How Long Springs Last
Springs are rated in cycles rather than years, and the number of cycles a household uses varies enormously.
Short answer
A cycle is one open and one close. A standard spring is commonly rated around ten thousand cycles, which for a household using the door four times a day is roughly seven years and for a household using it eight times a day is roughly three and a half. Higher cycle-rated springs cost a little more and last proportionally longer.
How the maths works
A cycle is one full open and close.
A standard residential spring is commonly rated around ten thousand cycles.
Four cycles a day — out and back twice — is roughly fifteen hundred a year, so about seven years.
Eight cycles a day, which is normal for a household where the garage is the main entrance, halves that.
A household with two drivers, teenagers and a dog walker can be at twelve or more cycles a day.
And the garage door being the main entrance to the house, which is how most London households use it, is what pushes the cycle count up.
Higher cycle springs
Springs are available at twenty-five thousand, fifty thousand and higher cycle ratings, made with heavier wire and more coils. The premium is modest and the life is proportionally longer, which on a door used as a main entrance is clearly worth it. Ask about the cycle rating when springs are being replaced, because the standard option is what gets quoted by default.
What shortens the life
A door out of balance, which makes the spring work against friction as well as weight.
Rusted or dry springs, which in an unheated London garage with road salt coming in on vehicles is a real factor — lubrication is a genuine maintenance item.
The wrong spring for the door weight, which is common after a door has been insulated or had panels replaced.
Binding rollers and a misaligned track, which increase the load.
An opener with its force set too high, which masks a problem and keeps forcing the door.
And a garage that gets very cold, because steel is less forgiving at low temperatures.
Signs they are near the end
The door feels heavy when lifted by hand with the opener disconnected.
The door does not stay put at waist height when released, which is the standard balance test.
Visible gaps in the coils on a torsion spring, which means it has already broken or is separating.
Rust and flaking on the spring surface.
The opener straining, running hot, or reversing part way.
And the door opening unevenly or jerking, which can be the spring, the cables or the rollers.
Common questions
How long do garage door springs last?
Measured in cycles. A standard spring at ten thousand cycles is about seven years at four cycles a day.
Are high-cycle springs worth it?
On a door used as the main entrance, clearly. The premium is modest.
How do I test the balance?
Disconnect the opener and lift the door to waist height. It should stay there.