How to Adjust Your Door Closer
89See also: Door Closer Basics
This article is primarily about surface mounted door closers, but the ideas herein can be applied to other kinds of door closers as well.
Door closer adjustment is an art that requires knowledge, patience, and an ability to climb up and down a ladder several times, but with these attributes and the appropriate wrench, hex key or screwdriver, you can do it yourself.
Most of the adjustments are implemented through the opening or closing of hydraulic valves. When it comes to turning the screws that operate these valves, a little goes a long way. A turn of 5 degrees can significantly increase or decrease closing speed.
CAUTION: DO NOT COMPLETELY UNSCREW DOOR CLOSER HYDRAULIC ADJUSTMENT SCREWS OR YOU WILL RUIN THE CLOSER AND VOID THE WARRANTEE.
Also, hydraulic fluid will leak out of the closer and make a mess. This will make you unpopular.
A door closer is a mechanical device designed to close a door slowly, but firmly enough to latch. It accomplishes this by using spring tension modulated by hydraulic fluid. As the user opens the door, hydraulic fluid passes from one reservoir to another, and as the spring pushes the door closed again, the hydraulic fluid passes back to the previous reservoir through a series of valves that control the speed.
The illustration at right shows the effects of the common hydraulic adjustment controls available on most commercial grade door closers. Controls for swing speed and latching speed control how fast the door closes, and many closers also feature a hydraulic control for back check that controls the last few inches of the opening the door so as to prevent the door from being slammed into an adjacent wall.
- Swing speed adjustment controls how fast the door closes from fully open to within about 5 degrees of closed
- Latching speed adjustment controls how fast the door closes for those last few inches
- Back check adjustment controls the amount of resistance to opening the door past a selectable point
The illustration below shows the various hydraulic control valves. These might be located in many configurations, but you will usually see the back check control located somewhat away from the latch speed and swing speed controls.
There are also door closers equipped with an additonal valve for Delayed Action. Delayed action closers hold the door open for a longer period of time to allow persons with disabilities more time to get through the door.
Also notice the Spring Tension Adjustment in the illustration above. Spring tension controls the "size" of a closer. The term is misleading, because it does not actually have anything to do with the physical dimensions of the closer. Size is determined by the width of a door. "Sized" closers, that is, closers that have a factory pre-determined spring tension for a particular door width, have no spring tension adjustment. Many door closers today are "non-sized", indicating that spring tension can be field adjusted to fit the size of the door.
It is tempting to use the spring tension adjustment to solve problems, for example, in positive pressure situations where air flow is preventing the door from closing properly. However, the tighter you make the spring, the harder it will be to open the door. It is possible to tighten the spring tension to the point that some people will not be able to open the door.
Adjusting the Door Closer
To adjust the door closer, bring a step ladder tall enough so that you can easily reach the door closer from the second or third highest step. Climb the ladder and examine the closer. If you can't see adjustment screws, chances are the closer has a cover. Usually the cover is plastic, but it could also be metal. If you see no fasteners holding the cover on, that means the cover is held on by tension. Pull it off. If you do see fasteners, usually you can loosen, but not remove, the fasteners and the cover will slide off.
If you find that there is oil in the cover or oil on or leaking from the closer body, you can stop right now. You need a new door closer. If, however, it is not leaking, you can proceed.
Now that you have the cover off, you should be able to see the adjustment screws. If you are lucky, they will be marked on the closer body as to what they are or there will be a diagram inside the cover. If not, you may have to experiment a little to see which is which. Remember, when it comes to turning door closer adjustment screws, a little goes a long way. Start with no more than 1/8 of a turn. Turn the adjustment screw clockwise to slow the door closer down, counter-clockwise to speed it up. then get down off the ladder and observe the effect.
Open the door and watch it close. If it closes right the first time, check it 10 more times. If it closes correctly every time, you're done. If not, go back up the ladder and make another adjustment, etc., until the closer is doing what you want it to do. When it closes the way you want it to 10 times in a row, it will probably continue to do so.
