Garage Door Spring

[keirgrey]

Just after my wife got home from taking the kids to school this morning, we heard a big thump. I couldn't find any reason for it, so I put it out of my mind as a book that probably fell in one of the kid's rooms.

I went to pick them up from school this afternoon and discovered that the garage door wouldn't raise. Checked into it and discovered that the spring that raises the right hand side of the door had broken. The big thump was the spring letting go.

I'm looking into what I can do, I guess I'll go out and buy a spring and try to fix it. Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[soccerchick]

That happened to us at our old house. Sounded like a gun going off-- scared me to death. You can get a replacement at Home Depot, etc.

 

[meandtheguys]

It scared the daylights out of me! My sweet DH couldn't fix, so had to call in the pros! Good luck!

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Unless you have the proper tools, I would not recommend that you replace the spring yourself.

I used to have a single spring in the middle of the door to our two car garage. It let go once very early in the morning and like a previous poster said, it scared the heck out of us. We called a garage door repairman and about $80.00, parts and labor included, we had a new spring.

The repairman had to use a pretty heavy duty bar to wind up the spring once it was installed. Once that spring gets some tension on it, be careful. One slip and that thing could snap your arm in two.

 

[MosMom]

Originally posted by DukeStreetKing
Unless you have the proper tools, I would not recommend that you replace the spring yourself.

I used to have a single spring in the middle of the door to our two car garage. It let go once very early in the morning and like a previous poster said, it scared the heck out of us. We called a garage door repairman and about $80.00, parts and labor included, we had a new spring.

The repairman had to use a pretty heavy duty bar to wind up the spring once it was installed. Once that spring gets some tension on it, be careful. One slip and that thing could snap your arm in two.

I agree, replacing the spring is a dangerous job. I would have a professional do it!

 

[stinkerbelle]

you know - you always hear from people that 'heard a noise' but never knew what it was until they tried to leave the house via the garage door. (same thing happened to me and my brother - my parents were in aruba and had left us in the house (i was college age, my brother HS) and we 'heard a noise')

is anyone ever IN the garage when this happens?
hope not - those things can do SERIOUS damage!

 

[tkyes]

Please don't do it yourself!!

My dad once tried to replace theirs and ended up in the emergency room. The spring released while he was trying to put it in and it sliced his wrist, narrowly missing a main vein in his arm.


tamie

 

[redbirdgrad]

It happened to me a couple of years ago - I called the pro out watched what he did - watched him charge me $60 and said next time I do it myself.

 

[keirgrey]

Just talked to my father-in-law, he's going to help me replace it in the morning. He's done it before.

 

[tw1nsmom]

I'm going to agree with htose that said to pay someone to fix it. Many years ago my brother was fixing the spring in his garage door (they'd just bought an old house). He lost his grip and the wrench went flying, shattering the bone in his pinky finger. He had to have surgery and had this bolt and stabalizer bar sticking out of his hand for quite a while. He was in a lot of pain and stress, because he needed his hands for work (he's an electrician). It's just not worth the risk.

 

[bentley483]

This has happened to us twice. I recommend calling the pro's. The garage door weighs an awful lot and the tension that has to be on the spring is enormous. Not a job that is easy to do even if you can get the door up, and I think you have to have a special tool. We got a spring with a lifetime warranty, but the installer says it is still a good idea to spray it once a year with WD-40 to keep it from rusting.

Be careful if you try to do it yourself!

 

[JESW]

This has happened to us twice in the seven years we've been here. I don't know if you can actually replace it on your own - both cases we had to call the installers in. They had it replaced it no time.

Good luck!

Jill

 

[Dan Murphy]

Hope you don't get hurt. or worse, killed. Those springs can be lethal.

 

[buddy&wooz]

Happened here, same thing, heard a huge bang in the garage and went out to find the spring dangling there. Dh fixed it, I didn't even think of the danger involved, but even if I had, he would have insisted on doing it himself .

 

[Loubon]

Happened to us and it put a hole in the sheetrock. The guy who fixed it ran a wire through it (like a picture wire). This way if it ever snaps again, it will stay in place rather than go flying.

 

[keirgrey]

I didn't end up as a candidate for the Darwin awards. Home Depot had the springs for about $11 a piece. My FIL and I replaced them in about an hour. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Wheeewwww!!!! Good news!!!!!!!!