Galvanized Torsion Springs

Most people rarely pay attention to what the hardware parts of their garage doors are made of, but this is really important for maintenance. Most residential systems use galvanized torsion springs. These are made from galvanized steel which is resistant to corrosion. This gives the components greater durability.

The steel galvanization process is actually quite simple to understand

The metal receives a molten zinc bath. This is how it gets fully coated with zinc. The zinc layer prevents the molecules of air and water from touching the steel surface and reacting with it to create rust. This is how the alloy is protected from corrosion. As a result, it will remain strong and durable for longer.

The galvanized steel make cannot protect the spring from breaking, however. The role of this component is to counterbalance the door. It is set over a shaft above the unit and then loaded with tension that matches the weight of the door. During opening, the tension is applied to the drums at the ends of the shaft and then to the cables which are connected to them. This is how the door is lifted. The opener provides a very small amount of the energy required. Given the way in which it works, the spring gets weaker and worn at a considerable rate and eventually snaps in two.

You can try to estimate when galvanized torsion springs will break. Each component has an estimated cycle life. It shows how many cycles consisting of one opening and one closing it can perform. You simply need to divide this number by the average number of cycles that the spring performs each day. This will show you approximately how many days the component will work for before snapping. 

Back to Rollup Garage Door