If you have an automatic garage door, then you can spot the cables located on both sides. The cables are primarily intended to lift and lower the door using the transmitted energy from the door to the garage door springs.
But when the cable breaks, so goes the full functionality of your garage door. You will be able to notice it by squeaking, shaking, and other unusual movements of the gate. You’ll either see the door warping or falling down altogether.
In these cases, you will find it difficult or impossible to operate the door, and there is a safety hazard because the door could fall down. In this case, you will need the help of garage door professionals located in your area.
But what causes the door cable to break down and is there something you can do to prevent it from happening? Can the snapped garage door cable be repaired? Here’s everything you know about snapped garage door cables.
The Causes
Various things can cause the garage door cable to snap or break down.
Age is one factor as many cables break because of the usual wear and tear. With constant use, cables will break and snap after a while. Rust is also another consideration since corrosion will cause damage to the spring. Make sure to catch the rust before it starts spreading.
A broken extension or torsion spring will cause the door cable to snap. When one spring breaks the others even if they are in good condition may snap as well. Likewise, defective assembly and lack of proper maintenance will cause the garage door cable to snap quickly.
Manual lifting of the door is also another cause of the damage to the door cable spring. Manual use of the door causes the cable to dislodge from the cable drum when the door is lifted too high. Your garage door’s cable dislodged from its drum is much like the fishing line getting out of the fishing reel.
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Checking the Cable
You should be vigilant in spotting a broken garage door cable. After all, a loose or broken cable may cause the other remaining, good cables to snap, causing the garage door to drop. A person under the door may then be injured severely.
Check for signs of broken or damaged cable. As a reminder, these include the following:
- Squeaking, shaking, or other unusual with the door
- Unbalanced or crooked door
- The door already crashed and dropped to the floor
- A stuck door, refusing to go up or down
Are There Preventive Measures You Can Take?
There are several things to do to prolong the life of the cable spring.
For one, you can regularly check your cable door spring to inspect for signs of fraying or kinks. Include the pulleys in your inspection as this too will wear out over time.
Should you discover a frayed cable, then follow the path of the cable to find out the source of damage. Sometimes, you have the option to take out whatever is causing the damage.
Cleaning your cable also helps prolong its life. Take out any debris you find. Proper use of lubricants is also necessary since lubricated cables are magnets for dirt and grime.
How to Repair
You may be tempted to repair or replace the cable spring by yourself, thinking it will save you a considerable amount of money.
But unless you are a professional, it is best to get the services of a professional. Checking for the extent of the damage alone is difficult and will involve a bit of prodding and poking. Sadly, thousands of people end up in the hospital after attempting to repair the cable of their garage door themselves.
Plus, cable repair or replacement requires skills, experience, and tools. At the very least you will need to do the following.
- Inspect to identify what’s causing the breakdown of the garage door cable
- Determine whether the repair requires cable reattachment or replacement and installation.
- Do the cable reattachment or replacement and installation
- Assess and repair other damage caused by the faulty spring to the door
- Rebalance the garage door weight
- Establish the right amount of tension on the spring
- Check the garage door and troubleshoot again if it isn’t working properly
Why Call a Professional?
That’s quite a long list if one considers that each step is quite complicated. Unless you are highly experienced, then it can be difficult to tell whether the door spring cable only needs reattachment or replacement and installation.
Plus, there’s the actual reattachment or repair of the cable spring, which will require a few more men to at least hold the door and place it down to repair the spring.
Consider calling a professional company to do the inspection and the repair or replacement. Their garage door technicians are experts who can quickly identify the root cause of the problem and offer you an opinion on whether to repair or replace the cable door spring.
The professionals will have the tools needed and are trained to follow safety standards. There would be no need to risk any member of your family to repair the faulty garage door cable. Call one today.
