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Home garage door torsion springs are used to lift or lower the door and can present a safety risk if they are either broken or not installed correctly. However, springs that are either worn or incorrectly installed can present a safety hazard. Garage doors, as with other mechanical and electric gear in and around the home, require routine maintenance in order to remain in top notch condition.

One of the most critical and dangerous component parts on any home garage door opener are the high tension springs which must be regularly inspected and lubricated as per the makers directions. Nevertheless, most householders are totally unaware of the fact that garage door torsion springs and cables need routine safety and maintenance checks every now and then.

The most obvious culprits to pay special attention to when you are experiencing problems either opening or closing your garage door are the high tension springs. Depending on the age of the springs, they are liable to have worn out to a certain extent. The torsion springs used on garage doors are tightly wound and kept under extreme tension. Because of this tautness, even the best quality steel springs will eventually snap. Garage door opener springs have to be properly contained in order to stop them from causing serious harm to a person or property in the event of sudden breakage. Up and over garage doors use cables for containment while roller shutter doors use a steel tube around the spring mechanism.

Even if the springs are contained, or if the door has been fitted for a number of years, you should have them inspected by a professional garage door installer. The springs should be replaced if needed. If you have a model of garage door that has two separate springs, and only one is not operating correctly, you should still interchange both at the same time. You can bet your bottom dollar that if one spring has broken, its opposite number will not be far behind it.

A definite indication that your garage door is in need of a spot of maintenance is when the springs either begin screeching or chattering loudly when opening or bringing down the door. This does not necessarily indicate that the springs are about to give up the ghost or the door is on its last legs and needs replacing. The problem can probably be repaired by spraying on some lubricant, such as WD-40, or something similar.

Another indication that your garage door needs servicing is if there are chafed and broken strips of cable dangling loose. Irrespective of the quality of your garage door opener, this is a sign that the cables are about to break. A sudden break in the garage door cables could result in serious injury to anybody standing close by. These frayed cables need to be inspected and probably replaced by a professional service engineer who is knowledgeable about the problems connected with torsion springs and cables breaking.

Garage doors by themselves are very heavy and because of that weight, the torsion springs have to be retained under extreme tension. You should therefore not attempt any mechanical alterations yourself because of the dangers involved in doing so. It is a good advice to schedule a yearly maintenance inspection of your garage door by a certified service engineer. This will avert the risk of possible injury and also give you peace of mind that the door will operate properly each time you need to use it.