Unless you are experienced with garage doors, you might not know some of the differences between the key components which work together to help your garage door open and close in a way that is smooth and controlled. Better yet, you might not even be quite sure of what the different components are which cause your garage door to operate properly – which of course means smoothly and safely. The garage door is meant to protect the items in your garage, and even to provide shelter. Many people opt to use their garage as a living space. Or at least, they decide to use their garage as a workshop. The point is, they spend time in there and they want it to be safe. A garage door provides security.
The garage door should open and close without any problem. Different parts work together to make this happen. The team at Welby Garage Door Repair provides services in and around Welby, CO. If you are in this part of the country, be sure to call with any garage door repair or installation questions. This company has provided information regarding spring systems and pulley systems, so that people who want to know more, like you, can be informed and can have information that has come from the right source.
Pulley Basics: What You Need to Know
Let’s start with some basics. First of all, what is a pulley system? What role does it play in the functioning of a garage door? Here is how garage door works in relation to pulleys: the garage door springs, specifically, the extension springs, count on the system of pulleys and cables so that they can lift open the garage door and close it smoothly. A primary cause of garage door operating failure entails the pulleys becoming worn out. This will cause the extension springs to be unable to operate correctly. What will happen is this: the ball bearings will break down, and the pulley will begin to brush against the track angle. Or, the pulley will end up splitting and the rivets will fail. This in turn impacts the garage door cables, which will stick. So the pulley has a very important job in terms of the operation of a garage door.
Pulley Problems
How can you know that there is something wrong with your pulley? One sure sign is that the garage door will open some of the way, and then just stop completely. The garage door might end up sticking, and you will hear noises that sound as though something is scraping. You might notice a cable being broken. These are concerns that are best handled by garage door repair experts. It’s a difficult task for someone attempting a DIY job. Most garage door repair experts will warn customers to be careful when trying to make repairs or changes to the pulleys. Replacing pulleys is a task that is mandatory to do when the garage door is in the open position. So now that you know some of the basics about garage door pulleys, let’s get into garage door springs.
Garage Door Extension Springs
Hopefully you see the connection between pulleys and garage door extension springs. The springs rely on the pulley system to safely do their job. Extension springs, specifically, operate by expanding and contracting when an overhead garage door opens or closes. This is unlike tension springs, which operate by turning. Extension springs use a longer cable than a torsion spring would use. Extension springs can also end up being the cause of a jerking motion with a garage door. Torsion springs seem to be the more commonly used option and provide more controlled, stable movement. This isn’t to say that torsion springs are any better than extension springs – this is just one of the differences between the different spring types. It is important that as a property owner, you have an idea of the different parts that work together in the overall functioning of your garage door. This way, you can have an idea of what to look for if you think that something might be wrong with its operation.
Most parts of the garage door work in sync with each other so that you have a safely operating garage door. When one component fails to work, or ends up becoming worn, it can cause damage to the garage door or to other parts. For this reason, it is important to have the phone number of an expert that is local to your area, so you have someone you can always get in touch with when assistance is needed. Let’s say one part of the operating system fails. The damage could be minor. You might just have to swap out one part with another. But the damage could be more severe, and it could come to light in the form of the garage door crashing down. Imagine if your springs snapped. Think about the damage which could be the end result. The spring could snap and hit a person, causing a lot of pain and injury. Or the spring could snap and break the windshield on your car. No, it might not completely shatter the windshield, but it could cause a chip that ends up leading to the glass breaking completely. If a garage door were to fall, there is no saying what could happen in terms of the damage. A child could be under the garage door when it happens. To avoid dealing with issues like these, it is important to be mindful of your different garage door parts. Welby Garage Door Repair has provided this information in an attempt to help people everywhere, not just in Welby, Colorado.
Talk with an expert!
If you think something is wrong in relation to your pulleys or springs, get on the phone with a licensed and insured expert. They will be able to come to do an inspection, and fix any potential problems!
Aricle source here: Spring System vs. Pulley System