Ideally a non-delayed action door closer will close and latch the door in 7 to 8 seconds.
Problems
If you expect a door closer to consistantly close the door, as a prerequisite the door must close properly. If there is a hinge problem, a warped door, or the door must swing uphill to close, a door closer will only go so far in solving the problem. Sometimes a door must be repaired before it will close and lock automatically with a door closer.
In vestibule conditions, where you have an exterior door, a small space, and then an interior door, the trapped air between the inside and outside door can be a factor. You may have to adjust both closers to get both to work correctly. Wherever air pressure is a factor, including negative or positive pressure situations, I have have gotten door closers to close and latch the door consistantly by adjusting them to a slow swing speed and a somewhat fast latch speed. The slow swing speed seems to give the air a chance to get out of the way and the fast latch speed gives it a very slight slam at the end to make sure it latches.
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Trouble Shooting
- If oil is leaking from your door closer, throw it away and buy a new one.
- If your door closer is slamming the door and cannot be adjusted to do otherwise, either the fluid has leaked out or the valve seals are worn out. Either way, your best option is to replace it.
- If the closer stops closing the door before it's closed all the way, or actually spings back when you try to manually shut the door, the arm is probably installed on the shaft incorrectly. Download the instructions from the door closer manufacturer's web site and see if it is installed correctly.
- If the arm makes noise and bounces up and down while the door is in motion, tighten the fasteners that hold the arm to the closer, to the header, and at the knuckle that holds the two parts of the arm together.
- If the door closer has no spring tension and the spring tension adustment turns round and round with no effect, the spring is broken the door closer must be replaced.
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Ah yes, the famous positive or negative pressure problem. Very difficult to solve!
I have a door closer on my screen door. It is a long spring and every six months I have to shorten it a bit because it gets stretchy like a broken slinky...
How much will you have to shorten it before it becomes a summer?
Hi Tom,
This is a very comprehensive hub on a little understood topic.
I see you are a locksmith.
Would you care to comment on a hub I wrote some time ago, about bump keys?
http://hubpages.com/hub/bumpkeys
Cheers, Eric g.
@Pest - Screendoor, eh? If you want to keep bragging about the upmarket features of your home, ferrcrissakes do it on your own hub!!
Thanks, Eric. I will happily have a look.
Tom, we used door closers to to slow free falling racks on line at a factory i worked maintanence at. the rack would free fall at 45 degrees and the stopper mounted in line would catch the rack , open slowing the rack and gently easing it back to a plane, then "close" for the next rack. Or should I ahve made another Hub about this. I am always so outta place... :rolleyes: wondered if you have ever seen this before? I was told this was unique to the F*rd line I was maintaining...pretty simple huh?
I have TWO screen doors.
Seemed to fit well in a comment, I dunno. Maybe there's a hub in there. Factory production lines are pretty fascinating.
No, I mainly worked on doors and the occasional steel gate, and every once in a while a safe. It was fun enough, for a job.
Good instruction! Great job......I appreciate you.
I am glad you found it helpful!
This is a great information. Thanks a lot!
Thank you, United! It's knowledge gained through decades of adjusting door closers.
Wish this hub had been there to refer to when I had to adjust the closers on storm doors that came with houses I lived in. Or when the door to the apartment across the way was so far off that it made a horrible scraping sound each time it was opened or closed and our maintenance men were clueless. (It did get fixed after residents *two floors below* complained about the noise, but you bet I was tempted to take the blasted thing off its hinges myself!)
There's the noise, the damage to the door, the lack of security - all good reasons to keep door closers in good repair. Thanks Jama!
Brilliant Advice on door closers ,i have seen some shocking installations by people who just do not know how they work ,If anyone wants a great brand you cant go past LCN closers in my opinion they are the best on the market
It's pretty hard to beat a 10-year warrantee. Thanks, Will!
thanks for the info. the door closer on my door needed attention cause the screen door slammed. the old/original one just allowed the door to close so so rapidly that i was worried that the door would come off the hinges. the original cant be repaired so i will just replace it.
thanks a whole lot for the nice article
thank you so much for the article, it helps!
