The Three Garage Door Components Most Likely to Fail



Automated garage doors have made life much easier for many people and also offer a greater degree of safety and security for your vehicles and your home as well. However, moving parts can and will succumb to wear, tear and failure. However, there are three components that are the most likely to cause problems with your garage door.

Springs

Springs are widely used in garage door systems to help keeps things on track and moving the way they should. They are often held under a great deal of pressure and tension which can cause them to wear out quickly. Springs, especially torsion springs, are the most expensive and are also the ones most likely to give out and break. Many manufacturers try to save money and cut costs of producing springs and they use un-coated springs. These springs are rated for approximately 10,000 cycles, which means it will last for 10,000 open/close cycles before it gives out to the point where it will no longer function. This type of spring usually will last between 3-5 years.

Higher grade systems will usually use powder-coated and high grade commercial quality springs. The coating helps them stay in shape longer, helps them resist rust, and they usually are rated for 30,000 cycles or higher, which translate into a longer life cycle. Always be sure you look into the cycle ratings each time you replace the spring to ensure you are using one that will last.

Rollers

Rollers are very important to the functioning of the garage door. Manual garages need them but especially automatic garage doors will rely on rollers for smooth operation. The rollers are what helps guide the door up and down the track. Most garage doors are designed to use plastic or nylon tires that are secured on a steel shaft that will travel along the track for the door. While these rollers are affordable and easy to find and replace they do not last as long and will wear out faster.

Cheap rollers usually have a life span of about 12-18 months with average use. Rollers with metal components and bearings are typically better. They are more expensive and harder to find but they last much longer and actually save you money on frequent replacements. Ask about the rollers that your technician recommends when you need service work done on your garage door system.

Bearings

Bearings are the third piece of garage door components that you will likely end up replacing quite a bit. A typical automatic garage door system will have several designs but they all should have three sets of bearings- the middle and both ends of the door. The more bearings there are the more distribution there is in the work load they have to carry- so the more the better.

Some designs have only two bearings at the ends of the door, which makes them wear out faster and makes it easier for them to wear out and come out of alignment. When getting a garage door system in place, it is best to get one that uses three bearing sets rather than two.

Call R&S Erection of Concord today to schedule maintenance for a garage door that works better, lasts longer, and keep you and your family safe.