Garage Door with Torsion Springs are Better than Garage Doors with Extension Springs and Pulleys

Most people do not take the time to get familiar with the working parts on their garage door systems. They just take for granted that they will always be there working for them when they need to open or close their garage door. This may not be such a great assumption for someone that owns a garage door system that uses extension springs and pulleys. Over time they have proven to be much less reliable than torsion spring-based garage door systems. Let’s take a closer look to see why this is the case.

The Main Types of Garage Door Springs

Here is how you identify which types of garage door springs are assisting the opening and closing of your garage doors:

Extension Spring and Pulley Garage Door Systems

These are the older of the two types of garage door spring systems. The distinguishing features on them are their location on the sides of a garage door system above the tracks and the fact they have pulleys attached to them. They are also much longer than garage door torsion springs.

Torsion Spring Garage Door Systems

Torsion spring garage door systems are not located above the tracks on the sides of a garage door opening mechanism. Instead, they are installed on the frame of the garage door opening and run horizontally across it. Garage door torsion springs also noticeably appear shorter but bigger in size than extension springs do.

The Many Advantages of Having a Tension Spring Based Garage Door System
Here are some of the many reasons why people would rather own a torsion-based garage door system as opposed to a garage door system with extension springs and pulleys:

Torsion springs do not fully extend when working

There is a great amount of tension placed on extension springs and attached pulleys when they are working. Extension springs tend to work fully extended most of the time. This is not the case with torsion springs. Therefore, they do not break or come out of adjustment as often as extension springs do.

Torsion springs tend to be much stronger and last longer

Because torsion springs do not work under as much stress and strain, they are also more durable than extension springs. Garage door repair personnel estimate that a garage door that has torsion springs can handle between 14,000 and 19,000 life cycles of use. Extension spring equipped garage doors are only rated at some 9,000 lifecycles. 
Torsion springs allow for smoother garage door operation

If your garage door tens to rock back and forth in its tracks as it goes up and down, chances are you have an extension spring and pulley-based garage door system. Garage doors with torsion springs seem to operate much more smoothly. 

Extension spring and pulley garage door systems need repairs more often

Garage doors that use an opening and closing system that features extension springs and pulleys on them have many more working parts than garage door systems that have torsion springs to assist opening and closing them. This tends to translate into meaning that torsion spring garage door systems will break down less often over their lifetimes.

Safety is more of an issue when an extension spring breaks

You do not want to be anywhere around a garage door extension spring when they break. This is because they have so much tension on them, they produce a violent and dangerous action when they snap apart. Since torsion springs have less tension on them because they work with a twisting motion, they do not tend to break in such a violent manner.

Maybe Switching Over to a Torsion Spring Based Garage Door System is Right for You?
After reading about the many benefits that torsion spring-based garage control systems offer over extension spring and pulley-based garage doors, maybe you are considering converting your garage door system over to a torsion spring system. So how do you go about doing this? The best way is to call a garage door professional.

Periodic 25-Point Garage Door Safety Inspections are Recommended

It does not matter whether you have an extension spring or torsion-based garage door system, experts recommend getting your garage door inspected on a regular basis. If you have a 25-point garage door safety check done yearly it will give you peace of mind that your garage door is working properly and safely. 

Here are some of the key areas that these garage door safety inspections cover:

• Check electronic control keypads and remotes to make sure that they are functioning correctly
• A garage door tech will inspect and test all safety sensors and other garage door safety features to ensure they are working properly 
• Look for worn and corroded parts and other parts that appear to be cracked or in a generally unsafe working condition
• Check garage door spring tension. This avoids springs getting so tight that breaking becomes imminent and creates a hazardous condition in the garage door working area. 
• Inspect the garage door track to make sure it’s not bent and is properly aligned
• Check pulley systems, springs and other related parts that are subject to high-stress levels when raising or lowering a garage door
• Check the garage door system’s opener motor to make sure that it's operating efficiently and not overheating while doing its job
• There are also times when a garage door service tech will find and correct minor garage door problems while conducting a safety inspection. This can go a long way toward avoiding repairs that would have been bigger and more expensive.