Hey Tom,
We have a screen door that closes until the latch hits the frame of the door and stops the door. Normally the latch should retract to allow the door to close, but it doesn't seem to work. We have to use the door handle to retract the latch so that the door is actually closed. What might the problem be?
I posted this here because the door also slams in that last few centimetres, but I think by adjusting the latch speed I should be able to solve that problem.
- J
Usually on an aluminum screen door the latching action is actually in the strike, but if you have a wooden screen door, you may have a tubular latch. In that case, it is probably a matter of simply lubricating the latch itself with a little silicone spray. I have noticed that sometimes latches develop a kind of adhesive quality for no particular reason, sometimes. Give the latch a little spritz of silicone spray and see if it doesn't do the trick. Oh, an please let us all know. Thanks!
Hello Tom, I have a Glass door with no frame, can I install a door closer against a 90 degree wall? Thanks
I believe you are describing a Herculite, or all glass, door. These doors usually require concealed door closers.
Hi, Tom, I've a question to do about where can I find explanations about to fix a floor closer from Dorma model 75V? Let me say the problem: the oil leaked from one of the adjustment valves. I'm going to repair it (or try to do so...) and need a tutorial concerning this matter. Thank you for all. B. regards luizantonio
I do not recommend attempting to repair it, but if such a tutorial exists, it would be through Dorma.
You might find more info here:
http://www.dorma-usa.com/prod/door_hardware/concea
Or you can contact Dorma:
Hello, Tom, I respect your knowledge in this field and several people have said things in the same direction. Concerning to the spring tension at the moment of opening the case, I have to take care of it. I think I can fix the door closer in my shop (there is a lot of tools). I have to think about to reload the spring before reassembly it in the case. I'll tell you about, if I survive.... Thank you very much Regards LA
Be sure to wear safety glasses!
Tom, do you know where I can find some helpful info on the Sargent 43V "pot type" door closer,, I have an old one in my garage for the door to the kitchen,, I need to tune it up,, or get it refurbished. Thanks, Chris.
Please email me, Chris, and I will send you some info.
Hi, Tom, here I am again. I tried dismantle a Dorma floor door closer, and did it. I fixed it after search its trouble. It was a problem in an o ring set in the 15° closing velocity. I changed them, cleaned all parts, reassembled them and ... voilà!, the piece is working well. I wrote a step by step procedure beginnig from the dismantle, inspection, cleanning operations, and finanlly reassembly, with drawings and pics. This thing totalize 7 Word .doc pages, and I'm asking you if you want take a look over them and if eventually they would be usable. If yes, tell me how send them to you. If not, I'm thank you for your former instructions. Best regards. luizantonio luizantoniocastro@ig.com.br
You are multi-talented, Luiz Antonio! Thank you.
Hello, I recently bought a door closer and undid one of the speed ajustments a bit too much, it fell out and so did some of the red hydrolic fluid (quite a lot). It still works fine but should I consider replacing it? It won't, explode, will it?
Please email me with the responce at benedict.neo@btinternet.com
I have a Parker hydraulic closure that slams shut. I tried adjusting, but nothing changed. It may be low on fluid. Do you have any other recommendations?
Sorry, Cowboy, Parker is one of the cheapest closers on the market, right in the ballpark with Global. You could probably get an International to replace it fairly cheaply with a slight step up in quality. That's what I suggest.
You could also loosen up the arm a little by lengthening the forearm. That will decrease its strength, so reduce slamming. But if you do, it might not always close the door.
i am very very thankful to yahoo who help me in founding information about the door closer and complete my project
the security door at my apartment complex slams so hard it knocks things off my walls, how can i ajust it to not slam as hard
First, check to see if it is leaking oil. If it is leaking oil, adjustment will not help. The closer will have to be replaced. If it is not leaking oil, find the adjustment screws as described above and try turning each one of them just a little in a clockwise direction. One of them should slow the closer down.
