Main Reasons Your Garage Door Springs Break

The springs in your garage door opener are a crucial component of the system. Torsion springs provide more than 90% of the lift needed to power a garage door and raise or lower it, so they’re definitely a critical part.  The most common factors in determining why your springs need replacement are age and rust.  We’ll examine both factors in detail in this article.

Age is the largest issue

The typical system is good for 10,000 to 12,000 cycles, a cycle being the door opening and then closing.  After that, torsion springs simply wear out, losing some of their power.  Depending on usage patterns, most residential users will hit that mark at 6-10 years into their system’s lifespan.  But if you have a particularly active family – two cars, multiple children getting into the garage for bikes and sports equipment – you could easily run through 10,000 cycles in as little as a year.

It’s a good idea to estimate the number of cycles you use in a week, multiply by 52, and then compare that to the magic number of 10,000.  This will give you a rough idea of your springs’ end-date.  After that time, you’ll want to at least schedule an inspection.

Rust is also a large determining factor

Since springs are made of metal, and garages are not the most climate-controlled environments in most cases, rust can and will affect your springs.  When rust builds up, it increases the resistance of the springs, making the whole system work harder to open and close your doors.  If rust gets bad enough, you’ll need broken spring repair.  To prevent this, give your springs a little TLC with lubrication maintenance.  Every few months, use a light silicone spray on the springs.