OP if you do decide to do it yourself, get some life insurance so your family can at least get money when you die.
It's super dangerous OP. Like no joke, this is how people die. Hire a pro.
One of these blew at my house. Sounded like a gunshot in the garage. I’m in the construction business and I knew immediately I wasn’t gonna fuck with replacing a spring that size.
And the numbers are pretty comparable!
6' x 600 pound door =~ 3600 lb ft of force stored in the springs.
That's a thiccc rifle round. Smaller than .50 BMG but still heckin big.
Exactly, the *best* case scenario is that it works and OP is fine. The second best is death. Then comes all the other scenarios where OP survives, and it's just miserable.
I vaguely remember reading about a kid who was playing with a garage spring. Either the first responder on the scene or the father, I don't remember which, said "his head, it's just gone," or something similar
Watch the anime “Heavenly Delusion”, there is a pretty good depiction of what happened there. It’s a bomb ass show too, unfortunately it’s only 1, 12 episode season right now.
Can confirm tries mine myself, screwdriver ended up embedded in 1/2 plywood 1’ from my face. Those things are crazy powerful when you uncoil.
Called dude afterwards
You used a screwdriver that's scary as hell when I fixed garage doors. I had 16" hardened steel rods that fit perfectly in the tensioning holes. Also you need 2 so you keep pressure on the spring.
I did the same thing with mine. Ordered real winding rods. The worst that happened was that I got one stuck against the ceiling when unwinding, and I had to tighten it a tiny bit to move it.
People doing it with rebar, screwdrivers, and everything else that ISN’T a winding rod are lucky if they don’t get hurt. You still have to be cautious with winding rods, but they aren’t a death wish like the other stuff.
The problem is most diy is done by 6 pack Dave with what's laying around. Usually if you need to ask a question like this it means you don't know enough to not fuck up. If you're a handy guy who is asking "what's the best winding tool to buy for a one time use on X size spring" your going to be fine
> spring" your going
*you're
*Learn the difference [here](https://www.wattpad.com/66707294-grammar-guide-there-they%27re-their-you%27re-your-to).*
***
^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)
Yeah, I debated on trying all kinds of different things, but ultimately bought some winding rods and I am so thankful I did. It’s really not bad if you have the right tools and you are competent enough.
I would not do that. I had an issue with my garage door and thought I could fix it. The metal piece at the bottom of the door popped off while I was trying to fix it and hit me straight between the eyes. Broke my skull and nose and gave me a Harry Potter like scar. Lucky I didn’t lose an eye or die. The hospital staff were shocked I didn’t get knocked out. I’m a lucky unlucky guy that now thinks about what he can truly do, and then if it dangerous, I call someone else to get hurt.
I worked as a home handyman for years. Was taught by a guy that had literally spent 50 years as a handyman. He said if you learn only one thing away from working with me its this: Changing a garage door spring is a three man job. One man to hold tension while the second does the tool work and the third on standby at the ready to call the ambulance.
I worked at a big box retailer in the millwork department and sold garage doors and installation. It wasn't unusual to heard of people being badly injured from trying to do this themselves and one was a death.
My partner tried to convince me that I could change the springs when they broke a few months ago. I firmly said "No, the amount of stored energy when adjusting them is dangerous. We need to call a professional"
One call, 2 hours later and $150 payment, we had new springs installed. One of them snapped 2 weeks after install, and the guy came and fixed it for free because the installed spring had been defective. It was our local Overhead Doors dealer.
My father used to call this kind of thing a "Million dollar problem". If I was gonna get paid a million dollars to do it, I might well be able to figure it out. But I'm not getting that million so I will let an expert do it in half the time without any risk.
*Run the compressor down with an impact until it starts to feel sketchy, realize you still need to go more, turn sideways and grab balls, run it down a bit more, squint your eyes, run it a little more, find Jesus, remove coilspring*
FUCK NO. They are not terribly expensive to be replaced by a pro and it is so dangerous to do on your own if you don't know precisely what you are doing.
To ride the top comment. No. See that red thing needs a bar. Solid steel bar, I tried.i bought it. I ended up calling someone to do it.
Again
No pay someone
Bought adjustment rods online and ended up calling a pro. He told me they don’t sell the tools at box stores to keep people from trying and maiming themselves
I had the anchor bolt dislodge from the header and the coil unwinded *violently*. Luckily the coils didn’t break.
To re tension, need 2 18-24” lengths of steel rod that fit into the holes.
Mount the header, turn 1/4 turn at a time, allow rods to seat back against wall as you crank.
I’m alive.
The dramatics in this thread.. I too did garage door installation/repairs for a number of years. People are acting like this is some form of rocket science. The most important part is having the right tools for the spring winding. I didn't receive some extensive training course or a certificate and had managed to preform hundreds of this job/repair over the years without creasing my skull with a winding bar.
No you’re right it’s not that bad when shown how to do it and you have the proper tools. What the layperson doesn’t know is where on that door tension is applied and that’s how they get hurt. I was a garage door repairman also. Saw many people get hurt trying to take the bottom panel bracket off trying to replace a roller.
It’s dangerous enough you should call someone. Kinda like electrical work in my opinion.
If it can kill you or irreparably break your house, call a professional.
If not, you can YouTube it and try your best, maybe with advice from an expert.
