Dealing With Garage Door Spring Replacement
Having an automatic garage door opener is a beautiful thing, especially when you pull up to your garage on a stormy evening when the rain is pounding down and you have a car full of groceries. Being able to punch a button on the remote that is attached to your visor and see the garage door raising up is a sight to behold.
There is one component however, that can go wrong and mess up the whole system. There is a set of springs that are located at the rear of your garage near the ceiling. These springs are an integral part of your automatic garage door system.
The springs are hooked up to the controlling mechanism that lifts and lowers your door, and they react along with the door’s action, relieving the stress on the motor. As the door is raised, the springs tighten, and as it lowers, the springs uncoil. Over time the springs can lose their torsion and you will then be dealing with a possible garage door spring replacement.
The replacement of the springs is a somewhat complex operation, both from the order of things that must be done as well as the potential danger that such a project poses. While it is possible for a lay person to remove the old springs and replace them with a new set, if a person is not thoroughly schooled, or is not sure exactly what should be done, there is a significant danger of losing a hand, an arm or even your life.
The springs are under a very high degree of tension, and if not handled properly, they can immediately “spring” very violently, posing serious danger to anyone located nearby. Even experienced technicians tell of tales of some of their cohorts who have been injured in the process of dealing with garage door spring replacement.
If you have any doubts in regard to your expertise in handling such a complex and dangerous project, you should avoid doing this yourself and let an experienced and knowledgeable garage door technician handle the replacement.
There are companies who offer to sell the springs and the necessary accessories in order for you to complete the job yourself. They also offer very comprehensive videos to guide you along the way. The offer states that the springs are being sold at a discount, and this may be a good method for a person who is really mechanical minded, but for the average person who does not spend much time, if any, around mechanical work, it still would be best to turn the job over to a seasoned garage door mechanic.
In essence, the old spring must be removed, and there is a step-by-step procedure for doing that. And then once it is removed, the new spring must be installed in such a way that it will be able to work properly. The danger lies in the taking off of the old spring, and in installing the new one. For most of us it is better to pay the extra money and have an expert handle the job.
