Awning springs have power - I learned the hard way

[belairbrian]

Wanted to share this so maybe someone else doesn't get hurt.

The first time I changed an awning I read everything I could watched all the videos took my time and everything went fine.

SO of course next time i was a pro. This was part of swapping out from basement style arms to normal style arms to solve the door clearance problem. While I was working with a Dometic A&E power awning the spring issue is the same for manuals.

I moved the arms out and secured them with zip ties. Then I removed the bolt securing the left end. By this point I had already screwed up. The end wouldn't come out so I started tapping it out. Eventually it came out. And when it did it grabbed my shirt and started spinning.Pulled me in and cut my stomach in 4 places before my shirt binding up and stopping it.

That's when I realized I forgot to pin the end shaft.

I used vice grips to free myself and pin the spring. Had to completely unwind the spring and reset to the manufacturers setting.

Oh, I also ended up with a broken finger.

I still think an awning fabric change is very doable at home, but just understand how much energy is stored in the spring.

[TurnThePage]

Wow!

[BobsYourUncle]

OUCH! Big ouch!

I know that story very well from my own experience.

About 40 years ago I did that with a residential roll up awning. Didn't pin it, thought I could hold it.... stub arm rotated and unloaded on the knuckles of my left hand. Severely beat my hand about a dozen blows in the time it took me to react and pull my hand out of the way.

Thanks for the reminder! Yes, those springs can literally kill you if you're not careful.

I was lucky, nothing broken but I sure was bruised and sore for a very long time.

40 plus years later I am still very leary of anything with a big spring in it, especially garage doors.

[Johno02]

Sorry you got hurt. Hope your posting keeps someone else from having the same accident.

[Mfan]

Been there, done that. Rolling in my manual awning. A strong wind came up. Ripped arm off the lower part of my 5th. Roller caught my shirt. It left road tracks up my chest.