If you can figure out what company manufactured the closer, you might be able to download installation instructions from that company's web site. The installation instructions would include details on adjusting your specific closer.
I have some defective overhead door closers that I will like refurbished. Could you direct me to a company that could do it?
The best thing to do is to call the door closer manufacturer and get the name of a distributor, then call the distributor and get the name of a hardware dealer near you who sells your closer. They will know who to direct you to in your area.
hi Tom, i may be able to help with mr Igwe's issue, if you are in canada, theres a guy that runs a company called door closer exchange (east toronto canada) if you are in the contagious 48 states, there is oodles of places that rebuild or fix door closers, if you are on east coast there is a place called New
England Door Closer, located in west springfield Ma.
Tom, i also notice something, may be an error, on the graphic showing locations of door closer adjustment valves, (im personally an expert in fixing door closers, fixed them during my high school years in the schools i went to)
the graphic i sadly will say, you have the adjustment screws reversed from what they really do, the adjustments between the spring tension and closer arm shaft is the backcheck, on most closers the sweep and latch will be located close to each other on other side of closer body (between end cap and shaft) those will be your sweep and latch, latch being the one closest to the end of closer body, and sweep being the one between the last screw and closer arm shaft.
also about leaking valves, the o-rings are replaceable and closers are not totally a disposable-buy-a-new-one type of device
if and when possible, can you fix the graphical error??
(sorry if i may be wrong, the graphic closely resembles an LCN 4010, being i have been around these since i was 12, practically an expert in closers
Thanks, Jess, for all your input.
As I said, "The illustration below shows the various hydraulic control valves. These might be located in many configurations, but you will usually see the back check control located somewhat away from the latch speed and swing speed controls."
I think that about covers it. They are located in different places on different closers.
Thanks for dropping the New England Doorcloser name. That's a good resource.
I drew the graphic at random, illustrating the usual placement of the backcheck valve away from the latch and swing speed valves. There is a really wide variety of placement of these valves on different closers.
I will write another article about the relative merits of rebuilding vs. replacing leaking closers, but the gist of it will be that a closer that you rebuild yourself has no guarantee at all; a closer that you have someone else rebuild is usually guaranteed for a year; and a new, grade 1 closer will come with a 10-year guarantee. That's the main reason I favor replacement.
ok now I understand,
as for rebuilding vs replacement: I personally favor rebuilding, I went to a middle school that used to rebuild their units in house.
here's how I see it, why spend 130+ dollars for a new closer when you can buy an o-ring kit for maybe 5 to 10 dollars at the most) at a auto parts or hardware store and fix the leaker yourself?
many places (as for internal parts of them) LCN and even the various closer repair shops, they do not provide any replacement parts to the end user because of the risk the company will expose themselves to in case the end user (owner of closer) gets hurt or damages their closer in the process of making the repair.
also during your article, you will want to be careful about the info released, because there are trade secrets that LCN and the respective companies want to keep secret to themelves, even though a door closer is a simple machine and is easy to understand once they figure it out, but if the trade secrets are released online, the companies that make them and those that repair them, could have a huge drop in business and higher risk of injury.
so please, careful with the info and all others, careful with closer DIY
-Jess the door(closer)doctor
Absolutely, if an institution has an on-site shop and a person of your expertise, Jess, it can work out very well and be very cost effective. I will write an article about it and talk about when it makes sense to rebuild and when it does not. And YOU can come and straighten me out if I get anything wrong. :)
Thanks, Jess.
it was a matter of fact that the middle school was lucky to have at least a couple of maintenance men who took some locksmithing courses or have went to LCN factory and took the courses on servicing door closers, now(to this day) i have no idea if they still rebuild them. when they last rebuilt them it was between the years of 96 and 98, but yes, it was VERY cost effective, most that would be by-product from the act of closer rebuilding was maybe a bad o-ring and the closer fluid, (which has to be disposed of properly according to jurisdiction laws regarding hazardous waste, yes, oil is considered hazardous waste)
since I was a student at the school, I only got to see was only one thing, an LCN 4040 (std edition, not XP) in the bench vise, looked like it was about to get its valves or end cap removed for drainage of oil.
