Garage doors are extremely heavy and with the garage door springs they can be opened and closed easy. When you press the button on your garage door remote the springs do all of the hard work and lifting and lowering the door.
There are two main types of springs used in garage:
Torsion Springs
Torsion springs run horizontally on top of the door mounted onto a torsion bar. This springs work by distributing the weight of the door evenly and providing balance for smooth operation. Most garage door needs 2 springs but also can be operated with just one spring and it depends on how heavy the door your or how many door in your system.
Extension Springs
Extension springs are an older system of spring used in some old garages with small room, which can be found on the side of the door and attached to the track via cables. They are enabling movement against gravity they don’t provide adequate balance compared to torsion springs.
The Function Of Garage Door Springs
Without the spring its no matter how powerful your opener, and trying to open or close the door would be nearly impossible and can damage the opener!
Torsion and extension springs have different ways of functioning and achieve the same result. With a torsion spring system as you open the door the tension stored in these components unwinds and turns the drum which causes the cables around this drum to move too, this action enables lifting your door. Then when you close it again those same cables wrap back around their drums and tension returns back into the torsion spring to put them back into their original position ready for next use.
Extension springs operate using pullies and cables running from bottom corner brackets on the door through pullies when weight needs to be lifted off them, as soon as you open up your garage door these components work until they reach maximum tension.
