How long do garage door springs last?

Why are springs rated in cycles, not years?

Because use is what wears them out. Each time the door opens and closes, the spring winds and unwinds, flexing the steel. After enough flexes the metal fatigues and cracks. That count is the spring's cycle life.

One cycle is one full open plus one full close. Garaga, a Canadian door maker, says a torsion spring should last around 10,000 cycles (Garaga), and Amarr describes standard residential springs as 10,000-cycle springs (Amarr).

The rating is a design target, not a guarantee. The door industry's technical guidance points out that how a spring is handled, installed and used all change its real life, and that spring life doesn't necessarily match the life of the door (DASMA TDS-190).

How do I work out my own springs' life?

Count how many times your door opens and closes on a normal day. Include everyone: the commute, the school run, kids getting bikes, trips to the recycling bin. Then divide 10,000 by your yearly total.

Here's the arithmetic at a few typical rates, assuming a standard 10,000-cycle spring and use every day of the year:

If the garage is your main way in and out of the house, as it often is in a Winnipeg winter, you're likely at the higher end. If you moved into a house and don't know when the springs were last replaced, assume they're older than you'd like.

When do higher-cycle springs make sense?

Springs are made with higher cycle ratings for doors that work harder. Garaga lists torsion springs at 25,000, 50,000, 75,000 and 100,000 cycles for its commercial doors, and suggests working out the need by multiplying the average daily cycles by 250 working days and by ten years (Garaga).

For a home, higher-cycle springs are worth asking about when:

• the garage is the family's main entrance,
• several drivers come and go through the day,
• someone runs a home business out of the garage,
• the springs have already been replaced once and you'd rather not do it again soon.

The right spring is still matched to your door's weight and size first. A spring is never chosen by cycle rating alone.

What are the signs a spring is near the end?

You don't have to wait for the bang. Look and test:

• The balance test fails. With the door closed, pull the release, lift the door to halfway by hand and let go carefully. A healthy door stays put. A door that drifts down has springs that are losing strength. The full routine is in how to winterize a garage door.
• The door feels heavier to lift by hand than it used to.
• The opener sounds strained, slows down, or the door doesn't open all the way.
• Gaps or stretched coils. On a torsion spring, coils that have separated, or on an extension spring, coils that stay stretched apart when the door is closed.
• Rust on the coils. The industry guidance notes that rust reduces the effective strength of spring wire and can start fatigue cracks.
• Squeaking or grinding from the spring as the door moves, even after lubrication.

If you see an actual gap in the coil, that spring has already broken. Stop using the door and read garage door spring broken for what to do next.

Why does one spring going usually mean checking both?

Most two-spring doors have a matched pair that went in on the same day and has done the same number of cycles. When one breaks, the other is at the same point in its life, and for a moment it carried the whole door alone. Replacing both together keeps the door balanced evenly and avoids a second call a few weeks later.

The cables, drums and bottom brackets deserve a look at the same time, since they take a shock when a spring lets go.

Can I make my springs last longer?

You can't add cycles to a spring, but you can stop wasting them:

• Lubricate the springs as the door maker's instructions say. The industry guidance is that regular lubrication helps maximise spring life.
• Keep the door closed in extreme cold where you can, and keep the garage dry so the springs don't rust.
• Keep the door balanced. A door that is out of balance makes everything work harder.
• Avoid adding weight to the door, such as heavy decorations or a do-it-yourself insulation kit, without having the springs rebalanced.

If you're thinking about a new insulated door, remember it's heavier, and the springs have to match. That's part of choosing the best garage door for cold climates.

If your door fails the balance test or you've counted your cycles and don't like the answer, book a spring check before the deep cold: garage door spring repair.