If at all possible, (I don't have a hubpage) but when you are ready to write the page on rebuilding vs replacement (so I can help you if you want me to, and possibly with graphics or photos of different closers) can you email with me??
if you want to do that, email me at JLD902(at)aim(dot)com others with closer problems are welcome to email me as well, i don't bite or mind answering questions on different types of closers.
This article is very helpful to me. This closer is little bit different with Korean's. Anyhow, I fixed crash sound in office. Thank!
An excellent result!
Thanks for the illustration above and explanation. The door at my work would not stay closed all the way and kept "blowing" open a little and setting off our door alert for us that a customer has come in.
So what fixed it was actually shortening the door arm. It made it where it held the door tighter against the frame.
Thanks for the help.
I'm glad you found the article helpful. Sometimes I've found door closer arms installed incorrectly so that they hold the door slightly open or won't let it open all the way.
Hey Tom - First, let me say this article is extremely helpful. I've got a pretty common problem, but it's at an extreme level. The warehouse I manage has some serious positive forced air. I followed your steps outlined here, however the closer just doesn't seem to have enough closing power to counter the air pushing it open. I maxed out the closing power, maxed out the swing speed and the latch speed but this was not enough to get the door closed. The closest it came was about 4 inches. I've also tried to slow down the swing speed as you suggested, but that had about the same outcome. Any suggestions? Do I need a stronger closer than LCN 4041?
Thanks, D.C. I have found positive pressure to be very tough to deal with. But instead of maxing out the power and speed, a recommend increasing the power moderately and decreasing the speed. I suggest having the swing part of the closing cycle go very slow - maybe 8 or 10 seconds - then play with the latch speed, maybe slower, maybe faster. Your closer needs to let the air go by rather than fighting it. Let me know how you make out.
Thanks Tom - I've been increasing and decreasing speeds and powers all night lol! The problem here is the forced air is constant. We have heated blowers installed and with all the other doors closed, when one is opened the air flow is extremely forceful. It's an everyday occurrence that someone coming in loses a tightly fitted ball cap off their head. I attempted to decrease the swing speed just now, but with the air flowing past the door just stops about halfway closed.
Positive pressure can be a tough nut to crack. Tomorrow I will poll my colleagues about this problem and see if I come up with new insight.
The way I was able to solve the problem was by having the swing speed super slow and the latch speed fairly fast - not quite a slam, but almost. Then I pre-loaded the arm a little so that the actual latching arc was very small, only about two inches.
I will be back tomorrow with whatever suggestions my colleagues come up with.
I absolutely learned a lot from this hub.
Hello Tom,
Thanks for the site. The door closer at our church will not lock in order to keep the door open. They did lock at one time, but now they will not. Is there an adjustment to keep the door all the way open?
Sounds like your door closers have hold-open arms that have worn over time. Usually these arms can be adjusted tighter or looser to hold the door open at different points. What brand of door closer are they?
Don and Tom, about the hold opens, what type of hold open is it, there are 2 different types used on closers these days
are you using LCN HEDA (friction hold open usually a big nut on frame bracket or "elbow" joint if the closer is one of them vintage "traditional" potbelly style closers) or the H-CUSH arm(detent hold open mostly seen on LCN 4010 series, uses a ball bearing and a plunger to hold the arm at an angle)
if it's a friction hold open, it simply can be just a matter of tightening the arm nut at the hold open area of the arm, if it's a detent hold open (H-CUSH arms) then the forearm and 5 hole soffit plate (also known as the parallel arm shoe) needs to be replaced
hope this helps your problem Don,
-Jess the door(closer)doctor
Tom, First i want to thank you for all of the helpful information. I have a problem with the door at our business though and have not been able to figure this one out yet. The building supply house typical tip up with alum commerial glass door. When the rear reciving doors are open and the wind gets to gusting around here it always blows the front door open. The closer is an international Door Closer model #884. I have adjusted this the settings and arm length till Im blue in the face with no success. I dont find a spring tension adj on this thing.Its on a 36" door is it maybe undersized? Locking the door is not an option with fire laws,customers and all.Any info would help. Thanks
I could not find a model 884 on International's site:
http://www.intldoorclosers.com/
... but did find it on an internet hardware dealer's site:
http://www.mrlock.com/28747.html
... that indicated it is no longer available, but it is a size 4 that would be appropriate for a 36 inch exterior door under normal conditions. Probably it has had high traffic for a number of years and the spring is starting to weaken. It is not adjustable to a higher spring tension. Most door closer rebuilders would not rebuild this closer. I suggest that you replace it with a grade 1 closer such as the LCN 4111 or the Norton 7500.
