Expensive springs for garage doors.

[TheMitchells]

When we built our garage in 2002, we had an electric door fitted, 3.6m wide, supplied and fitted by a local chap and it has been great apart from one thing.  in 2009 one of the springs went and so our local chap ordered another one from Germany and fitted it - cost £182 which seemed rather a lot for a metal spring but that did include fitting and vat.  Then in 2012 another one went, this time it cost £238. the fitter said that he had only ever had to replace one other spring in all the doors he has fitted but ours seems to keep going - in 2014 the opposite one broke.  I guess I should have made a big fuss with the German company, Hormann, but we didnt and paid the £295 for our third replacement.

 

Guess what!  its happened again. the spring went last thursday evening, luckily with the car on the outside as the OH was away and I ceretainly could not have managed to lift the door without help. Again our local chap came and had a look - this should not be happening. Our door is the only one whose springs keep going.  So this time he said he would see if Hormann wanted to come and have a look and see if they could help with this issue.  But you've guessed it, they dont want to know.  Its out of warranty! 

 

I am emailing the company to ask for some sort of discount here - it has already cost us over £700 over and above the installation costs and I would guess the price for the new spring will keep going up.  But surely I should have some comeback on Hormann as no-one else seems to have this problem. 

 

Any ideas on what else we can do? 

 

 

 

[Triassic]

Replacement spring £114 from eBay!

 

The springs has an aluminium tag on each spring giving the spring model number.

 

 

Edited July 27, 2018 by Triassic

[TheMitchells]

Will both sides be the same - Ed, my fitter, took the tag to order another one?  I shall see if we can get the number and have a look online.  I guess we can't invalidate any warranty as we dont have one now!?

[TheMitchells]

spring ordered from ABI Garage Doors Sullies - Only £110 for the spring and the chap will fit it for £75 so much better and a lesson to me - always look online to make sure we are not paying over the odds for goods!  ?

[TheMitchells]

One spring ordered at a cost of £114 with fitter costing £75 so much better than Hormanns offerigns. 

[Onoff]

If you have an idea of what spring you want then these people are great and do small orders. Been using them for years at work and for home:

 

https://www.springmasters.com/

[ProDave]

I am late to this thread, but personally I would be looking at a DIY pulley and counterweight system instead to replace the springs.

[TheMitchells]

On 29/07/2018 at 11:10, ProDave said:

I am late to this thread, but personally I would be looking at a DIY pulley and counterweight system instead to replace the springs.

would that work with the electric door opener that we have?  we could consider that next time. I ordered the spring and it arrived this week so I am now waiting for the fitter to come round and get the garage door working again.  I certainly miss it as we use the garage far more than the front door, particularly for walking the dog - which may explain why the springs keep going. it probably does more work than usual.