Most residential garage doors work with one torsion spring. It is found at the headroom (over the door) and its job is to wind and unwind to balance the garage door and make it move. It is also thanks to the spring that the overhead door can remain open. To keep it short, garage door springs are immensely important.
And then, the big question is raised. Why two instead of one torsion spring? Or, if you like, why most garage doors have one torsion spring when having two has plenty of benefits?
Let me start with the latter. Garage door installers place one spring because it’s easier for them and cheaper for you & me. And sometimes, it’s okay. That’s when the garage door is really small and not very heavy. Such matters matter a lot – the size, the weight, the width, the thickness, the material.
One spring on a double garage door is a no, no
Let me put it in a different way. The wider and heavier the door, the highest the need to have two garage door torsion springs.
With a double garage door, having two torsion springs is a must have. This is a classic example of a wide door – hence, heavy, and wouldn’t work with the same ease without two springs. Although there’s a variation of torsion springs – in regard to their diameter, size, brand, etc., a single spring on a double garage door won’t last very long. Plus, it may cause further garage door damage.
While with single garage doors, the risks are not exactly the same, it will also be a matter of weight (as explained above) too.
Overall, having two springs on garage doors is a good thing. Here’s why.
Torsion spring longevity
The two garage door torsion springs are installed one after the other (so to say) and with the center bracket, they seem to be one the mirror of the other. But they do a combined work. They don’t have separate responsibilities (one lifting, one lowering). They both work together to wind and unwind and so, balance, lift, lower the door. And so, their job becomes easier compared if it was done by only one spring. The results? The springs don’t wear with the same speed. They last longer. So do the garage door cables.
Hardware protection
It’s not just the garage door springs and the cables that are protected but also the hardware. The springs do not consist of the coils alone. There are cones (winding and stationary), plates, brackets, the shaft, etc. When one single torsion spring winds and unwinds, it creates some pressure on the bearing plates and the cable drums, whereas two springs function against one another, minimizing pressure.
You never “run out” of springs
It’s rare that the both springs will break together. Usually, one goes first. When this happens, you can still use the garage door. It’s nothing like one-spring garage doors which remain shut or suddenly collapse when the one torsion spring snaps. Garage doors with two springs do not collapse and still work since there’s still one spring there to do the job, giving you also the chance to get a garage door torsion spring replacement without going (entirely) out of your way.
And so, not only do you never “run out” of springs but also get the chance to continue using the garage door and never worry about accidents – caused by springs.
No strain to the other garage door parts
When it comes to the garage door opening and closing, the springs do all the job. The garage door opener just provides the power via the motor. If it weren’t for the spring system, the heavy garage door wouldn’t open. And so, when there’s only one spring, the other parts – the opener, the cables, the tracks, get strained easier and faster. When the solo spring loses its edge and starts getting worn, the strain is even bigger.
And so, you will not only face problems but have more expenses since you will have to find a garage door opener replacement or new tracks or new cables faster than if you had two springs. Don’t you think having two garage door springs is absolutely worth it?
