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How do I choose a garage door torsion spring?
Basically, you run a tape measure along the length of a spring, and take down the number of inches. Therefore, if your tape measure indicates that a torsion spring is 36 inches from one end to the other, that’s a 36-inch — or three foot — torsion spring.
Are garage door springs the same size?
This may result in a more expensive repair when the opener breaks due to this unnecessary tension. Garage door springs are not, “one size fits all” and therefore it is important you purchase the right size spring in order to not do any serious damage to your garage door.
What size spring do I need for my garage door?
Generally, most residential garage doors are either seven or eight feet tall. Seven-foot doors usually use a 25-inch spring, and eight-foot doors use a 27-inch spring.
How much is a torsion spring for garage door?
Torsion spring replacement costs anywhere from $75 to $150 per spring, including both materials and labor. The springs alone run $30 to $100 each. You’ll almost always have two springs per door, and you should replace both at the same time.
How much should it cost to replace a garage door torsion spring?
The cost to replace garage door springs ranges in between $180 to $350 for an expert to do the job satisfactorily. The cost includes the torsion and extension springs’ cost ($10 to $100), labor cost (in between $40 to $70) depending on region and a company. The price for replacing may vary based on the types of door.
Can I use a shorter garage door torsion spring?
Springs That Are Too Small Can Make the Opener Less Effective. If the spring for the door is small, it can make the door too heavy. When someone tries to raise the door, it will fall back down instead of continuing to lift.
How long do garage torsion springs last?
Average Life Expectancy The average home opens and closes a garage door four times daily, and, with a 10,000-cycle torsion spring, this translates to a lifespan of approximately seven years. Thus, high-cycle springs can have lifespans that last from 14 to 20 years.
Can I use a bigger torsion spring on my garage door?
If your garage door springs have lasted less than five years, or if you plan to live where you are for many years, you may want to try the extra long life torsion springs. By using larger springs, you can, in most cases, quadruple your spring life while only doubling the cost of the springs.
What does the color mean on garage door springs?
The color code on a torsion spring indicates whether it is a “right wind” or “left wind” spring, with black indicating right wind and red indicating left wind. Beyond that the torsion spring is color coded so that technicians can determine the thickness, or gauge, of the wire.
How many torsion springs do I need?
As a rule of thumb, a single garage door takes one torsion spring. A double-wide garage door takes two springs. However, if you have an exceptionally heavy single door, you may need two torsion springs. It is easy to tell whether you have one or two springs.
How do you replace a single garage door torsion spring?
How to Install a Single Torsion Spring on a Garage Door Before Starting: Safety First. Clamp the Door to the Track. Loosen and Unwind the Functional Garage Door Spring. Disconnect the Springs and Secure the Torsion Tube. Remove the Old Spring and Install the New Spring. Install the New Center Bearing.
What weight garage door springs do I need?
This is determined by the pitch with which the springs are wound. On sectional garage door springs, this normally is 15 percent. For example, a 100-pound pull spring requires 15 pounds of weight to separate the coils; when a door is open, the two springs will support 15 pounds of door weight without any stretch.
How many times do I wind my garage door spring?
A rule of thumb with springs is that four quarter turns equals a full revolution and the spring needs to be tightened a full revolution for every foot of door height (e.g. 7-1/2 foot door = 7 revolutions +2 (30 quarter turns).
How do you calculate torsion springs?
Torsion spring torque is calculated the same way you calculate a working load. To calculate the torque of a torsional spring you must divide the spring rate by the amount of degrees of deflection your spring will be required to travel.
Can you replace garage door springs yourself?
You can definitely replace garage door springs on your own, but it can be a bit tricky and dangerous, and the skill required depends a lot on the type of springs that you have.
Which is better torsion or extension springs?
Torsion springs tend to be stronger and more durable than extension springs. And though they are more expensive, they last longer, between 15,000 and 20,000 cycles as opposed to 10,000 cycles with extension springs. They also offer greater balance and show more control when moving, not jerking as the door moves.
How long does it take to replace garage door springs?
Replacing garage door springs takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type and size of the garage door and number of springs. Old garage doors with several failing parts take up to two hours to replace. A garage door spring tune-up takes 10 to 15 minutes per door.