I Discovered a Garage Door Torsion Spring
A few weeks back, I was arriving home and hit the button on my garage door opener. The garage door opened about 3 feet and then stopped. My first thought was, “I hope nothing is broken.” I tried to close the garage door– it closed, this was promising. Hoping for the best, I tried to open the garage door again. It opened about 3 feet and then stopped. Damn…Hopefully this would be an easy fix?
I entered the house through the front door and went to the garage. I examined the garage door. Immediately, I saw the lifting cables were loose. That was odd, I could not see why they had come loose. Then I looked up and saw the large spring on top of the garage door was broken. I did a quick google check –the torsion spring had snapped.
What is a Torsion Spring
The torsion spring is a crucial component of a garage door system, responsible for counterbalancing the weight of the door and making it easier to open and close. A garage door typically has one or two torsion springs mounted above the door on a metal shaft. These springs store mechanical energy when they are twisted or wound up. When the garage door is closed, the torsion springs are tightly coiled and store potential energy. As you start to open the door, the springs unwind, releasing the stored energy to help lift the door.
The force generated by the unwinding torsion springs is transmitted through cables and pulleys to the door, assisting in the lifting process. This explains why the lifting cables on my garage door were loose after the torsion spring broke. It’s important to note that torsion springs are designed to balance the weight of the door precisely. If the springs are too weak, the door may be difficult to lift, and if they are too strong, the door may close too quickly.
Proper installation and maintenance are crucial for the effective and safe operation of garage door torsion springs. After watching a video on the replacement of a torsion spring, it was clear I was going to have a professional replace the spring.
Getting the Fix
As I have discussed previously, I have home warranty insurance. I figured I would file a claim and this would be an easy fix for a professional. From experience, I knew the garage motor and opener rail were covered through my warranty. However, something prompted me to check my home warranty plan to find out if the torsion spring repair was covered. Unfortunately, one of the extra priced add-ons was the torsion spring – you live and learn folks. [ add-ons were discussed in my home warranty post]. So, I was not able to make a claim through my home warranty and get away with paying only $85 to fix the torsion spring.
I turned to Thumbtack. I have the app downloaded on my phone. I opened the app, provided a summary of the problem and uploaded a few pictures. In minutes, I had several quotes. The quotes ranged from $269 – $281.
Within two hours of uploading my request for quotes, a technician arrived. He replaced the torsion spring within 15 minutes. According to him, the springs give out once every 10 years – but this can vary depending on use.
Just a final note. Since I have another single garage door, that has a two-decade old torsion spring, that may give out, I called my home warranty insurer to see how much the torsion spring add on would cost. The sales representative informed the premium add on for the garage doors – that covers any and all parts of the garage door mechanism – would cost $72 a year or $9 month. This is still something I am debating purchasing.
Nice fix. I’ll check Thumbtack out