Garage Door Opener When Spring Breaks

[paulsomlo]

What type of opener would be safest if the spring breaks? This is for the girlfriend's house - I just built a new garage door, it's a one piece, single car, probably 150-175 lbs. I'm concerned about her safety, should a spring break. What type of mechanism would hold the door and keep it from crashing down - belt, chain, or screw drive? I'm guessing screw drive, as the door wouldn't be able to "back" drive the screw.

 

[Viper98912]

Most of the time the spring should break when it's near the closed position, since that's when the spring is under the most tension.

 

[paulsomlo]

Most of the time the spring should break when it's near the closed position, since that's when the spring is under the most tension.

Yep - but "most" of the time still makes me nervous. At least with a sectional door, it's easier to get out of the way; with a one piece, it sweeps through a fairly wide arc, and will take out everything in its path.

 

[matt_i]

Upgrade to a sectional door?

There's more than just the drive mechanism. Assume the drive holds its position, all of that unbalanced load has to go thru the structure of the opener, and depending on momentum it could twist the opener into a pretzel as well. I'd consider a roller chain to be the strongest but again with all of the plastic gears and chain sprockets I see in a typical opener its anyones guess.

 

[paulsomlo]

Upgrade to a sectional door?

There's more than just the drive mechanism. Assume the drive holds its position, all of that unbalanced load has to go thru the structure of the opener, and depending on momentum it could twist the opener into a pretzel as well. I'd consider a roller chain to be the strongest but again with all of the plastic gears and chain sprockets I see in a typical opener its anyones guess.

Not gonna happen, Matt; I just spent a week building and installing this thing. It looks great and it's super rigid, but heavy.

 

[Jeepster04]

This would be an issue with any type of garage door. They are all heavy and in the event of a random failure, would cause injury. Like others have said, the spring shoulder not break when the door is open. No idea which opener would hold the most. I feel like a screw drive would hold the least amount. Parents had one growing up and the slider part was always stripping out on the screw drive. Had to buy new ones.

Chain seems like it would be the strongest.

 

[Zeke]

You could devise a counter weight system like those weights used in old roped sash. Little to no spring.

That having been said. if a spring breaks the door usually gets jammed up at an angle. I guess you know the springs themselves have a safety cable in them. When I was young they use to go flying when they broke.

 

[Viper98912]

Yep - but "most" of the time still makes me nervous. At least with a sectional door, it's easier to get out of the way; with a one piece, it sweeps through a fairly wide arc, and will take out everything in its path.

Does your gf constantly hang out at the door's edge or something? I think you're overthinking this. I don't know of any system that will do what you want, unless you want to custom create something like a lift lock system (when the cable breaks) or add a large shock absorber to force it to slow down.

 

[paulsomlo]

Does your gf constantly hang out at the door's edge or something? I think you're overthinking this. I don't know of any system that will do what you want, unless you want to custom create something like a lift lock system (when the cable breaks) or add a large shock absorber to force it to slow down.

You're probably right - I keep envisioning the worst case scenario. But I'll rest easier when I get an opener installed.

 

[no704]

Is it balanced? Run some aircraft cable thru the springs if it makes u sleep better!

 

[paulsomlo]

Is it balanced? Run some aircraft cable thru the springs if it makes u sleep better!

I'm not as worried about the springs, as I am about the door itself.

 

[no704]

I'm not as worried about the springs, as I am about the door itself.

You would love my setup! I don’t trust myself with it.
I will say on the occasion that it has come off the tracks, my screw drive opener did a lot to help support the door.

 

[PoorUB]

I had a spring break a few years back, the door was about half way open and would not go either way, it was bound up. I had my wife come out and run the opener while I lifted the side of the door that was sagging and we got it closed.

 

[mikedodge]

No opener is made to hold the weight of the door so there's not really one type thats safer then another.
if a spring breaks when it's fully open the opener should be able to hold it. If it happens mid way it'll either stop with the weight or when it starts going crooked.
We've had several springs break over the years and like others have said it almost always happens when the door is starting to open. I think I can remember one time it broke up, the door just didn't move and we had to call a door company to deal with it.

