the safe operation of automatic garage doors by helping to support the weight of the door during opening or closing. When a garage door spring breaks, excess pressure is placed on the motor and the garage door can fail.

Here are two simple signs that you can watch for when trying to determine if your garage door springs are broken in the future.

1. Your garage door closes faster than normal.

One of the easiest ways to spot a broken spring is by paying attention to the speed at which your garage door closes. When the springs on these doors are intact, they help to support the weight of the door as it lowers.

A garage door with functional springs will close smoothly and slowly. When the garage door springs break, gravity can increase the speed at which the door closes. If you notice your garage door starting to close faster than normal, check the springs for signs of damage. 

2. You are unable to manually raise your garage door.

Automatic garage doors come equipped with an emergency release rope that disengages the automatic opener and allows a person to easily lift the garage door manually. These emergency release ropes can be used to gain access to your garage during a power outage or when your opener malfunctions.

If a spring in your garage door is broken, you will not be able to manually raise your door after activating the emergency release feature. This is because the weight of the door will not be supported by a functional spring, requiring you to lift the full weight of the door in order to raise it. Garage doors are extremely heavy, so an inability to manually lift the door is a good indication one or more of the springs supporting your garage door have broken.

Being able to identify some simple signs that indicate your garage door springs are broken allows you to repair busted springs before they can lead to serious injury. Pay attention to the speed at which your garage door closes and periodically attempt to manually lift the door when striving to maintain functional springs in the future.

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