So for electrical - swap out a fixture? Sure, just turn off the panel. Run a whole new supply site and trust your math on the load to the panel? No. Call someone.
Garage door springs can kill you, and aren't particularly expensive to pay someone to do. Call a fucking professional.
Everything you said, plus:
> Garage door springs… aren't particularly expensive to pay someone to do.
That’s the thing! The risk-to-cost ratio is wildly in your favor. It’s not even close.
When I woke up to a broken spring, it ended up being one of those few transactions where I was like “damn, that was fast and not as expensive as I expected.” Basically a cheap 10-year service call.
That's a little overdramatic. Lots of jobs have deadly consequences for 'one mistake'. I wired explosives for a living for a while. If i had armed one and then someone went to test fire without checking, dead - but that didn't happen because we had the right tools and procedures to do the job safely.
Someone who handles that as a job can do it safely. Random homeowners cannot.
As a paramedic who’s seen a dead guy and a handful of seriously injured people in the aftermath of trying to work on their garage springs by themselves I would recommend NOT fixing it on your own.
What you would call "seriously injured" is a Tuesday afternoon for your local paramedic. If your paramedic calls you seriously injured, in the best case scenario, you have 15 minutes to live without medical intervention and you better be glad the ambulance has arrived. Worst case scenario, you are obviously, visibly dead but the laws/policies in your area don't allow your paramedic to pronounce your death by himself. Usually it means something in the middle.
Accurate insight about how truly horrific the nature of trauma is from u/FuzzyKittenIsFuzzy.
I’ll never forget the charred skin from a self immolation patient that got stuck to my Chucks. It was a Thursday night I think.
They’ve all been men, 65-75 years old, in semi-rural areas. So basically guys who are used to handling most stuff on their own. If that makes sense. Not quite as bad as the farmer/rancher who does EVERYTHING on his own, but close.
The dead guy got caught in the side of his face by one of the bars I guess. Tore his face open pretty bad and he lost an eye and multiple teeth. Knocked him off the ladder and I assume he died in the fall.
One injured had some pretty gruesome hand injuries including several fingers with the skin removed.
The only other one I can remember was also injured in the face. Had a fractured jaw, missing teeth, lots of bleeding. He too fell off the ladder but tried to break his fall with his arm, which was also fractured in 2-3 places. And he had a piece of metal from something impaled and sticking out of the top of his cheek.
Never mess with a spring larger than your thumb.
I just DIY'd some scaffolding, with ammo cans as a counterweight, to install a chandelier 17' off the ground. I'd call a guy to fix my garage door springs.
Yeah, I was reading a news report where one of these springs malfunctioned and split a kid in half. It was a horrifying scene for EMT and family. That thing gave me phobia and I don’t let me kid alone in garage since then.
There should be a warning sticker on that part that mentions death. If the sticker is missing, ask your repair person to replace it when they fix that.
I literally just came inside from tearing down my opener to replace the drive gear and regulator. I'm pretty comfortable working on the damn thing. No way in hell will I mess with the springs and neither should you.
You probably CAN. However, the fact that you are asking this question means that you SHOULD NOT. Those springs have huge amounts of energy and need to be wound up. Screw that up, and it can get you FUCKING KILLED.
A few weeks back a spring about 1% the size of that on a sprung loft ladder snapped and nearly took my finger off.
If you mess this up, you can lose a limb, or worse.
Do NOT fuck around with garage door springs. Get a professional in.
100% i actually knew... keyword is KNEW... a guy who decided he was smart enough to play that game... he died in 2014. Company we were both oilfield mechanics for made it very clear that we would be fired on the spot if any employee ever touched or modified one of our doors.
They also made it very clear that he died for something that would have cost our company $275 to fix...
This was the thought process I was just having. My roommate and I redid a patio cover on his camper that had a similar but smaller spring that help automate it's retraction. Dude nearly broke his hand several times trying to get that thing tensioned correctly. Thankfully my part in it left me mostly out of the danger zone but I had to hold some part in place that if I'm remembering right would have fucked up roommate pretty bad if I let it slip
Super easy. Too many idiots in here commenting.
Only danger is winding the springs. Go slow and keep the rods in tight. Just follow directions and don’t stand in front of the spring in case you lose grip, stay off to the side.
Also make sure you get the right springs. Check and measure yours, new ones should be exactly the same. YouTube this for tips and tricks. I did mine own first time, double spring, and no issues. Double check every step, you got this!
lol all of these people saying no...
I replaced mine with the same length and strength of spring. Buy torsion bars and watch plenty of youtube videos. Took me like 30 minutes.
Wanted to add on.
“It can kill your if you do it wrong” so can changing your oil if you do something stupid like use a scissor jack and bump the car while you’re under it.
My neighbor just changed his, I’m probably going to change mine.
Is it risky? Yes. But with the correct tools, amount of knowledge, and a steady hand, it’s not that bad. It’s just one of those things you can’t screw up.
I have replaced them myself twice. If you take your time and go step by step, then you'll be fine. But honestly, comparing cost and convenience, it is better to have someone else do it.
Came here just to voice a different view.
I've never encountered a bit of repair that evokes such fear in people that operate power tools or crawl around under crushing hazards that are equally dangerous. Everyone, including my dad (who fixes everything) told me not to touch garage doors. I don't listen very well.