 

[PirateTurner]

Last time I had a spring break (sectional door in NC - heavy wind bracing), the repair tech said the springs were rated for 10,000 cycles. House was ~17 years old when we sold it. OBTW, the other spring on the door broke about 90 days prior. It was an Overhead Door, FWIW.
YMMV

 

[Rc_Guy]

You're probably right - I keep envisioning the worst case scenario. But I'll rest easier when I get an opener installed.

I don’t think any opener will hold it. I have seen commercial doors with big chain drive commercial openers not hold and the door come slamming down when a spring breaks.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Last time I had a spring break (sectional door in NC - heavy wind bracing), the repair tech said the springs were rated for 10,000 cycles.

I had a spring break some years back and the repair tech told me the same thing. I did some calculations based on the age of the door and average number of open/close cycles, and it was right on 10,000 so I figured he was right.

 

[rayra]

Yep - but "most" of the time still makes me nervous. At least with a sectional door, it's easier to get out of the way; with a one piece, it sweeps through a fairly wide arc, and will take out everything in its path.

Spend the money on counseling instead. Your concern isn't reasonable. Seriously, study the difference between possible and probable.

/besides, who stands or drives thru their doorway while the door is still in motion?

On top of that, the springs typically fail in the middle of the night, while the door sits shut with the springs at max load / extension.

 

[rharman]

I had a spring break some years back and the repair tech told me the same thing. I did some calculations based on the age of the door and average number of open/close cycles, and it was right on 10,000 so I figured he was right.

Last time I had a spring break (sectional door in NC - heavy wind bracing), the repair tech said the springs were rated for 10,000 cycles. House was ~17 years old when we sold it. OBTW, the other spring on the door broke about 90 days prior. It was an Overhead Door, FWIW.
YMMV

Are you talking torsion or the extension type as far as the 10,000 cycle reference?

 

[Glemon]

Spend the money on counseling instead. Your concern isn't reasonable. Seriously, study the difference between possible and probable.

/besides, who stands or drives thru their doorway while the door is still in motion?

On top of that, the springs typically fail in the middle of the night, while the door sits shut with the springs at max load / extension.

This, I don't know about counseling, but just think it through. First a spring has to break, that certainly could happen. As many have mentioned, most likely to happen when the door is at the bottom of travel, it doesn't have far to fall, and I assume your girlfriend isn't slithering like a snake under the 18" it is open.

Probably worst case a spring snaps halfway up, it could slam back down, once again, is your girlfriend limboing under the door when it is halfway up? All the way up, probably pretty well balanced and not likely to slam down.

She gets impatient with her car, drives under it when opening before all the way open, spring breaks, unless she drives a motorcycle or convertible I am sure the car can take the impact, if any, personally for a single stall residential garage door, even a single piece, the opener holds it.

Tell her not to walk under it when opening, get an opener appropriate for the door, forget about it.

 

[Rc_Guy]

This, I don't know about counseling, but just think it through. First a spring has to break, that certainly could happen. As many have mentioned, most likely to happen when the door is at the bottom of travel, it doesn't have far to fall, and I assume your girlfriend isn't slithering like a snake under the 18" it is open.

Probably worst case a spring snaps halfway up, it could slam back down, once again, is your girlfriend limboing under the door when it is halfway up? All the way up, probably pretty well balanced and not likely to slam down.

She gets impatient with her car, drives under it when opening before all the way open, spring breaks, unless she drives a motorcycle or convertible I am sure the car can take the impact, if any, personally for a single stall residential garage door, even a single piece, the opener holds it.

Tell her not to walk under it when opening, get an opener appropriate for the door, forget about it.

Or tell her to never drive a car because she could get in an accident also

 

[PirateTurner]

Torsion. Springs wrapped around the outside of the long shaft above the door.

 

[mark#3]

If 1 spring breaks, would not the other spring hold the door up?

 

[Innovate1]

Are you talking torsion or the extension type as far as the 10,000 cycle reference?

For the torsion springs you can pay a bit more and get springs rated for more cycles, about double the number of cycles as I recall. When I had one of mine break I figured it was worth the small amount more to get the higher cycle ones.

For the original issue - pretty sure you are more likely to be in an auto accident than be injured with a garage door. And as others have said, if you aren't under it while moving that makes it even more unlikely.

