Understanding the Garage Door Spring Color Code and Ensuring you Pick the Right Size

If you own a garage door you’re probably aware that springs are an important part of the door mechanism. Even doors that are opened and closed manually use springs. Since garage doors typically weigh hundreds of pounds opening them without the aid of springs would be a practical impossibility for most people and would also be beyond the capabilities of the automatic garage door opener. So, how do they do it? By “charging” while the door is closing and then releasing the energy they’ve stored to lift the door when you want to open it.

Everything You Want to Know About Garage Door Springs in Northglenn and Broomfield

Before we get into the color coding you’ll find on garage door springs let’s look a bit closer at the springs themselves. There are two types of springs used on garage doors: torsion springs and extension springs. Here’s the difference:

• Torsion springs store energy by coiling tightly as the door as the door closes. When the door is closed and at rest the torsion spring stores enormous amounts of energy and when you want the door to open the spring helps by uncoiling and releasing that energy. Torsion springs sit against the wall over the garage door. You should never try to install or repair a torsion spring yourself as people have died trying. Instead you should call the best garage door service in Broomfield and Northglenn: A Better Garage Door.
• Extension springs run parallel to the tracks of the door and are typically situated between the tracks and the garage ceiling. Extension springs store energy by extending while the door is closing and then releasing the stored energy while the door is opening. When extension springs snap they can go flying off in every direction and woe be unto you if you’re in the way.

About The Spring Color Coding System: Extension Springs

Now that we know a little more about garage door springs in Parker homes, let’s have a look at that often confusing color code that comes with them. When it comes to extension springs the purpose of the color coding system is to help the company performing your garage door service determine the lifting power of the springs. This is important because different garage doors weigh different amounts and you want springs with the appropriate lifting power for your particular door. The color/lifting power correlations are as follows:

• Tan = 100 pounds
• White = 110 pounds
• Green = 120 pounds
• Yellow = 130 pounds
• Blue = 140 pounds
• Red = 150 pounds
• Brown = 160 pounds
• Orange = 170 pounds
• Gold = 180 pounds
• Light blue = 190 pounds

At this point the color sequence repeats so that 200 is designated by tan, 210 is designate by white, 220 is designated by green and so on. Garage door springs that you’ll get at the big box are often made of inferior grade cheap foreign steel and are prone to snapping before their time. To be sure you get the best quality springs available talk to the professionals at A Better Garage Door.

About The Spring Color Coding System: Torsion Springs

When it comes to torsion springs the color coding works a bit differently. The color code on a torsion spring indicates whether it is a “right wind” or “left wind” spring, with black indicating right wind and red indicating left wind. Beyond that the torsion spring is color coded so that technicians can determine the thickness, or gauge, of the wire. In this way the technician repairing or replacing the spring can quickly determine what gauge it is without having to measure it. (The number of different gauges is too extensive to list here.) Torsion springs also have a straight line going across the spring that helps technicians determine the state of the spring. This line will distort in a geometric way as the spring is “charged”. This geometric distortion can be read by the technician and help him determine how tightly wound the spring is at any given time.

The Final Word on Color Coding

The purpose of the color coding system then is to help in the proper identification of the spring for the purposes of repair or replacement. It has no bearing on the way you experience the garage door and it isn’t an important message that you need to know about. It’s purpose is strictly technical, intended to aid the company performing your garage door service in Northglenn when it comes time for them to do their job. The system was devised by the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA) and though cryptic in nature, it fulfills an important purpose.

How to Work Out What Size Garage Door Springs You Require

The springs are the unsung heroes of your overhead garage door. They do the heavy lifting while the “opener” essentially acts as a regulator - getting the door started and then making sure the upward or downward motion is nice and smooth. Garage door springs are incredibly rugged and durable but even the toughest will wear out and need to be replaced after years of regular use. If you need garage door springs in Northglenn or you need to have a spring or springs replaced the best course of action is to call A Better Garage Door. However, if you’d like to purchase the new spring yourself and then call us to install it that’s fine too. Below we’ll provide some pointers that should help you pick the right spring or springs.

Selecting the Right Garage Door Springs for Broomfield or Commerce City Homes

Garage doors utilize one of two different types of spring and it’s crucial to purchase the right one for your door. Thankfully, determining which type of spring your door uses is easy. If the springs are attached to the wall directly over the door itself you have torsion springs. Some doors use one such spring, while most newer doors use two. If the springs are located above the tracks and run away from the door toward the opener you have extension springs. Now let’s look at how to choose the right torsion or extension spring.

• Torsion Spring Wind Direction - Before you can order the right torsion spring you need to know which way it is wound. Look up at the springs from inside the garage. With most new garage doors there will be two torsion springs separated by a divider that’s located at the midpoint of the door. The spring to your right is a “left wound spring” and the spring to your left is the “right wound spring”. So if the spring to your left is broken you want to order a “right wound spring”. If you get the wrong spring you simply won’t be able to use it. So make sure you get this right.
• Torsion Spring Wire Size - Determining the wire size is also a straightforward process. Simply measure how far it is between 10 coils of the spring to the nearest 1/16 of an inch. There are a number of wire size charts on the Internet you can then use to determine the actual wire size based on your measurement. If the spring is broken you should still be able to find 10 coils that are properly spaced and will yield an accurate measurement.
• Torsion Spring Inside Diameter and Overall Length - In many cases the inside diameter of the torsion spring will be indicated on the stationary cone in between the two springs at the midpoint of the door. “1.75” means the inside diameter is 1 ¾ inches. “2” means the inside diameter is two inches etc. If you cannot find the size indication simply measure the inside diameter yourself. As for determining the overall length, just break out the tape measure and measure it from where the spring starts to where it ends. If the spring is broken just measure its companion spring which will be the same length.
• Selecting the Right Extension Spring - While measuring torsion springs to make sure you get the right one is fairly easy getting the right extension spring is even easier. That’s because garage door extension springs have a stripe of color on them that indicates their size. So all you need to do is locate this color indicator and relay the color you’ve found (red, yellow, blue, orange etc) to the extension spring supplier. This will tell them what they need to know. In some cases the supplier may want to know the dimensions of the door itself along with the material it’s made from. This helps them determine its likely weight. So while you’re out in the garage looking for the color indicator on the spring measure the door itself from side to side and bottom to top.

Call for Garage Door Service in the Reunion Area or Broomfield

There’s nothing wrong with selecting and purchasing garage door springs yourself. But when it comes to actually installing them, you should always default to calling for professionals like our Littleton garage door service team. This is because the garage door springs are the most dangerous part of your garage's entire overhead door mechanism. Since they do the actual heavy lifting they need to store vast amounts of energy. If you’re working on one of these springs and accidentally trigger a release of this energy you could be very seriously injured or even killed. Don’t take the chance. Leave the handling and installation of garage door springs to the people who are trained to work with and around them.

For the highest quality garage door installation and repair services in the Denver area, call A Better Garage Door. We offer a full range of garage door services including 24/7 emergency services so give us a call. We’re here when you need us.