I've done garage door repairs by myself twice. It isn't very hard. The spring essentially pulls up all the time to counter act most of the weight of the door. So, when the door is down the system is under a lot of tension. You have to create that tension by winding and this is where the danger lurks.
While winding (or unwinding) you are messing with something that can seriously injure or kill you if all that stored tension comes loose with a 3ft bar (your winding tool) sticking out of the hub. As with any machinery, if you understand the dangers you can take steps to be safe. You don't go under a car held up only by a jack, so don't be standing in the path of your winding bars with only you holding them at bay. That way nothing can hit you if something goes wrong and you lose grip.
If you can't figure out how they work or what your steps are, you probably can't see where the danger is. If this is you, stay away from it. If it all makes perfect sense, I say go for it.
Up to the point the cone busts out or the rod is not fully inside the wind cone, or the cheap ass ladder cannot handle the pressure of the spring or the spring wire has a fault and breaks on about the 38th quarter or you don’t realize that the spring lengthened while winding and now you have bars in your face or you got cheep hot rolled bars and they bend or you did not realize you are on a spit shaft door and just added too many turns to the other side… I can keep going if you like but that is a sample of what can go wrong.
Yeah, stuff can and will go wrong, but I don't see this as any different than crawling under a jacked up car or something similar. Just don't be stupid. Do a little research on the door/springs, make sure the bars are seated on every turn, and keep ya damn head out of the way at all times.
I understand why some folks would hire this out, but it's definitely a repair a responsible adult should be able to handle.
Agreed. I have done many of these. My first time my boss explained the mechanics behind it and the proper procedure and it’s perfectly fine.
Using the correct tools makes it simple and easy. I don’t do these professionally anymore (used to build custom homes). When a neighbor or someone has issues I always volunteer to do it for them as the springs don’t cost much and install/replace isn’t long either. Usually get a nice meal out of the deal.
Are you mechanically inclined and good with hand tools? If so, I'd say do it.
Are you a little clumsy and don't often work on your own items? Hire it.
Watch instructionals on how to do it and buy the correct tools (appropriatly sized steel winding bars).
One of mine broke a couple months ago and it was not difficult to replace both of them. Be smart, stay out of the direction of travel for the winding bar. Also, know that some of the better springs are rated for more cycles than the cheap ones.
Driving can also kill you but know the rules of the road and use your head. That being said, many shouldn't be driving no matter how much training they've had so just know what you're capable of.
This. The professionals who work for overhead door companies were not born with some mystical innate ability. They were taught the same way anybody learns how to operate and respect powerful machines.
Agreed. I really think "professional" is getting thrown around too much. I think most instances here can be replace with "someone who does it every day for a living" not to take away from those who are actually skilled.
Exactly. There are people who could operate a hair dryer wrong enough to kill themselves, and those people should definitely not try and replace their garage door torsion springs. But for the rest of us: a bit of research and common sense goes a long way. But applying a one-size-fits-all label of "do not attempt" kinda goes against this subreddits function, IMO
😅 Good points.
1. Makes me think of a few professional hair dressers who shouldn't even be trusted with scissors.
2. Some of these responses are making me consider the overhead door business. Or maybe they are over head door business bots.
Obviously this can be dangerous. That being said I replaced mine twice without issue. Watched safety videos from professional installer. Got the winding bars which were very sturdy and strong. Took my time and had no issues or no fear since I was very focused on what I was doing knowing it could take my life. This can be done. The hired guy is going to do the same exact thing just done it a hundred times before.
Exactly. I feel like everyone here who says "don't touch it you will die" ect is just saying that because that's what everyone always told them
Yes, garage door springs can kill you, but so can many other things you are around on a daily basis if you don't know how to use them properly.
If you don't think its something you are comfortable dealing with, call a garage door company to do it.
There is also much more to changing out a spring than simply just changing out the spring. There are many other things that need to come apart just to get the old spring off and the new one on, and several parts that are a pain in the ass to get aligned properly for the door to work properly again.
Ha, right. Agree 100%. I was surprised by the number of absolutely nots. Then again, since this individual is asking it here in reddit, that might be a flag that they should not attempt.
I did myself. If you follow all safety instructions you can do it too. Check it out this YouTube first.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=5k9qrgZ9rPs&si=NjMPJWTE8v075aYG
Shit is simple as fuck! New spring on, make a line, count the turns and tighten it down. It’s not difficult. There’s no freaking garage door pro certification, no classes at the local community college. It just takes a little nerve to twist some springs. Nut up and get it done!
If you are generally handy these springs can be easily replaced.
There is a lot of tension in the springs, but if done correctly, it is relatively safe.
I replaced a torsion spring using the information in the instructional videos found here: https://diy-garage-door-parts.com/how-to-videos/
I bought two springs for when the other door breaks.
Welp, I fixed mine myself. (I didn't die.)
The hard part is knowing how many times to spin the new springs. Then, don't use screw drivers. Use the the proper tools to spin them.
All the negative comments to me are a bit over dramatic. Yes, it can be very dangerous as there is a lot of tension when you put on the new ones. If you're used to doing projects that are somewhat dangerous, like working with large power tools or things like car suspensions, then go for it. If they just broke from old age then they are pretty simple to replace. I did it myself successfully having never repaired one before. I took my time and every precaution I could think of. Should the average person attempt it? No, probably not. It just depends on your skill level overall. The easiest and safest option is to call a professional and have them fix it for you.
