1 Torsion Spring? - InspectionNews

Tim Moreira · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:54 PM

Hi gang,

Garage door only had one torsion spring. Never saw that before. Always see them in a set on both sides.

Door was a little heavy to manually open but opened just fine with opener.

Do you all run into this in your area. I've never seen just one spring...but...

Thanks,

Tim

John Arnold · #2 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 04:58 PM

Not knowing for sure if one spring is ok or not, I would release the door from the opening mechanism and see if it stayed put when raised half-way up. It should.

Jerry Peck · #3 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:00 PM

One spring is typically sufficient for a lightweight door.

If you tested it and it did not stay up, it is not 'just that it has one spring', it is because 'the spring is not adjusted properly'.

Tim Moreira · #4 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:05 PM

Thanks,

Door operated and did stay up by it's self. I didn't see any real problems other that no photo eyes and the auto reverse did not operate.

Is Richard (I think he's the one) still using cats to test the auto rev.?

Rick Hurst · #5 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:14 PM

1 is quite common to see for me on most doors. If the door is insulated I'll see 2 sometime.

If you have the time check out this site for a good read. This guy is serious about door springs and openers.

Garage Door Torsion Spring Replacement

Richard Rushing · #6 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:15 PM

Easy receipe...

1x stray pussy-cat,
3x strips of duct tape
1x garden hose (connected)
1x flat head shovel

_________________________________
Re: torsion springs...
Usually a double garage door *should* have two springs. However, that does not mean that one will not work. As JP stated, if it is a very light weight metal door and well balanced, you can usually get away with one.

Rick Hurst · #7 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:18 PM

Tim,

You must be think of Richard Rushing.

I hear him and his assistant are doing cat research while business is slow.

Richard Rushing · #8 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:22 PM

Rick,

Everyone knows that picture is not of me... it must be of some ole boy up north.

Hell, down here we all know you grab the pussy by her tail to administer CPR

.

RR

Jerry Peck · #9 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 05:35 PM

An excerpt from that: (bold and underlining are mine)

"
Since the springs are winding "up" when the door is closing and going down, the fully closed position is the most stressful on the steel and thus the most likely position at the moment of failure. This is a good thing, because failure near the top-of-travel means that you suddenly have a large, increasing weight falling. Thus we see the principle that you should never be standing or walking under the door when it is opening or closing, especially if you do so manually instead of with an electric opener. When the springs are working correctly, the door appears nearly weightless, but this is an illusion that turns into a calamity when the springs suddenly fail.
"

I think some of us have been saying, for years, to other HIs 'Don't stand under the door and catch it with your hands to test auto reverse.'

1) That is NOT a proper auto revers test.

2) As described above, YOU COULD GET YOURSELF KILLED, are seriously injured as you "suddenly have a large, increasing weight falling" down.

Far be it for me to try to beat this into some heads again.

added with edit: I like this too -
"Certified technicians. / Paid certification fee to a business in the business of collecting certification fees."
Remind you of any HI association?

Corey Friedman · #10 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 06:01 PM

Hi Jerry,

I think the “problem” in checking the contact reversal feature (auto-reverse) is a failure by HI’s to understand what that feature is supposed to do.

They fail or refuse to realize that the contact reversal pertains to entrapment issues and was never designed to prevent injury, only to prevent entrapment. Thus, they do stupid things like standing under the door and stop it half way down with their hands.

Here's some trivia for you. Circa 1950-1970, A-1 garage doors in Chicago (no longer around) made the 1-piece slab doors that would swing up and out, usually with giant springs on the sides that were vertical and pulled up from the floor...my dad made those doors. Of course there were others but if anyone has a a photo of one with the A-1 triangle logo on the front of the door, I'd love to see it.

Corey Friedman

Jerry Peck · #11 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corey Friedman

They fail or refuse to realize that the contact reversal pertains to entrapment issues and was never designed to prevent injury, only to prevent entrapment. Thus, they do stupid things like standing under the door and stop it half way down with their hands.

Amen to that.

Quote:

Here's some trivia for you. Circa 1950-1970, A-1 garage doors in Chicago (no longer around) made the 1-piece slab doors that would swing up and out, usually with giant springs on the sides that were vertical and pulled up from the floor...my dad made those doors. Of course there were others

Corey,

I'm sure that the garage door I had like that in Gainesville, Florida 35 years ago was not an A-1, but it was one which operated like that.

Cool! Your dad made doors like that!

I've always wanted one like that which, instead of swinging up and into the garage, would swing up and create a 'protected area outside the garage' underneath the raised door. Would make a great place for the 'shade tree mechanic to work' and not have to disturb what is in the garage.

I'm sure that could be done, but it would take some larger cantilever braces and larger springs to hold that 16 foot wide, 7 foot projection up there.

Jim Zborowski · #12 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 06:43 PM

was this a 7' x 9' door? I have installed some doors sold by the big green box that only require 1 torsion spring as supplied by the factory. if it were a 16 or 18 foot door, I have never seen one without 2 springs.

Billy Stephens · #13 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Zborowski

if it were a 16 or 18 foot door, I have never seen one without 2 springs.

I got 1 light weight metal,

Professionally Installed 10 years ago.

1 spring Worked & Balanced from day 1.

Rick Hurst · #14 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 07:06 PM

Here's one with 2 springs

Billy Stephens · #15 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 08:18 PM

Rick,

I like mine with 1 Spring and No Cuts in the joist.

Jerry Peck · #16 (**permalink**) 02-06-2008, 08:23 PM

Mine has 3 springs, two paired at the center and one at the left quarter point ... wonder if mine should have 4 springs?

It's a heavy wood door with plywood and battens on the exterior side of it to match the house's board and batten look.

Hmmmm ...

No cut joists, though.

Chad Fabry · #17 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 03:58 AM

Quote:

I'm sure that could be done, but it would take some larger cantilever braces and larger springs to hold that 16 foot wide, 7 foot projection up there.

Some pretty simple hydraulics will handle the door. Plenty of farm shops are set up like that to create covered working areas for combines.

Jerry Peck · #18 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad Fabry

Some pretty simple hydraulics will handle the door. Plenty of farm shops are set up like that to create covered working areas for combines.

Chad,

I was thinking suitable in appearance and use for a residential garage door. With hydraulics, you can lift / move almost whatever you want to.

About 3 months ago at one of the twin condo towers I was inspecting they brought in a 300 ton rated hydraulic crane to lift into place a large metal covering for a covered passenger loading ares between the two towers. As I recall it had two hydraulic cylinders which raised and lowed the boom, and had 7 axles. Like this, except 300 ton instead of 130 ton and two more axles: QAY130 All Terrain Crane Payload 130 Ton - Yancheng Goldhorse Tractor Sale Co., Ltd

Joe Klampfer · #19 (**permalink**) 02-08-2008, 02:25 PM

Ouch !! Those notched joists have been compromised and are now maybe equivilent to 2 X 6's ? I've seen that done on beams where they notch the lower edge and completely destroy the load-bearing caabilities of that beam.