Garage door spring life cycles is the number of times the door will open and close, before the
spring breaks. One life cycle is considered one open and one close of the garage door.
The life cycle is determined by the size of the wire, the diameter of the spring and the length of the spring.
In residential garage door springs life cycles are usually 10,000, 20,000 or 30,000 cycles. Most builders install
the least expensive springs available, rated at 10,000 life cycles or less.
This is dependent on the builder installing the proper size spring(s). Many times we find that the wrong size
spring(s) was installed to begin with. You must know the weight of the garage door and any struts or add on’s
like insulation, to determine proper spring size.
For example if you have a door that weighs 165 lbs than the spring you would like to have, in order to get 10,000
cycles, will be
207x2x22 (207 wire size, 2″ inside diameter, 22 inches length), for the same door, in case of adding insulation
that weighs 20 lbs
and brings the door to a total weight of 185 lbs, than a different size of springs will be required (207x2x20).
Long life springs are made of heavier wire. The heavy wire is stronger and will withstand more
twisting and bending than lighter wire will. Life cycles of the spring are also dependant on the
diameter of the spring, length of the spring and the weight of the door. Long life springs in
general only cost about $20-$30 more per spring.
For instance : when door weighs 165 Lbs you can use few options of 2 spring system
207x2x22 springs to get 10,000 cycles
218x2x26 springs to get 20,000 cycles
225x2x33 springs to get 30,000 cycles
Each 10,000 cycles will give you approximately 7 years before spring will brake.
In the long run these springs can be more cost effective than the lighter weight springs.
Life cycle ratings do not take into account external problems like chips in the metal or
extremely corrosive or high humidity climates. These external conditions can shorten the life of
any spring. We recommend lubricating the spring(s) and any moving metal parts to help
lengthen the life of the spring(s). Use a high quality garage door lubricant as opposed to a
product like WD40. You can purchase a quality garage door lubricant at your local home
improvement store like Home Depot or Lowe’s or from a local garage door service company.
A local garage door company can provide you with options for spring replacement, and replace
the springs for you. We do not recommend you replacing garage door springs yourself. Garage
door springs are dangerous and require special tools and skills to install.
