The Dangers of Broken Garage Door Springs

Garage door springs are used to assist with the opening and closing of a garage door. When the door has been closed, there is increased tension in the springs that are used to up on the track.

These springs can be very dangerous when a great deal of tension is present and they snap or become dislodged.

This can occur because of normal wear and tear on your springs, but a broken spring can also be caused a defect in the spring itself or an issue with the installation of the garage door.

We rely on garage door springs when it comes to safety. The door itself weighs a few hundred pounds in most cases.

Those springs utilize a lot of pressure to protect you from being crushed or hit by the door. If you get in the way of a garage door spring breaking, you could be faced with a serious injury or even death.

That’s why we recommend that you always hire an experienced professional to work on your garage door when a problem is going on.

This is the safest way to ensure you don’t get hurt during the repair, but also to prevent any broken springs from injuring you or your family in the future.

The Life Span of Garage Door Springs

The springs on a garage door are designed to last approximately 10,000 cycles of going up and down.

For some households, this is around seven years, but it might be less if you have a lot of people coming and going throughout the day.

While proper maintenance of your garage door can help prolong the life of your springs, it’s inevitable that there will come a time when the springs need to be replaced or serviced.

If you notice something that seems to be going wrong with your door, you should call a garage door service company as soon as you can to address the issue.

This can prevent broken springs that unexpectedly cause an injury.

Where are Garage Door Springs Located?

The location of your springs will depend on the type of door that you have. Garage doors that have torsion springs will usually situate this part on the top of the garage door.

Extension springs are also common and are located above the tracks of your garage door. They are quite large; about two to four feet in length.

Some of the newer garage door designs will have safety cables attached to the springs so they don’t shoot across the garage when they break. This has cut back on injuries significantly.

Broken Garage Door Springs and Common Injuries

Broken garage door springs can cause a number of different injuries. There’s not really a lot of notice that a spring is about to break, so you don’t have the opportunity to get out of the way in most scenarios.

However, broken springs have led to broken fingers, broken wrists, head trauma, cuts, and more. There are people who have even been killed because of a snapped garage door spring.

There has been a slight change in the type of springs used for garage doors which have cut back on injuries and death, but there is still a risk involved.

What to Watch Out For

While we don’t recommend that you service your own garage door because of safety reasons, there are some visual inspections that you can do to see what’s going on with your garage door.

When looking at the springs on your garage door, you should never see any gaps in the coils. If you see a gap that is two inches or more in size, there may already be a break in the spring.

You should also look out for the garage door opening or closing differently. The door may not open or close at all, but there could also be some additional force that takes place when you move the door.

Also, look for an uneven garage door that closes at an angle.

Preventing Broken Garage Door Springs

It’s really important that you schedule routine maintenance and inspections for your garage door.

Yearly would be a beneficial time frame, and you should keep up with these appointments more diligently the older your garage door gets.

There’s a lot that can be done to protect the condition of your springs, such as lubrication that prevents rust formation.

You can also choose your garage door carefully when it comes time for a replacement.

There are a lot of options for garage door styles, but the weight of your door is what’s really important when it comes to broken garage door springs.

You want to choose a door that is as light as possible. This reduces the amount of pressure that’s put onto the springs.

What to Do When a Spring Breaks

If you know that a spring has broken on your garage door, leave the door in place. If it’s open, you should leave it open. If it’s closed, it should remain in that position.

This will prevent the spring from further breaking or shooting off the door. Regardless of what kind of broken garage door springs you have on your garage door, injury can occur if the spring hits you.

Make sure that you unplug the garage door opener to prevent anyone from being able to open or close the door while you wait for a professional to come to the rescue for your broken springs.

This is usually a pretty affordable repair, and it’s not worth saving a little bit of money to put yourself at risk.

Call the Professionals

If you are in need of assistance with broken garage door springs or you would like to schedule a routine maintenance appointment for your garage door, reach out to us here at Tip Top Door.

We are a full-service garage door company that operates throughout the United States. With a staff of experienced professionals, you can utilize Tip Top Door for your repair, maintenance, and installation needs.