garage-door-wont-open

Garage Door Won’t Open

If your garage door won’t open or your garage door only opens a few inches there is a good chance you may have a broken spring. The springs are located above the garage door. If the spring is broken it will appear to have a gap. A garage door broken spring can be the cause of many symptoms, for example; you may have heard a loud “bang,” the cables may be popped off, your garage door won’t open, your garage door only opens a few inches or in extreme cases if the spring is broken and the opener has been engaged it can pull apart the panel from the J-arm. This occurs often with Wayne Dolton doors. The springs are not visible on a Wayne Dolton door as they are located inside the shaft on this specific door, knowing these symptoms will definitely help diagnose a broken spring.

If Garage Door Won’t Open

Most likely is caused by a broken spring.

Garage door springs are what counter balances your garage door to make it very easy to open the door. When a spring breaks there is usually a loud ”BANG” and your garage door won’t open. Without a wound torsion spring you would have a very difficult time lifting the door, some residential doors in Calgary can weigh anywhere from 100 to 300 lbs. Garage door spring replacements costs vary, based on the size of the door.

Now lets pick out the best torsion spring for your garage door. Here are some options you may not have been aware of:

Round Wire

Has been around for a long time and has been the preferred choice for standard doors that have low cycles like homes and farms

Square Wire

Fact: Will gain 30% more cycles then round wire. Square wire is ideal for high cycle doors like parkade doors and car dealership doors..

Galvanized Springs

Are typically used for high moisture areas like car washes or coastal cities that have a lots of rain. 

Need More Cycles?

Springs come in many different sizes. 6″, 3 3/4″, 2 5/8″, 2″

Oil Tempered Springs

On residential garage doors, the most commonly used torsion spring is the oil-tempered kind. Oil-tempered springs are known to be strong and reliable, and they seldom experience premature wear. Due to their blackish shade, oil-tempered wire springs are easy to tell apart from other torsion springs. While some homeowners favor the silvery look of galvanized and coated metals, others remain content with the tried-and-true performance of oil-tempered wire springs.

Garage Door Won't Close

Garage door maintenance is very important to the health of your garage door.

Most of the time doors won’t close because there is something in the way blocking the sensor’s beam. There are safety sensors secured to the bottom of the tracks. If they get blocked or bumped out of place the door will not close. Some openers will have a light blink indicating something is wrong or in the way.

Garage door repairs are typically caused by lack of garage door maintenance. Overhead doors have many moving mechanical parts that need to be lubricated every six months. Lubricating the torsion springs, rollers and hinges is very important. Make sure you use the proper lubricant, don’t use heavy grease. Grease may seem like a good idea but that is not the case for garage doors. Grease will collect dust and dirt, which will then get into the bearings causing them to seize up and not rotate properly.

Spring King has annual garage door maintenance plans to ensure your door will run safely and smoothly.

Check Your Photo Eyes Make Sure The Two LED lights Are On

Check The Cables If They Are Off The Drum?

Emergency Release Cable Make Sure Trolley Is Connected to Opener

Garage Door Won't Close Because Of Broken Cables

There are two cables that connect to the bottom of the door, then to the shaft above the door where the springs are located. As the door opens the cables wrap around the aluminum drums lifting the garage door to the open position.

It is very important to look after the cables on the door, if a cable starts to fray or come apart the overhead door can drop and damage the door or even land on anything under the door. Garage door cables come in many different sizes based on the weight of the overhead door.

Below are some examples of what a damaged cable looks like.

Galvanized Cable

Different Sizes Of Cables

Stainless Steel

The heavier the door the bigger cables you will need.

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