 

[Walkers]

Spend the money on counseling instead. Your concern isn't reasonable. Seriously, study the difference between possible and probable.

/besides, who stands or drives thru their doorway while the door is still in motion?

On top of that, the springs typically fail in the middle of the night, while the door sits shut with the springs at max load / extension.

I have never heard of one that broke during the day, they always go after midnight, and sound like a gunshot.

 

[gahrajmahal]

An older friend has a double wide garage door with torsion springs. Her opener is an old chain drive. She is very hard of hearing and didn't know the spring broke. She just knew the door wouldn't go down. I came over and found the cables that pull the door up were all bunched up. I disconnected the garage door opener and the opposite side cable and the door could open and close but too heavy for her to operate. I connected the garage door opener and it would lift and close the door safely. I suggested she park her car outside until a repairman could service the torsion spring. It took several weeks for a repair. Evidently they are many different types of torsion setups and not all work with every door.

 

[Rc_Guy]

If 1 spring breaks, would not the other spring hold the door up?

why would they put two springs on it then? I have seen doors with only one spring

 

[p00p]

install a tension meter of some sort to detect abnormal resistance in hopes to catch a fatigued spring?

If a person raises a red flag that I'd have to 'worry' about them to that level, I might consider being solo for a while.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Are you talking torsion or the extension type as far as the 10,000 cycle reference?

Torsion springs.

 

[KenC]

why would they put two springs on it then? I have seen doors with only one spring

I've never seen a 16' or wider with one spring. Maybe a really light 8-10' single but never wider. Too much load for one spring without using a really large wire gauge. Read: it's cheaper.

 

[Rc_Guy]

I've never seen a 16' or wider with one spring. Maybe a really light 8-10' single but never wider. Too much load for one spring without using a really large wire gauge. Read: it's cheaper.

16 foot door would never have one spring

 

[KenC]

16 foot door would never have one spring

Yet earlier post 27, you asked why two springs? I'm confused. What are you asking or saying?

 

[onewheat]

On top of that, the springs typically fail in the middle of the night, while the door sits shut with the springs at max load / extension.

Like smoke detector batteries do.

I've had 1 spring break in 30+ years. I currently have 7 garage doors - it never even enters my mind to worry about a spring breaking.

 

[Greenlawnracing]

My Wayne Dalton torque master broke a week or two ago. I didn’t realize it was broken, heard a little noise so I lubed the door as usual. It wasn’t until I disconnected the door to find out where it was binding that I realized it was broken. It states that it has a mechanism to lock and catch it, mine didn’t work.

However the opener functioned just fine. The spring was broken since at least thanksgiving. To be fair, it’s a builder grade door that is so light you could still open it by hand with enough force. It just wouldn’t stay up without the opener “holding” it.

Converted to a traditional dual spring today after some research and talking to the techs. Prices varied from $375 to $900.

 

[Greenlawnracing]

 

[jstroede]

16 foot door would never have one spring

This is wrong. It does happen, especially in cheaper uninsulated doors.

 

[jstroede]

I've never seen a 16' or wider with one spring. Maybe a really light 8-10' single but never wider. Too much load for one spring without using a really large wire gauge. Read: it's cheaper

For the most part, as long as you stay within reason, the amount of spring wire is roughly the same no matter the number of springs. The extra cost in going from one spring to two is basically the cost of the spring cones. The other issue with using only one on smaller doors is actually space on the shaft. If you try to go to two springs on a really light door, the spring wire gets small and the spring gets long. Eventually you get to spring wire sizes that don't even exist for garage door torsion springs.

 

[nickelTwin]

16 foot door would never have one spring

Some 16 foot doors do come with one torsion spring.

 

[nickelTwin]

I've never seen a 16' or wider with one spring. Maybe a really light 8-10' single but never wider. Too much load for one spring without using a really large wire gauge. Read: it's cheaper.

Well, they are out there, and still available to purchase today.

16' wide door with one torsion spring.

 

[dave_dj1]

I had a torsion spring break on my 9x8 door, no big deal, I hooked it to my overhead hoist via cable and used that to open and close it until I could find a replacement spring.
Try one of these doors!