Like other mechanical devices, a garage door can experience problems with some of its components from time to time, with broken springs being one the most overlooked issues. For this reason, it’s recommended that you watch for the following signs of damaged springs and get them fixed or replaced as soon as you can. Whether the problem is with a residential or commercial door, contact the team at Affordable Dock & Door immediately for professional garage door repair in McDonough, GA when you notice any of the following:
- The door doesn’t open all the way: You’re running late, so of course now is the time for your garage door to malfunction. But a door that opens only a little is a sign of possible spring issues. Make sure there is nothing in the door’s path—something hanging from or in the track—and then try pressing the automatic door opener again. If the door still doesn’t open all the way, it could be because the opener’s force sensitivity system sensed an issue and has activated to stop further damage.
- It closes too fast: Even with a broken spring, your garage door may be able to open at a slow pace, yet fall faster when closing. This happens because the door is heavy, which is the reason many doors need an even number of springs to work properly. When a spring is broken, the weight of the door becomes unbalanced and falls at a faster rate, as it’s designed to have springs on either side for an even weight distribution.
- The moving door appears crooked: In the same category as a door that closes too fast, a garage door that’s crooked when it goes up and down also has a spring problem. Springs mounted on each side of the garage door have independent suspension systems that pull their own weight. So when one spring breaks, that side becomes unsupported while the other functions normally.
- There was a loud bang in your house: Garage door springs are big and strong. So when one breaks, you will without a doubt hear it, no matter where you are in the house. The startling sound is due to the incredible amount of energy that’s released when a door spring breaks. But it’s not uncommon for homeowners who are not familiar with this component to not even consider that the loud bang came from the garage area—especially if this type of issue and sound has never been encountered before.
- You see a gap in a spring: Since the springs are exposed on motorized garage doors, you can see if a break has occurred. All spring coils should be even and tight, only releasing some tension when in use. While a visible gap in a spring is a clear indication of a problem, observing a spring that is partially unwound also points to damage.
When issues with springs are ignored, other problems may soon follow, which could mean costly repairs down the road. Contact the team at Affordable Dock & Door to inspect your door—we specialize in broken springs and will send out a skilled technician to handle parts replacement or garage door repair in McDonough, GA.