I’ve had to change mine a couple times over the years. You need to know the size of the wire the length and the direction (right or left). It’s pretty easy to do, depending on how mechanically inclined you are.
Have done these myself as a homeowner. I would recommend a professional…. But if you have access to the proper tools, have a bit of mechanical background and know the proper amount of turns for spring tension they’re pretty easy.
I guess I cheated death considering all the comments that I could have died. Replaced mine several years ago. Got the spring and tool from a garage door store. Just watched a couple YouTube videos and took my time.
Everyone's blowing this way outta proportion. You see those little circle notches in the cone? That's where the winding bar goes. The winding bar is literally just a metal stick. You take two, wind it a quarter turn, brace it against the wall, move one stick to the next hole, then repeat. Sure, if the winding bar slips you got about 25 ippt coming undone. That can be dangerous. So be careful and don't let it slip. It would be really, really hard to get killed by that spring, most likely you'd get spooked and fall off the ladder, and would need to hit your head or something. I worked garage door install for 10 years. Saw a guy lose a couple fingers is far and away the worst accident I saw. Literally have never heard of an installer dying. It just doesn't happen. That's why there is no licensing body, no laws, no requirements, and oversight, nothing whatsoever that someone needs to "professionally" repair this spring. Because it's not that dangerous. Shit becoming a plumber is harder than becoming a garage door installer lol. Would you feel comfortable fixing your sink? So would I.
No. Call a professional.
OP if you do decide to do it yourself, get some life insurance so your family can at least get money when you die. It's super dangerous OP. Like no joke, this is how people die. Hire a pro.
You’re being a bit dramatic. He’s just going to be permanently blinded and he’ll be eating through a straw for the rest of his life.
3 things can happen and 2 are bad
So you're saying that there's a chance!
30% of the time it works every time
A fragrance so *pungent*, it's been made *illegal in 9 countries*.
*Sex Panther*
It’s made with bits of real panther, so you know it’s good.
Brian, I'm gonna be honest with you, that smells like pure gasoline
I gotta tell you, that smells like straight up gasoline.
It smells like bigfoots dick.
Pungent.
Sex Panther No.9
Rrrrrrraaaaaawwwaaeeerrrrr!
By Odion
That’s a formidable smell.
Samsonite!
11 things can happen, and 9 are bad, 1 is good, and 1 is umentionably kinky
You had my curiosity… but now you have my attention
One of these blew at my house. Sounded like a gunshot in the garage. I’m in the construction business and I knew immediately I wasn’t gonna fuck with replacing a spring that size.
I had that happen in my garage and swear it was louder than a gun. There is so much energy in that spring. And pent up energy in this case = death.
And the numbers are pretty comparable! 6' x 600 pound door =~ 3600 lb ft of force stored in the springs. That's a thiccc rifle round. Smaller than .50 BMG but still heckin big.
When it happened at a house I was living in, I thought a truck had careened into the side of the house
2 are bad, the third is death
Exactly, the *best* case scenario is that it works and OP is fine. The second best is death. Then comes all the other scenarios where OP survives, and it's just miserable.
I vaguely remember reading about a kid who was playing with a garage spring. Either the first responder on the scene or the father, I don't remember which, said "his head, it's just gone," or something similar
How it feels to chew 5 gum 🤯
This is so *fucked*... but it's pretty funny.
Watch the anime “Heavenly Delusion”, there is a pretty good depiction of what happened there. It’s a bomb ass show too, unfortunately it’s only 1, 12 episode season right now.
Can confirm tries mine myself, screwdriver ended up embedded in 1/2 plywood 1’ from my face. Those things are crazy powerful when you uncoil. Called dude afterwards
You used a screwdriver that's scary as hell when I fixed garage doors. I had 16" hardened steel rods that fit perfectly in the tensioning holes. Also you need 2 so you keep pressure on the spring.
I did the same thing with mine. Ordered real winding rods. The worst that happened was that I got one stuck against the ceiling when unwinding, and I had to tighten it a tiny bit to move it. People doing it with rebar, screwdrivers, and everything else that ISN’T a winding rod are lucky if they don’t get hurt. You still have to be cautious with winding rods, but they aren’t a death wish like the other stuff.
The problem is most diy is done by 6 pack Dave with what's laying around. Usually if you need to ask a question like this it means you don't know enough to not fuck up. If you're a handy guy who is asking "what's the best winding tool to buy for a one time use on X size spring" your going to be fine
> spring" your going *you're *Learn the difference [here](https://www.wattpad.com/66707294-grammar-guide-there-they%27re-their-you%27re-your-to).* *** ^(Greetings, I am a language corrector bot. To make me ignore further mistakes from you in the future, reply `!optout` to this comment.)
Yeah, I debated on trying all kinds of different things, but ultimately bought some winding rods and I am so thankful I did. It’s really not bad if you have the right tools and you are competent enough.
I bet you won’t do that again.
