Hey, What's That Spring Up There For?
During today's Richmond Kentucky Home Inspection, as I started to test the garage door, my client asked, "Hey, What's that spring up there for?
He was asking about the large coiled spring over the garage door.
The one that DIDN'T balance the door in the half open positon when I disconnected it from the opener.
It's there as a counterbalance spring. It's meant to help the opener lift the door AND to help you lift the door if there is no opener or there's a power outage.
When it's properly adjusted, the door should balance in the half open position when it's disconnected from the opener.
If the spring is NOT properly adjusted your opener may be working harder than it should or you'll have a heck of time opening the door when the power goes out.
Ever had your car trapped in the garage by a power outage. You're supposed to be able to pull the rope on the opener connection and lift the door manually.
I don't enocourage home owners to adjust this spring themselves. There's enough force in the spring to kick my butt to the other end of the garage AND it hurts. (Don't ask how I know!)
If your overhead garage door won't balance in the half open position when disconnected from the opener, it's time you had a garage door guy adjust it so it will. Extend the life of your garage door opener!
Be careful if you decide to test this! Make sure nothing is under the door and be ready for it to come slamming down like the one today did.
To reconnect the door, just make sure the catch went back into place on the disconnect and push the opener button. When the disconnect passes the saddle on the door connector, the two parts will reconnect.
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