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Comment by tmaly | Hacker News Reader

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tmaly·

I have had to replace mine before.

I was sitting in the family room. Big slam sound. I go out and check the garage and one of the springs had broke.

It is really not a big deal to switch them out.

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That is a very weird take to me. That big slam presumably is the spring breaking, a lot of energy released at once in a rather uncontrolled fashion. The same energy will be released if you make a mistake installing it or the spring is faulty for whatever reason while you are standing right next to it.

My take away is that it's to dangerous to do.

If you take the weight off the spring so it is limp, and you secure the door, this removes the danger.

Oof. Just because you did it yourself does not mean it wasn’t extremely dangerous, or that the average home owner should attempt it. There’s an incredible amount of energy stored in those springs when wound up

I am not talking about wound up springs. This is a simple spring you usually see in pairs, one on each side of the garage door.

It's not that big a deal if you're someone that considers getting on a 6+ foot ladder not a big deal, or changing your own oil, or going to a shooting range with a rifle, or I guess driving a big rental truck. It REALLY helps to watching someone do it in person the first time, like a handy neighbor or something. Definitely error on the side of calling a pro than doing yourself unless you can easily do a couple pull ups or lift a 50lb weight. Definitely ensure the rods you use fit snugly. It's super satisfying to get the job done though.

It is absolutely a big deal.

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