If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of your garage door, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re diving into a commonly asked question: how many springs should be on your garage door? Whether you’re a seasoned homeowner or a first-time buyer, understanding the role of garage door springs is crucial for your door’s smooth operation and longevity. Keep reading to unlock a pro’s view of how many springs your garage door needs and why.
Does your garage door need 1 or 2 springs?
It is common and acceptable for lightweight one and two-car garage doors to have one torsion spring. However, if you only have one and it breaks, you will need to open the door manually, and some homeowners are not comfortable unlatching their door and opening and closing it on their own. If you had two torsion springs on that door, the operator could still work, so you would not need to operate it manually. That is why we like to have at least two springs per door.
If you call us to replace a broken garage door spring, and we only see one, our field service technicians will always recommend going back with two. Yes, this is more expensive, and it’s fair to say that our approach is overkill. However, by spending a bit more money, you should be able to distribute the stress across two springs, and in the case that one breaks down the road, you can still use your operator.
Will a garage door opener work with only one working spring?
The short answer is probably. If your garage door has two or more springs and one breaks, your garage door opener should be able to operate the door temporarily while you coordinate a spring replacement. How long can your door operate with a broken spring? It is hard to say without knowing the weight and springs on your door.