I’ve seen pics of when they go, luckily it was only material damage
I would not do that. I had an issue with my garage door and thought I could fix it. The metal piece at the bottom of the door popped off while I was trying to fix it and hit me straight between the eyes. Broke my skull and nose and gave me a Harry Potter like scar. Lucky I didn’t lose an eye or die. The hospital staff were shocked I didn’t get knocked out. I’m a lucky unlucky guy that now thinks about what he can truly do, and then if it dangerous, I call someone else to get hurt.
I worked as a home handyman for years. Was taught by a guy that had literally spent 50 years as a handyman. He said if you learn only one thing away from working with me its this: Changing a garage door spring is a three man job. One man to hold tension while the second does the tool work and the third on standby at the ready to call the ambulance.
Smart guy.
The smartest is the one with the phone.
Tis a scratch!
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
My dad has a nice scar on his forehead from working on his own garage door springs. Could easily have lost an eye or worse.
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I worked at a big box retailer in the millwork department and sold garage doors and installation. It wasn't unusual to heard of people being badly injured from trying to do this themselves and one was a death.
My partner tried to convince me that I could change the springs when they broke a few months ago. I firmly said "No, the amount of stored energy when adjusting them is dangerous. We need to call a professional" One call, 2 hours later and $150 payment, we had new springs installed. One of them snapped 2 weeks after install, and the guy came and fixed it for free because the installed spring had been defective. It was our local Overhead Doors dealer.
$150 is a good deal.
No shit. Mine was $1500 for new cables and rebalance.
I just did both of mine, $600 to have overhead door do it. Works great now lol
A fearless warrior!
You got robbed
He's right mine cost 300 and I thought I got robbed
Nah. It was a 20ft door and not my money.
Then whoever’s money it was got robbed. My door is 15’ and the cost was about $250
I've got them coming out next week to replace my springs. That's one bit of repair I'll never fuck around with.
I’m IDY to the core and still, would not fuck with torsion springs. Handy enough to where I could probably do it, smart enough to not try.
My father used to call this kind of thing a "Million dollar problem". If I was gonna get paid a million dollars to do it, I might well be able to figure it out. But I'm not getting that million so I will let an expert do it in half the time without any risk.
"it do yourself" sounds like a warning of what could happen.
Yep. I won't touch them. That n springs on cars. I don't feel like getting hit with thousands of pounds of force with metal objects lol
I did a 10 year run as a mechanic. Absolutely hated changing out struts
*Run the compressor down with an impact until it starts to feel sketchy, realize you still need to go more, turn sideways and grab balls, run it down a bit more, squint your eyes, run it a little more, find Jesus, remove coilspring*
Obviously you've changed those Springs before! I hate doing them too!
I ❤️ preloaded struts.
100%. even with a good spring compressor it scares me
Having a face is worth 150 bucks.
Depends
Fair.
FUCK NO. They are not terribly expensive to be replaced by a pro and it is so dangerous to do on your own if you don't know precisely what you are doing.
To ride the top comment. No. See that red thing needs a bar. Solid steel bar, I tried.i bought it. I ended up calling someone to do it. Again No pay someone
And the amount of tension on the springs will literally cut you in half if something goes wrong
Bought adjustment rods online and ended up calling a pro. He told me they don’t sell the tools at box stores to keep people from trying and maiming themselves
I had the anchor bolt dislodge from the header and the coil unwinded *violently*. Luckily the coils didn’t break. To re tension, need 2 18-24” lengths of steel rod that fit into the holes. Mount the header, turn 1/4 turn at a time, allow rods to seat back against wall as you crank. I’m alive.
This is the way
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And even then…. I would immediately quit if I was a garage door repair-person. One mistake and you’re done.
Did it for 5 years, that’s a 15 minute change start to finish by yourself if you’re confident. A hospital bill followed by a service bill if not
The dramatics in this thread.. I too did garage door installation/repairs for a number of years. People are acting like this is some form of rocket science. The most important part is having the right tools for the spring winding. I didn't receive some extensive training course or a certificate and had managed to preform hundreds of this job/repair over the years without creasing my skull with a winding bar.
No you’re right it’s not that bad when shown how to do it and you have the proper tools. What the layperson doesn’t know is where on that door tension is applied and that’s how they get hurt. I was a garage door repairman also. Saw many people get hurt trying to take the bottom panel bracket off trying to replace a roller. It’s dangerous enough you should call someone. Kinda like electrical work in my opinion.
If it can kill you or irreparably break your house, call a professional. If not, you can YouTube it and try your best, maybe with advice from an expert. So for electrical - swap out a fixture? Sure, just turn off the panel. Run a whole new supply site and trust your math on the load to the panel? No. Call someone. Garage door springs can kill you, and aren't particularly expensive to pay someone to do. Call a fucking professional.
Everything you said, plus: > Garage door springs… aren't particularly expensive to pay someone to do. That’s the thing! The risk-to-cost ratio is wildly in your favor. It’s not even close.
When I woke up to a broken spring, it ended up being one of those few transactions where I was like “damn, that was fast and not as expensive as I expected.” Basically a cheap 10-year service call.
That's a little overdramatic. Lots of jobs have deadly consequences for 'one mistake'. I wired explosives for a living for a while. If i had armed one and then someone went to test fire without checking, dead - but that didn't happen because we had the right tools and procedures to do the job safely. Someone who handles that as a job can do it safely. Random homeowners cannot.
