How to Check Garage Door Balance
Garage door balance is one of the issues that need monitoring if you want to enjoy continuing operation of your garage door system. That can be super important for our Lakeland and Polk County customers.
You will ensure greater longevity of your automatic garage door opener as well as a greater level of safety with proper garage door balance. Garage door springs, which are potentially life-threatening hazards, largely determine garage door balance.
The springs should only be adjusted or replaced by garage door professionals. Read on to learn what can happen if your garage door is not balanced.
What Happens if Garage Doors are Off Balance?
The balance of garage doors is determined by the springs. The first step in proper balance is to ensure that the garage door system installed has springs of the correct size.
If the spring or spring is too large, the garage door will tend to open itself, which can damage the garage door and various parts of the garage door opener. If the springs installed are too small, the damage will occur to the entire system due to the inability of the springs to lift the door as they should.
If your garage door does not open in a balanced way, it means that the garage door opener is being overused, and its lifespan will be shortened. It often means that a spring replacement or a spring adjustment is needed. Either way, call a garage door expert to do the work. Serious injuries, as well as fatalities, occurred when homeowners that lacked training in garage door maintenance tried to work on garage door springs.
How to Check Garage Door Balance
The correct garage door balance, then, begins with having springs of the correct size to handle your garage door. Whether you have a torsion spring or an extension spring system, the garage door balance should be checked periodically.
The following are steps for checking the garage door balance:
- Pull the red rope to disconnect the door from the garage door opening system. This allows for the manual operation of the door. It is not possible to check for balance when the door is connected to the opener.
- Pull the garage door open. It should be easy and require a tug with only one hand. The door should not fly open on its own with virtually no force being applied, however. Lift the door one panel at a time, and the door should stay in each partially open position. The door is not properly balanced if it will not stay in various positions.
- When you close the door manually, it should not slam closed, though it should be easy to pull down one-handed.
- If your garage door does not pass these tests, contact garage door professionals. Otherwise, the damage will occur to the garage door opener, the garage door, and other garage door parts.
Call Safe Way Garage Doors Today
Safe Way Garage Doors, Inc. provides reliable garage door services in Lakeland, Florida, and the entire surrounding area. Our trained technicians always show up fully stocked with inventory in an attempt to provide rapid same-day service for our clients. Inventory items include springs, bottom seals, remotes, operators, and tracks. Give Safe Way a call today at 863–701–9779.
We also service homes across Polk County and Eastern Hillsborough County.
Polk County Garage Door Repair: Lakeland, Mulberry, Bartow, Fort Meade, Auburndale, Polk City, Bartow, Winter Haven, Haines City, Davenport, Lake Wales, Frostproof.
Eastern Hillsborough County Garage Door Repair: Plant City, Lithia, Valrico, Brandon, Seffner, Crystal Springs, Zephyrhills.
