How to Choose Garage Door Springs
Without a doubt, springs are the key parts of garage doors. Essentially, while the door opener acts as a regulator, springs distribute the weight, allowing for smooth and comfortable upward and downward motion. Although most garage door springs are surprisingly sturdy and resilient, even the strongest ones will eventually wear out and must be replaced after years of constant use. Use this guide to figure out what replacement spring to get for your garage door.
Type of springs
Garage door springs primarily come in two varieties: extension springs and torsion springs. They all work in different ways.
Torsion springs are firm springs that typically support garage doors that are positioned overhead. They essentially lie against the wall above the door. When the garage door closes, they coil tight to store weight and then extend to distribute it when the door opens.
On the other hand, side-mounted doors have extension springs, which are light and long types of springs that run perpendicular to the door. These springs store energy when the door closes and release it when it opens as well.
Left vs. right wound
After determining whether to get a torsion or extension spring, consider the wind direction. Simply inspect your garage spring’s endpoints. The majority of garage doors typically come with two springs, usually divided by a separator primarily located at the door’s halfway point. The ends of left-wound springs point clockwise, whereas for right-wound springs it’s anticlockwise.
Wire size
In order for the replacement spring to perform the necessary heavy lifting when the garage door opens and closes, it must have the same wire diameter as the original. To approximate the correct wire size, you need to take the length measurements of 10–20 coils of the specific spring that needs to be swapped and then compare that measurement to wire size measurement guides online.
Inside-diameter (ID) and overall length
Before you go shopping for a replacement spring for your garage door, it’s important also to know the diameter of the current spring. Most garage doors already have this dimension imprinted on them, so this procedure is typically simple. When you look at the spring, you may see a number like 2.0 or 1.75, meaning the spring diameter is 2 inches or 1.75 inches respectively.
However, you will need to measure yourself if you don’t see this number. Run a measuring instrument along the interior diameter of the spring while it is on a flat surface. The value you get is the diameter of the spring.
The overall length of the garage door spring is another crucial measurement. Typically, a spring’s total winding capacity is highly dependent on its length. For instance, choosing a torsion spring with a small length will certainly lead to reduced lifting and even the lowering power.
Color-code
Although determining the spring’s key characteristics will undoubtedly help you choose the proper replacement, there is a simpler method to do it: simply check the spring’s color code. Garage door springs usually feature color codes for technical identification in case repairs, or even replacements are quite needed. Experts working on a garage door can easily gauge the springs’ sizes and weights using standard color code guides.
The lifting force and color correlation for extension springs are shown below. Usually, manufacturers use the numbers 200 to represent tan and 220 to represent green.
- Tan: 100 lbs.
- White: 110 lbs.
- Green: 120 lbs.
- Yellow: 130 lbs.
- Blue: 140 lbs.
- Red: 150 lbs.
- Brown: 160 lbs.
- Orange: 170 lbs.
- Gold: 180 lbs.
- Light blue: 190 lbs
With torsion springs, this system works slightly differently. Colors are used to distinguish between a “right wind” and a “left wind.” Typically, black denotes a right-wind spring while red denotes a left-wind spring. Additionally, it aids technicians in figuring out the wire’s thickness. All in all, you can use a garage door spring’s color code to determine its specifications without having to measure anything.
Wrap-up
Springs are garage doors’ most vital components; you must replace them when they fail due to inferior materials or even general wear and tear. When shopping for a replacement spring, you want to keep some specifics about the original springs in mind. Use the above guide to select the best spring from our list of garage door springs. We pride ourselves on delivering durable garage door products to satisfy customer’s unique specifications as expected.
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