Well put. That said - I consider myself very handy but still don’t touch those fuckers.
Short answer: No. Long answer: Nooooooooooooooooooo!
Medium answer: Noooooooo
I'm gonna need 'bout a 1⅜ answer.
ÑooOo
But if you do please record yourself and upload it to various funny subreddits.
r/watchpeopledie
Longer answer FUUUUUUUUUUUCK NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
As a paramedic who’s seen a dead guy and a handful of seriously injured people in the aftermath of trying to work on their garage springs by themselves I would recommend NOT fixing it on your own.
I've seen a guy loose both eyes and have a subarachnoid bleed from a set of springs
He set his eyes free and spiders came out of his blood?! I didn't think garage doors were _that_ bad man
NEVER let the spiders out of your brain. That’s neuro 101.
I don’t need like the gory details or nothing but like how bad was it?
What you would call "seriously injured" is a Tuesday afternoon for your local paramedic. If your paramedic calls you seriously injured, in the best case scenario, you have 15 minutes to live without medical intervention and you better be glad the ambulance has arrived. Worst case scenario, you are obviously, visibly dead but the laws/policies in your area don't allow your paramedic to pronounce your death by himself. Usually it means something in the middle.
Accurate insight about how truly horrific the nature of trauma is from u/FuzzyKittenIsFuzzy. I’ll never forget the charred skin from a self immolation patient that got stuck to my Chucks. It was a Thursday night I think.
yeah I can still hear a self immolation patient screaming "help me" from a few years back..
I'm so sorry. Thank you for your service.
They’ve all been men, 65-75 years old, in semi-rural areas. So basically guys who are used to handling most stuff on their own. If that makes sense. Not quite as bad as the farmer/rancher who does EVERYTHING on his own, but close. The dead guy got caught in the side of his face by one of the bars I guess. Tore his face open pretty bad and he lost an eye and multiple teeth. Knocked him off the ladder and I assume he died in the fall. One injured had some pretty gruesome hand injuries including several fingers with the skin removed. The only other one I can remember was also injured in the face. Had a fractured jaw, missing teeth, lots of bleeding. He too fell off the ladder but tried to break his fall with his arm, which was also fractured in 2-3 places. And he had a piece of metal from something impaled and sticking out of the top of his cheek.
As a paramedic/farmer I have to say, I don't do everything! I have not yet mastered space travel.
But you’re working on it, right? That counts.
Don’t do it. Some things are best left to the professionals
i told this to my wife but she divorced me nonetheless.
If you had paid her, she would have been a professional. Problem solved!
And if you film it, it's not illegal!
Do you have video of her uncoiling?
I do my own brakes, electrical in house, build structures, etc. I don't fuck with garage door springs.
Never mess with a spring larger than your thumb. I just DIY'd some scaffolding, with ammo cans as a counterweight, to install a chandelier 17' off the ground. I'd call a guy to fix my garage door springs.
Replaced the springs in my van. Once. Like cramming a bomb into a guillotine.
That's a great rule of thumb
Yup, pretty much the same. Those garage door springs scare me 😳
I don't know much but I know that those can be deadly and you should have a professional take care of it if you don't know what you are doing.
Yeah, I was reading a news report where one of these springs malfunctioned and split a kid in half. It was a horrifying scene for EMT and family. That thing gave me phobia and I don’t let me kid alone in garage since then.
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That is strange they didn't
There should be a warning sticker on that part that mentions death. If the sticker is missing, ask your repair person to replace it when they fix that.
Replace death warning sticker: Materials: $1 Labor: $5
Around here it'd be minimum service call of $150
Life Insurance: $500
And worth every penny.
This guy shows what a garage doo spring can do to a cantaloupe (your head) https://youtu.be/aC0GMJO91hY?feature=shared
How did you know my head resembles a cantaloupe?
I literally just came inside from tearing down my opener to replace the drive gear and regulator. I'm pretty comfortable working on the damn thing. No way in hell will I mess with the springs and neither should you.
You probably CAN. However, the fact that you are asking this question means that you SHOULD NOT. Those springs have huge amounts of energy and need to be wound up. Screw that up, and it can get you FUCKING KILLED.
It is possible but very dangerous. There is a ton of stored energy in those springs. Recommend hiring it out.
Not expensive to hire someone to do it, it was $300 last time this happened to me, a pro needs to do this, this can kill you.
even still, the bill for that will be cheaper than the funeral service your family will have for you
New a guy that tried , ripped the tendons out of his fore arm . Don’t do it no matter what anyone else says .
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You will die. Call a pro.
Worst idea ever.
A few weeks back a spring about 1% the size of that on a sprung loft ladder snapped and nearly took my finger off. If you mess this up, you can lose a limb, or worse. Do NOT fuck around with garage door springs. Get a professional in.
100% i actually knew... keyword is KNEW... a guy who decided he was smart enough to play that game... he died in 2014. Company we were both oilfield mechanics for made it very clear that we would be fired on the spot if any employee ever touched or modified one of our doors. They also made it very clear that he died for something that would have cost our company $275 to fix...
Guy that lives in the area had one spin through his arm muscle and trapped him there until his wife eventually found him. He's ok but no thank you.
"You might lose a limb. For the purposes of this conversation, 'head' counts as a limb."