However, while this will improve the situation, no closer will ensure that your door will remain closed against a wind. You could install a latch, like the Adams Rite 4510, in your front door. Then at least you could manually shut it and it would stay shut. You could install one of those clear, insulating curtains over the overhead door opening to decrease the air flow. One or both of these measures would help ensure that your door remains closed.
Hello all,
I have a sc71 closer tried adjusting it reinstalling it pretty much everything to see if i can use it still. It seems that it has a mind of it's own and likes to open and close whenever it want's any help would be nice thanks !!!
It sounds like the arm is not installed correctly and the closer is installed in a parallel arm mount. In parallel arm mount, the upper arm should be parallel with the door. I suggest downloading the installation instructions from doromatic.com.
hello CR and Tom, also another thing that can effect a closer installation, the PRELOAD of the arm, although some older closers do not or may not have index mark on spindle or the arm, if it's a hex shaped spindle (thing the arm connects to on closer body) preload it by 15 degrees, if it's a square spindle, preload it to 45 degrees. (preload is important for the proper adjustment and position of sweep, latch and backcheck (and backcheck selection valve such as found on LCN 4040 and norton 7500/7700's) during the closer's closing/opening cycle when controlling the door.
sorry if confusing to you CR and Tom, I hope this tip helps.
-Jess the door(closer)doctor
That's a great point, Jess! Right on the "mark" as usual! Thanks again.
Thanks - job done!
Hiya, and cheers for the info here. I have an issue here with a Dorma TS73. Its slamming blimin loud.
From what I can tell its not a 'V' series, or one of the 'E' series either. Perhaps older.. so there are no manuals around that I could find.
What differentiates it, is that there are no adjustment screws on the large facing panel that slides off. Only fastners. And at the end is only 1 adjustment screw. Not two like most tutorials... So I've been mucking around with that without noticing any monitorable results. I undid it a fair way at one point and noticed oil seeping out, but I'm hoping that was my loosening, rather than a leek.
Any tips on how to proceed?
I have known door closers that have only one adjustment screw that controls both the swing and latch settings. Some of them worked by screw position - the screw being horizontal at "three" and "nine" on a clock face would indicate a certain speed and the position at "eight" and "two" would be a vastly different setting. Some of them would adjust the swing speed if you turned the screw slowly, the latching speed if you turned it fast.
A little should go a long way. Try turning the screw a tiny fraction of a turn clockwise and then test the closer ten times. Repeat and repeat until you notice a trend.
Unscrewing the screw (counterclockwise) would usually make it slam harder, so you want to try to keep turning it in a clockwise direction in very small increments.
However, since you backed the screw out too far (indicated by oil seepage), it may all be too late. Door closers moderate speed using hydraulic (oil) pressure. Any release of that pressure will compromise the closer's ability to gently close the door.
If in all positions and degrees of tightness of the adjustment screw the door continues to slam, this indicates that the internal seals of the closer are shot.
Let me know how you make out and in the mean time I'll investigate whether you can rebuild the closer with new O ring out of the hardware store like Jess the Door (Closer) Doctor does.
