How Long Do Garage Door Springs Last?

How many times each day does your garage door open and close? If you ever stop to count, you might be surprised by how often it happens.

Now, consider the wear and tear each open-and-close cycle has on your door’s torsion system, including the springs, which support the weight of the door as it rises and lowers. While they might not look like much, those springs are the workhorses of your garage door system.

The life expectancy of garage door springs is measured in cycles. Most basic manufacturer springs will last 5,000 cycles. Oil-tempered springs perform better, lasting about 10,000 cycles. But, the team at A1 Garage Door Service knew we could do better.

We developed our MaxLife springs to provide a longer-lasting solution for your garage door needs. MaxLife springs are rated for 80,000 cycles. That’s 16 times a standard manufacturer-grade spring.

What’s Ahead

• Calculating Lifespan
• Warranties and Service
• Choosing the Right Springs
• Identifying MaxLife Products
• The MaxLife Advantage

Calculating Lifespan

The lifespan of a garage door spring can be compared to tires for your vehicles. When you go to the automotive dealer, you have options to buy 40,000-mile tires, 60,000-mile tires or even Michelin’s never-flat tires.

Garage door springs are similar, in that the various types of springs each have an expected amount of cycles they will operate without issue. And, A1 Garage Door Service’s MaxLife springs are the equivalent of Michelin’s top-of-the-line tires.

Just how long will a MaxLife spring last compared to other springs? Let’s break it down:

Let’s assume a family of four cycles – opens and closes – their garage door 10 times per day. Accounting for family vacations and other time away from home, we’ll say this happens 350 days per year.

With those base statistics, you can calculate 3,500 cycles per year. That means:

• A standard manufacturer spring will last about 18 months.
• An oil-tempered spring will last three years.
• An A1 Garage Door Service MaxLife spring will last more than more than 22 years.

Warranties and Service

Most garage door springs – even standard manufacturer products – include lifetime warranties or those that extend well beyond the life expectancy of the parts.

These warranties, however, do not include service and labor. So, every few years, you will need to have someone out to your home to replace the springs. And, while you don’t necessarily have to pay for replacement parts, you incur labor charges.

Additionally, when springs break, technicians will often only replace half the spring system, leaving the other half worn and prone to further issues in the near future.

MaxLife springs also carry a lifetime warranty, and when installing MaxLife springs, technicians replace both parts of the system. With this added durability, you’ll save several hundreds of dollars in labor expenses throughout the lifespan of your springs.

Choosing the Right Springs

As mentioned above, your garage door springs do the heavy lifting when it comes to raising and lowering your garage door, which can weigh more than 100 pounds.

Choosing the right springs for your door is important. One measurement to consider is IPPT, or inch-pounds-per-turn. To determine this figure, you measure the inside diameter, wire size, wire length and whether it’s left- or right-hand wound.

A garage door professional can complete these calculations in relation to the weight of your door to determine the correct size of spring. Sometimes, a single spring will suffice; other times, you might need two.

A1 Garage Door Service’s MaxLife springs have undergone rigorous research-and-development testing. Through the development process, our team implemented solutions to correct common wear-and-tear issues and extend the lifespan of not only the springs but also adjacent parts of your garage door system. 

Identifying MaxLife Products

MaxLife springs are manufactured in the United States and use only the best-sourced materials. They’re easy to identify, as they’re powder-coated in A1 Garage Door Service’s signature red color.

You’ll also be able to identify our MaxLife garage door rollers by their color. These nylon cycle-Z rollers have an estimated lifespan of 100,000 cycles – making them even more durable than your MaxLife springs.

While not part of the MaxLife product line, you will also spot A1 Garage Door Service’s signature red operator reinforcement brackets (ORBs) and surge protectors in homes we’ve serviced and equipped with the best products possible.

The MaxLife Advantage

MaxLife springs from A1 Garage Door Service offer you long-term peace of mind. While shorter-cycle springs are more economical in the moment, they’ll also need to be replaced more frequently and come with added service charges.

Keeping your garage door functioning smoothly and efficiently will protect your investment – as well as the security of your home – for years to come. That’s the MaxLife advantage. Call us at 844-214-2724 and let us help you get the maximum life from your garage door springs.