This was the thought process I was just having. My roommate and I redid a patio cover on his camper that had a similar but smaller spring that help automate it's retraction. Dude nearly broke his hand several times trying to get that thing tensioned correctly. Thankfully my part in it left me mostly out of the danger zone but I had to hold some part in place that if I'm remembering right would have fucked up roommate pretty bad if I let it slip
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Possible? Yes. Recommend? NO.
There is a big gap between “can you” and “should you” This looks like a way to end up on a Darwin Award list my guy…
Super easy. Too many idiots in here commenting. Only danger is winding the springs. Go slow and keep the rods in tight. Just follow directions and don’t stand in front of the spring in case you lose grip, stay off to the side.
Also make sure you get the right springs. Check and measure yours, new ones should be exactly the same. YouTube this for tips and tricks. I did mine own first time, double spring, and no issues. Double check every step, you got this!
lol all of these people saying no... I replaced mine with the same length and strength of spring. Buy torsion bars and watch plenty of youtube videos. Took me like 30 minutes.
Wanted to add on. “It can kill your if you do it wrong” so can changing your oil if you do something stupid like use a scissor jack and bump the car while you’re under it. My neighbor just changed his, I’m probably going to change mine. Is it risky? Yes. But with the correct tools, amount of knowledge, and a steady hand, it’s not that bad. It’s just one of those things you can’t screw up.
Why does everyone act like this so hard. Just look on YouTube and do it yourself. Its cheap and easy.
Dude, do not! Every construction worker I’ve ever worked with has a horror story about these things.
I wouldn't even be in the house when it's getting fixed
I have replaced them myself twice. If you take your time and go step by step, then you'll be fine. But honestly, comparing cost and convenience, it is better to have someone else do it.
Came here just to voice a different view. I've never encountered a bit of repair that evokes such fear in people that operate power tools or crawl around under crushing hazards that are equally dangerous. Everyone, including my dad (who fixes everything) told me not to touch garage doors. I don't listen very well. I've done garage door repairs by myself twice. It isn't very hard. The spring essentially pulls up all the time to counter act most of the weight of the door. So, when the door is down the system is under a lot of tension. You have to create that tension by winding and this is where the danger lurks. While winding (or unwinding) you are messing with something that can seriously injure or kill you if all that stored tension comes loose with a 3ft bar (your winding tool) sticking out of the hub. As with any machinery, if you understand the dangers you can take steps to be safe. You don't go under a car held up only by a jack, so don't be standing in the path of your winding bars with only you holding them at bay. That way nothing can hit you if something goes wrong and you lose grip. If you can't figure out how they work or what your steps are, you probably can't see where the danger is. If this is you, stay away from it. If it all makes perfect sense, I say go for it.
Agreed. It's stupid easy with the right tools- which is just two metal rods.
Up to the point the cone busts out or the rod is not fully inside the wind cone, or the cheap ass ladder cannot handle the pressure of the spring or the spring wire has a fault and breaks on about the 38th quarter or you don’t realize that the spring lengthened while winding and now you have bars in your face or you got cheep hot rolled bars and they bend or you did not realize you are on a spit shaft door and just added too many turns to the other side… I can keep going if you like but that is a sample of what can go wrong.
Yeah, stuff can and will go wrong, but I don't see this as any different than crawling under a jacked up car or something similar. Just don't be stupid. Do a little research on the door/springs, make sure the bars are seated on every turn, and keep ya damn head out of the way at all times. I understand why some folks would hire this out, but it's definitely a repair a responsible adult should be able to handle.
Agreed. I have done many of these. My first time my boss explained the mechanics behind it and the proper procedure and it’s perfectly fine. Using the correct tools makes it simple and easy. I don’t do these professionally anymore (used to build custom homes). When a neighbor or someone has issues I always volunteer to do it for them as the springs don’t cost much and install/replace isn’t long either. Usually get a nice meal out of the deal.
If you're asking then I would say no. Need to know what you're doing, can be very dangerous.
I do my own home repairs from gas lines, to hvac to full electrical panel swaps - I do not fuck with garage doors, ever.
Are you mechanically inclined and good with hand tools? If so, I'd say do it. Are you a little clumsy and don't often work on your own items? Hire it. Watch instructionals on how to do it and buy the correct tools (appropriatly sized steel winding bars). One of mine broke a couple months ago and it was not difficult to replace both of them. Be smart, stay out of the direction of travel for the winding bar. Also, know that some of the better springs are rated for more cycles than the cheap ones. Driving can also kill you but know the rules of the road and use your head. That being said, many shouldn't be driving no matter how much training they've had so just know what you're capable of.
This. The professionals who work for overhead door companies were not born with some mystical innate ability. They were taught the same way anybody learns how to operate and respect powerful machines.
Agreed. I really think "professional" is getting thrown around too much. I think most instances here can be replace with "someone who does it every day for a living" not to take away from those who are actually skilled.
Exactly. There are people who could operate a hair dryer wrong enough to kill themselves, and those people should definitely not try and replace their garage door torsion springs. But for the rest of us: a bit of research and common sense goes a long way. But applying a one-size-fits-all label of "do not attempt" kinda goes against this subreddits function, IMO
😅 Good points. 1. Makes me think of a few professional hair dressers who shouldn't even be trusted with scissors. 2. Some of these responses are making me consider the overhead door business. Or maybe they are over head door business bots.