Hello Tom and Jim
Jim, it sounds to me you are in the UK or somewhere that has the European style door closers (slide off coverplate on front)
the TS-73 may only have one valve, it will be on the "short end" of the closer body, there also may be a nut or a allen key hole on "long end" with a [vvv] symbol, that is for adjusting spring tension
this valve you see is sweep (large part of door swing) latch is adjusted by adjusting the length of the forearm segment (I assume this dorma is installed on pull side of the door?)
if NO slamming with valve closed, open the valve half turn at a time to and test door
about the fluid, what I would do is clean off the oil with a rag and test door, if you do take the valve out past a certain point (even it its still in the threads) it can cause a leak because when its past a certain point (counterclockwise turning) the o-ring cannot seal it properly since o-ring is not on a flat surface inside it would be contacting the threads inside the hole the valve is in instead.
if after adjusting properly and the o-ring still leaks alittle fluid, yes, the o-ring should be replaced and fluid put in the closer.
depending on age of this closer (warrentee) it may be replacable by dorma, if you still insist on doing the repair yourself, it can be easilly done, although you will have to remove closer from the door to take care of the oil and replacing the o-ring on the valve.
please respond if and when you can Jim, please let me know how my ideas work out with this closer's problem
Tom, hey, have not heard from you in a while, keep in touch and email me if and when you can miss hearing from you,
-Jess the door(closer)doctor
Tom: forgot to mention something, I know you mean well with giving instuctions for the adjusting of 1 screw on a closer.
dorma and GEZE or Europe that have one screw (such as the TS-73 in question) they do not have the 2 functions on one screw valve like found on older Norton 1600's and Yale storefront series closers and Norton 78 and Yale 1900 (traditional style), they use phillips head screw or allen key wrench screws in the valves instead of the special slot valve like found on older norton closers(storefront series)
also in europe and non-englsih speaking countries, you may find 0º-10º (latch)
10º-180º(sweep)
BC/OD (backcheck) the OD is german term for backcheck, ÖffnungsDämpfung, basically means opening dampening.
another thing european closers will have is numbers such as dorma (1 sweep, 2 latch, 3 is backcheck)
if its a floor closer, (bodenturschließer) it will have a colored graphic near the valve showing what each valve does,
all european closers have the [/\/\/] symbol, this is spring tension adjuster, commonly found on the "long end" of the unit
hope this helps, I don't get many overseas questions too much, but they are welcome to ask questions about their closers (I am in the USA)
Tom, hope this extra comment has helped in dealing with non-American closers,
-Jess the door(closer)doctor
Wow.
HOW CAN I ADJUST A COMERCIOL DOOR CLOSER TO
5 POUNDS
If your closer is capable of being adjusted to 5 lbs. closing force, you will need a closing force pressure gauge to measure if it is doing so. Three steps:
1. Purchase a door closing force pressure gauge.
2. Identify your door closer and get the directions for adjusting it.
3. If your closer can be adjusted to 5 lbs. closing force, use the directions to tell you how to adjust it and the pressure gauge to verify that the closer is in fact only exerting 5 lbs. of pressure.
Most manufacturers warn that if you adjust a closer to comply with ADA specs for closing force, it may not actually close the door.
Best of luck,
Tom
I have a home strom door, full glass. The closer has a button to press on the end next to the door. I do not know the manufacture of the door.
I had to open the door all the way to get a couch out. When I went to try to close the door back, I press the button but nothing happens. How do these things work ? Does it need to be pushed even farther open to release it,, press it twice.. rub it's belly ? help :)
Usually storm doors come with a pneumatic (air controlled) door closer, rather than the hydraulic (oil controlled) ones this article talks about. If your door closer makes a slight hissing sound when it closes the door, this might be a hint that it is pneumatic.
Pneumatic storm door closers consist of a few parts. There is a shoe that attaches to the door. There is a rod that attaches to the shoe. There is a cylinder that the rod disappears into. There is a bracket that attaches the cylinder to the door frame.
This type of closer is very light duty. The rod, shoe or bracket can all be easily bent out of shape so that the closer behaves in the way you describe. Also, if the movers dented the cylinder, that would also cause it to stick open.
