I purchased an electric garage door opener for my dad for Christmas not knowing there is 2 different kind of spring systems. He currently has the parallel style. But I’m going for " super quiet" in the FROG above the garage so I purchased a jackshaft unit. Now I have to decide if it’s more reliable to have torsion springs as I really would prefer to have as absolutely quiet of a unit as possible. Can anyone weigh-in on the pros and cons of the 2 systems. Could really use feedback on the matter.
Well, I’ve had both kinds over the years, and haven’t really noticed a noise difference. I assume this is a segmental door (instead of a one-piece)?. Much of the noise in an opening/closing garage door is from the hinges between the segments which nobody remembers to lubricate.
There is a bit of twang and rub with the parallel (extension) springs, they sometimes sag and rub on the safety line inside them), and the coils of a torsion type do rub against each other. Personally, I wouldn’t change what’s there now unless it’s broken.
An extension spring is something a homeowner can replace fairly easily when it breaks, but playing with a torsional spring can be VERY DANGEROUS. You have to have the right tools and know exactly what you are doing and be meticulously careful.
I’m going to second this. I’ll fix damn near anything, but I won’t go near a garage door spring. I’m not afraid to at least attempt to fix things, but I won’t touch those things. People get seriously maimed when they lose their grip on the breaker bars. It’s one of the few things that I say ‘spring broke, call the guy’ without even thinking about it. See the bar this guy is holding. He’s going to pull it down to tighten the spring, if he lets go or it slips, it’s going to come back up and hit him in the face. For $200, I’m happy to let him do it instead of me.
There’s instructions and youtube videos for fixing just about everything. That’s about the only thing that every website starts out with ‘here’s how to do it, but have someone do it for you or you’ll die’. Electricity, no problem. Plumbing, I can do it. Broken washing machine, sure, why not. Garage Door spring snapped…I got a guy and he’s gonna do it for me.
BTW, if you’re in Milwaukee and need a garage door guy, PM me, I got one and he’s awesome.
Just to clarify, the vast majority of the noise will always come from just the door opening itself. Other than the low hum of the electric motor an automatic opener isn’t going to make it much louder. Segmented garage doors are inherently noisy and most of the noise comes from the metal rollers traveling thru the metal guides on either side. No amount of lubrication is going to make them quiet.
I’ve replaced torsion springs before, and they make me nervous. I’ll do it, but I don’t like it. One of the basic safety steps is to stand off to the side so if you do lose your grip, you won’t get smacked in the face.
I came here just to say the same damn thing. Chain saws? No problem? Rock climbing? Sure. Whitewater? Sounds fun. Everest? If I was rich and didn’t hate the cold sure. Visit the International Space Station with about a 1 in 50 chance of dying? Sign me up.
I messed with adjusting a torsion spring once.
Never again.
I recall one talking head DIY TV expert as saying those might actually be the most dangerous thing in your house.
The traditional door openers add a chain and a third rail that is fixed directly to the ceiling of the garage. If rollers on the existing rails make noise, then wouldn’t you think having an additional rail to vibrate the floor of the FROG is going to add even a greater amount of noise?
Have you ever heard those things snap. It sounds like a car hitting the house, it’s so loud. And they’re moving so much weight.
My door has two. It’s just cheap foam filled door and I figured between the lightweight panels and the other spring I could lift it and at least get my car out in the morning. Nope, might as well have been trying to lift a brick wall.
I’ll point out that the roller’s bearings should be lubricated, but the rollers themselves where they run in the track, should be dry. Otherwise they’ll just collect dirt and make things worse.
I prefer the torsion because I spent a good part of my life replacing rear doors on trailers with torsion. You need to know what you are doing or you can get hurt or at best screw up the job.
Yes, some. But the opener’s rail & chain don’t have any weight on them, they just have to pull & push the door. And if that takes extra effort it’s because the door rollers or rails are binding or the springs don’t have enough tension.
Plus, I don’t know what FROG means (front room over garage maybe?)
FROG= Furnished Room Over Garage