jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I was going out to clear the snow off my car, but the garage door wouldn't open. One of the springs had broken. That was good timing because my son had to leave for work, but he wouldn't have been able to lift the door by himself. Between the two of us we got the door raised, and I blocked it open. I replaced the other spring a couple of years ago, so I know the procedure. I don't know why I pressed the button to open the door, but it's good I did. If I had cleared my car and taken off, he would have called me an hour later when he couldn't get his car out.

When you own a house, it's always something. I know people who sold their houses and are now renting. They said it's like being on vacation.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If it's the old design and doesn't have a safety through it, lucky no one was in the garage...
We have two old garage doors. When we bought the house there were safety cables in the springs on the door with the opener on it. The other door did not have safety cables in the springs. I added them.
One of those springs under tension cal kill when it lets loose.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

Just be thankful it's not one of the springs that is wound around a shaft above the door usually there are two and they have to tensioned after installing, takes two bars that fit the holes in the drum and a damned sturdy ladder!!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

No, this has the safety cables. I installed this aluminum door in 2009, so I guess I got my money's worth out of the springs. In both breaks, it was the loop that holds the pull at the end of the spring that broke. I can't imagine having those springs without the cable running through them.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

But they are MUCH safer when they break!
They won't go flying all over the garage like springs without safety cables.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

LOL Until you have to wind them, if you slip when putting the bar in the next hole they can knock you off the ladder.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Yeah, tell me about it. The double garage has that twisted spring. They are supposedly safer, but winding them isn't fun. At least the aluminum doors on both garages are much lighter than the wooden doors they replaced.

Years ago, someone advertised a used garage door for a good price. I cut out the back wall of the garage and installed it there. That makes it very convenient for driving something to the back yard. I can't easily fit another electric door opener, so I have to raise it by hand.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

I have had to make temporary repairs on those springs so we could get in and out of the shop , to do so you clamped the broken spring together using cable clamps. these doors were 16 wide by 15 tall and wooden.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Yup. That's why I had the garage door guy replace one one time.

Manglesphoto Loc: 70 miles south of St.Louis

We had both replaced , but couldn't wait until the Door company could get to the shop.
They had to order the springs.
The bad part was the door was open when it broke and it was near zero plus the area we were in wasn't the best
Have you ever heard the noise when a door like that hit the ground? even with four truck tire under it.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

I'll bet!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

We heard a loud "Bang" in the morning. Without the cable, my son's car would have needed bodywork.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

The bigger the door, the bigger the noise. When I'm closing my double aluminum door manually, it can be loud, so the noise made by a large commercial door must be shocking.

Red6

I have a funny story about a garage door and springs. Years ago when I owned my first home, one of my garage door springs had broken. Not knowing much about garage doors I went to Lowe's and looked at the springs and found that the springs have to be matched to the weight of the garage door. So back home I go to try to figure out how much the door weighs. It was an old wooden door and had no info labels or placards. But it was a heavy door.

I had an idea. I latched the door open using the garage door opener's built-in latch. Then I borrowed our bathroom scales and set them right where the door would rest on it and give me more or less what the door weighed. Not thinking the whole process through, I pulled the release rope to lower the garage door down on the scale. Except, since one of the springs had broken there was nothing to slow down the door's drop. The door slammed down onto the scales sending pieces of the bathroom scales flying. The scales were actually bent in a U shape where the door had hit them. To say I was shocked would be an understatement.

Luckily, one of the guys at Lowe's who had sold quite a few springs recommended a spring based on the door measurements and the fact that it was an older wood door. The new spring worked great.

I also had an experience with one of the large round rotating springs located directly above the garage door in another house I owned. I will not go into this incident other than to say there was blood involved and I am lucky to still have all my fingers. There is a LOT of energy stored in those springs. I would HIGHLY recommend you let the professionals service these. They can be hazardous to your health.

I rent now and you are correct, it is comforting to know I do not have to be fixing things constantly. If something goes wrong, call management.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

That must have been quite a shock when that door came crashing down.

When I bought the pair of springs, I matched the color with the color on the old springs. It's 17° now, so the door will have to stay open for a while.