You balance test a door, not a roller. It is worth being clear about that because the test tells you about the springs, and the springs are what carry the weight of the whole door. Rollers are checked a different way.
Here is how both are done, and what each one tells you.
The door balance test
This checks whether the springs are still carrying the door. Do it with the operator disconnected.
- Close the door.
- Pull the release cord on the operator so the door is free of the drive.
- Lift the door by hand to about waist height and let go.
A balanced door stays roughly where you leave it. If it drops, the springs have lost tension or one has broken. If it runs up on its own, the springs are overwound. Either way the operator is now doing work the springs should be doing, and that is what burns out motors and strips gears.
On a commercial door, be careful doing this by hand. A sectional steel door can weigh several hundred pounds and an unbalanced one will come down fast. If it feels heavy, stop and leave it closed.
Checking rollers
Rollers are checked by looking and listening, not by a balance test.
- Spin them. With the door closed, each roller should spin freely by hand. A roller that will not turn is dragging through the whole cycle.
- Look at the wear. Nylon rollers wear flat spots and the tyre breaks up. Steel rollers lose their bearing and start to wobble on the stem.
- Check the stems. A bent stem means the roller has been running hard against the track.
- Listen on a cycle. A failing roller gives you a rhythmic squeal or rumble that repeats at the same point each time.
Why people mix the two up
Because a dragging roller and a weak spring produce a similar complaint: the door feels heavy and the operator struggles. The balance test separates them. If the door is balanced but still hard to move, the problem is friction, and that is rollers, track or bearings. If the door will not stay put at waist height, it is the springs.
What not to do
Do not adjust springs. Torsion springs are wound under heavy load and are released with winding bars by someone who has done it before. The same goes for the bottom brackets, which carry full cable tension even with the door down.
Replacing a roller on a commercial door usually means loosening track or removing a hinge, which puts you next to parts that are under load. On a residential door it is a simpler job; on a 14 foot steel sectional it is not.
If the balance test tells you the springs are gone, or the rollers are shot, call (604) 206-5727. Price first, then the work.
