Why a heavy garage door feels light in your hand

A garage door is heavy, yet a balanced one feels light to move, because you are not lifting all of it. Clopay's spring guide says the springs store and release energy to balance the weight of the door.

The rest of this article is how that works, what the opener's job is, and what it looks like when the springs stop carrying the door.

What the counterbalance system actually does

Clopay's spring guide says a torsion spring is mounted horizontally above the door on a metal shaft. When the door is closed, Clopay says, the spring is wound up, storing energy through torque, and as you open the door it unwinds, steadily releasing energy to lift the door's weight.

The same guide says steel cables run along the sides of the door. As the door opens, Clopay says, the energy from the springs is transferred through these cables, which pull the door upward, while the rollers on the edges of the door glide along metal tracks and guide it.

Chamberlain's balance article describes what that looks like when it is right: with the opener disconnected, a balanced door lifted partway stays in place, supported entirely by its springs. The check itself, and when to skip it, is further down.

What the opener does, and what it does not do

The springs do the heavy lifting, not the opener. Clopay's spring guide says a spring system is designed to handle the heavy lifting each time the door moves, and that the right balance means you can lift the door with minimal effort and the opener motor doesn't have to strain.

That is why a weak spring is the opener's problem too. Clopay says that if your system feels unusually heavy, or if the opener is straining more than usual, the spring may have lost its tension, and that this can put extra stress on your opener and other components, sometimes leading to early failure. Clopay's service and replacement guide says spring tension that is too low or too high makes your opener work harder, straining the system and leading to unnecessary wear and tear.

How much energy is in the spring

Clopay's spring guide says torsion and extension springs are under extreme tension, and even a small mistake can cause serious injury or property damage.

That is why noticing a problem is your job and repairing a spring is not. Do not wind, unwind or adjust a spring yourself. The balance check the makers describe for owners is a different job, and our balance test page covers it.

How long a spring lasts

A standard spring is rated for about 10,000 cycles, one cycle is one full open and close, and at four cycles a day that is about seven years (IDC Spring, a spring manufacturer). IDC Spring says how long a spring lasts depends on how many cycles you put it through, and that very cold temperatures can make the steel in the springs contract, become brittle and break prematurely.

Higher-cycle springs are available: IDC Spring says certain wire types can offer 25,000 cycles or even 50,000.

Signs the springs are not carrying the door

Clopay's spring guide lists these signs. You can notice them while the opener runs the door, without touching the door or a spring:

• The opener is straining more than usual, or the door seems unusually heavy when it runs: the spring may have lost its tension.
• The door looks crooked as it moves or gets stuck partway: one of the springs could be weaker or broken.
• You hear loud banging or snapping noises while it runs: "a strong indicator a spring has let go."
• You see a break or gap in the spring above the door: "the most obvious sign is a visible break or gap in the spring itself."

Stop using the door and call a technician if you see a break or gap in a spring, hear loud banging or snapping, or the door looks crooked, gets stuck partway or feels unusually heavy. Do the same if you see a frayed or kinked cable; that one is our rule, not on Clopay's list. If the only sign is an opener that sounds like it is straining, book a technician.

The balance check, as the makers describe it

If none of those signs is showing, you can check the balance. Clopay's service and replacement guide says: "To test the balance, pull the opener's automatic release handle and lift the door until it's halfway open. Balanced doors will stay open halfway, but unbalanced doors will close or open themselves." Chamberlain's balance article says to close the door before you disconnect it from the opener, and that a door that slams shut or shoots upward with force is out of balance, and to contact a professional door technician. Pull the release only with the door fully closed, and if the door drops fast, will not stay up or is very heavy, stop and call a technician. Our balance test page has the steps and when to stop.

Out of balance can go either way. Clopay's spring guide says that if the springs are too loose or too tight, the door may become unbalanced, which can lead to jerky movement, extra wear on the opener, or even the door slamming shut. Clopay's service and replacement guide says not to attempt to fix the balance yourself, and to call a professional to get it corrected.

Garage Door Pro Services (our affiliated installer) offers a free garage door safety inspection to customers in St. George and surrounding areas, and its page lists a balance test and a spring tension check among what is included. In the Las Vegas area, A+ Garage Doors (our affiliated installer) says on its repair page that it provides same-day residential garage door repair.

What you can verify, and where the line is

What you can do yourself: watch and listen for the signs above while the opener runs the door, and look at the spring above the door without touching it. Clopay's spring guide says that if you see a torsion spring has a separation in the coil, it's time to act. If you see one, stop using the door and call a technician.

What you cannot do safely, and this is our rule: any adjustment that requires inserting a winding bar into the spring cone, and any work on the cables, the drums, the torsion shaft or the brackets. Clopay's service and replacement guide says the bottom brackets on all garage doors must not be removed while the door is under tension.

Looking at the springs is yours. The tension work is not. If you noticed a sign, the line under the sign list above tells you which: a straining opener on its own means book a technician, and every other sign there, or a frayed or kinked cable, means stop using the door and call one. Anything that touches the springs, cables, drums, brackets or torsion shaft is the technician's work, not yours.