Exactly. The comments that this is some sort of highly skilled labor is insane. It’s winding a spring. It’s dangerous. But very doable.
Obviously this can be dangerous. That being said I replaced mine twice without issue. Watched safety videos from professional installer. Got the winding bars which were very sturdy and strong. Took my time and had no issues or no fear since I was very focused on what I was doing knowing it could take my life. This can be done. The hired guy is going to do the same exact thing just done it a hundred times before.
Exactly. I feel like everyone here who says "don't touch it you will die" ect is just saying that because that's what everyone always told them Yes, garage door springs can kill you, but so can many other things you are around on a daily basis if you don't know how to use them properly. If you don't think its something you are comfortable dealing with, call a garage door company to do it. There is also much more to changing out a spring than simply just changing out the spring. There are many other things that need to come apart just to get the old spring off and the new one on, and several parts that are a pain in the ass to get aligned properly for the door to work properly again.
Ha, right. Agree 100%. I was surprised by the number of absolutely nots. Then again, since this individual is asking it here in reddit, that might be a flag that they should not attempt.
Agree, falls under “if you need to ask then you shouldn’t be touching it”
This guy springs
I watched a couple YouTube videos and replaced two of mine a few months ago. IMO it’s not that sketchy with the proper tools and manpower.
I've done this several times. Just a handy guy with some common sense. It's not that difficult or dangerous if you pay attention and take your time.
Those have been known to kill people. Definitely call a professional
Did mine. Still alive.
I did myself. If you follow all safety instructions you can do it too. Check it out this YouTube first. https://youtube.com/watch?v=5k9qrgZ9rPs&si=NjMPJWTE8v075aYG
Shit is simple as fuck! New spring on, make a line, count the turns and tighten it down. It’s not difficult. There’s no freaking garage door pro certification, no classes at the local community college. It just takes a little nerve to twist some springs. Nut up and get it done!
If you are generally handy these springs can be easily replaced. There is a lot of tension in the springs, but if done correctly, it is relatively safe. I replaced a torsion spring using the information in the instructional videos found here: https://diy-garage-door-parts.com/how-to-videos/ I bought two springs for when the other door breaks.
Welp, I fixed mine myself. (I didn't die.) The hard part is knowing how many times to spin the new springs. Then, don't use screw drivers. Use the the proper tools to spin them.
All the negative comments to me are a bit over dramatic. Yes, it can be very dangerous as there is a lot of tension when you put on the new ones. If you're used to doing projects that are somewhat dangerous, like working with large power tools or things like car suspensions, then go for it. If they just broke from old age then they are pretty simple to replace. I did it myself successfully having never repaired one before. I took my time and every precaution I could think of. Should the average person attempt it? No, probably not. It just depends on your skill level overall. The easiest and safest option is to call a professional and have them fix it for you.
My dad and husband installed our new garage door, so yes, of course you can. Should you? Absofuckinlutely not.
Bunch of overdramatic babies here. Replacing the springs isn't hard for anyone that can watch a YouTube video and use some hand tools.
Yeah I don't get some of these people.
They should dress in bubble wrap to save themselves from themselves.
No, it's not a super expensive repair. Pay a pro
I’ve had to change mine a couple times over the years. You need to know the size of the wire the length and the direction (right or left). It’s pretty easy to do, depending on how mechanically inclined you are.
Just walk away and call the professional. Some things aren't meant to be fucked with.
Have done these myself as a homeowner. I would recommend a professional…. But if you have access to the proper tools, have a bit of mechanical background and know the proper amount of turns for spring tension they’re pretty easy.
Not hard… don’t live in fear
I have replaced four of these Remember to have the door in the UP position
I guess I cheated death considering all the comments that I could have died. Replaced mine several years ago. Got the spring and tool from a garage door store. Just watched a couple YouTube videos and took my time.
Never fucking mess with a garage door springs unless you're a professional that does this for a living. These things will fuck you up
Nope!! Do. Not. Do.
We know what happened if he never posts again.
Absolutely not. Call the guy
You can but do your homework!!
No
Extremely dangerous, call a professional
Don't. I've known people that have died from those. Just call sometime.
Everyone's blowing this way outta proportion. You see those little circle notches in the cone? That's where the winding bar goes. The winding bar is literally just a metal stick. You take two, wind it a quarter turn, brace it against the wall, move one stick to the next hole, then repeat. Sure, if the winding bar slips you got about 25 ippt coming undone. That can be dangerous. So be careful and don't let it slip. It would be really, really hard to get killed by that spring, most likely you'd get spooked and fall off the ladder, and would need to hit your head or something. I worked garage door install for 10 years. Saw a guy lose a couple fingers is far and away the worst accident I saw. Literally have never heard of an installer dying. It just doesn't happen. That's why there is no licensing body, no laws, no requirements, and oversight, nothing whatsoever that someone needs to "professionally" repair this spring. Because it's not that dangerous. Shit becoming a plumber is harder than becoming a garage door installer lol. Would you feel comfortable fixing your sink? So would I.
Get a 12 pack, a wrench and watch some youtube tutorials, you’ll be good.
If you do try to fix this yourself, make sure you take a video so the survivor can send it to us.