Garage Door Springs/Inflation/Much suckage

[Raido Free America]

We use our garage door a lot. A dozen or so times a day. So every 4 years or so one of them will break and I'm ok with that. Check out this inflation trend for the replacement of two garage door springs on a 16 X 7 door. Same company.

I am blessed that I can manage this in my budget but great Ceasar's ghost that's a heck of a price increase!

2013 - $351
2017 - $385
2022 - $609 (negotiated taking off the $50 service fee or it would have been $659)

Let's go Brandon! Yeah CCP! Hip Hip Hooray for the federal reserve!

A very dangerous job! Don't try it without the proper training and tools,

 

[tiasman]

I think I would have to shop around and see if I could beat that price, if I wasn't going to do it myself.

I didn't know that broken garage door springs were so common. It sounds like they're not putting the correct springs on them so they can replace them more often.

I worked in a shop for many years that had two big overhead doors that were opened and closed several times a day and they never needed a spring replaced. BTW, the company that installed the doors was called Overhead Erections.

The springs are rated for 10,000 cycles. That's about every 4 years with my families use. They are putting the correctly rated springs for that door. I asked about upgraded springs and he offered them but said they will kill the garage door opener. Turns out the garage door opener also provides resistance to the door going up. Too strong of springs and the opener parts die quicker. Who knew?

 

[Lewis F Jones]

FJB...

 

[Droff]

I've been reading through this thread as I'm considering new garage doors and all new garage door parts. I don't have an opener, other than me.

So a couple questions....
Anyone have a company suggestion for replacement doors?
Anyone have a ballpark on what to expect as far as cost? I have an 8' door and 16' door.

Thanks.

 

[birdhunter1980]

Heck, I’m just trying to find somebody to come out to Westport and service my door opener. From Sand Springs and Tulsa companies all say its to far to drive 15 miles out the 412 to Cow skin Bay exit 58.
Good grief…

Try Assurance Overhead Door out of Broken Arrow. I've had good service from them in the past.

 

[Snattlerake]

This is exactly why you pay attention when you're doing the work. You don't put your hand between the door and the rod. EVER. You just grab the rod and push up. Then you do it again with the next one. At no point should it catch your hand against the wall.
My guess is your friend wasn't using spring rods (screwdrivers?) or he got to turning and started grabbing early. Here's a video of the process. It's not difficult at all to do it safely.

Prolly didn't have the moxy to crank down on the axle set bolts to the shaft.

 

[Snattlerake]

I have been hearing about the A1 Garage Doors offer of $1,000 for your old door.

https://a1garage.com/resources/special-offers/

 

[Seadog]

The springs are rated for 10,000 cycles. That's about every 4 years with my families use. They are putting the correctly rated springs for that door. I asked about upgraded springs and he offered them but said they will kill the garage door opener. Turns out the garage door opener also provides resistance to the door going up. Too strong of springs and the opener parts die quicker. Who knew?

That doesn’t sound right to me. If the springs are loaded properly and the garage door opener unattached the door should go up easily with one hand barely trying. But not on its own. That shouldn’t mess with a garage door opener.

 

[TinkerTanker]

That doesn’t sound right to me. If the springs are loaded properly and the garage door opener unattached the door should go up easily with one hand barely trying. But not on its own. That shouldn’t mess with a garage door opener.

The springs pulling against the door (harder than it's wanting) can prematurely wear out the gears on modern GDOs. The gears used to be metal, today they're plastic.

 

[garytx]

I replaced the springs on my insulated 18x8 door a couple years ago. I took an existing spring to Overhead Door in Broken Arrow. They provided upgraded springs for my application. The wire and diameter of the spring were larger. They told me I would get at least 4 times the life out of the new springs vs the originals.

View attachment 281082
I also installed this opener. You cannot hear the door open or close now.
View attachment 281083

Please share the details on your new opener.