Travis and Tom, the closer with the button to release is the touch n hold,
to operate that button, it only works to hold the door open, to relase the door, just pull the door closed or open the door alittle and release the door (it behaves somewhat like the detent hold open (commercial door closer hold open arms)
travis: i hope this has helped you understand why your closer is acting the way its acting, are you new to the device (as in did you recently install it and wasnt sure if button released the door as well?)
-Jess the door closer doctor
How does the weight of the door come into effect?
I don't pretend to understand the physics of it, and maybe the Door Closer Doctor will help me out, but what I understand is that the weight of the door is not a factor, only the size. Since the door closer is installed in the same place on any width door, the wider the door, the more leverage the closer will have to overcome. You would think that inertia would play a part, but it if it does, it seems very little.
Once I did some work in the vault at the Old Colony Bank in downtown Boston. The vault door was an eight or nine foot diameter round, stainless steel door about two feet thick. I was told it weighed about 5 tons, yet it would open or close with a push of maybe ten or twelve pounds.
My conclusion is that weight is only a factor when the door is not balanced on its hinges. Otherwise the force required to swing the door changes very little based on weight.
Tom, you are correct with the inertia thing having to do with the strength of a door closer on a wide door.
another factor you want to throw in, the hinges, are they:
5 knuckle regular hinges??
a continuous geared hinge??
ball bearing hinge???
friction at the hinge also can have a say of how a closer can control a wide or heavyweight door they do say that a continuous geared hinge is best with distribution of the door's weight on the door edge and frame making it easier on the closer to be able to pull the door shut
-Jess the door closer doctor
Hello,
Because of my door doesn't have top border, is it possible install main part of door closer on door and
the other part, on wall?
Best regards.
Behrouz, all depends on what side of the door the closer will go on,
the door your talking about, is it the kind with the rabbited edge (commonly seen in western europe)??
some brands of closers come with special brackets and drop plates to be able to attach the door closer on the door especially in uncommon conditions
Who knew door closing was such a fascinating subject?
Hey. Doors swing. :)
door closer virgin and tom:
door closers also are not always an open-then-shut-case either,
as technology advances, there will always be a door and the need for a device to keep it shut, and as closer tech comes and goes, people will still have questions or concerns about the closer they are faced with, hence why all the questions, most of the questions I receive are about those old potbelly traditional type and sometimes an occasional LCN or Norton or some other modern day unit.
-Jess the door (CLOSER) doctor
Tom S.Parker Hardware has been in the Door Closer for 118 years and is far superior to Global and international. You don,t know what you're talking about!
Ray, I have installed thousands of door closers and adjusted tens of thousands of door closers. In addition to that, I've specified tens of thousands of door closers for schools, hospitals, military installations, detention facilities, blah blah blah blah blah. I think I know what I'm doing, but you're welcome to think I don't. Lot's of people know more than I do about door closers. Jess, The Door Closer Doctor, for example.
Personally my experiences with S. Parker door closers would not make me recommend them, but what is a few closers compared to the thousands upon thousands they have produced over their century of apparent existence? Maybe the few hundred S. Parker closers I worked on were not representative.
But the reason for my comment, as I recall, is that I called a door closer rebuilding company and they said that S. Parker cost more to rebuild than to replace - like a Global or an International. That's what I was talking about.
this was extremely helpfull, kept on messin with something else to adjust the door since a year. but thank you again.
Thank you, Mihir.
I have a commercial sized back door in my apartment building that needs to be replaced (dripping oil, etc). Would you recommended someone with no prior experience to replace the closer, or hire someone with the right tools & knowledge to preform the task?
My first choice would always be an established locksmith since I come from that background - however, simple door closer replacement is not rocket science. If you buy a good door closer like an LCN, Sargent, Corbin or Norton and follow the directions, there is no reason any person skilled with tools cannot install it. The advantage to hiring a locksmith is that if there are other problems - with the hinges or lock for example - that might be making it difficult for the door closer to properly shut the door, a locksmith is more likely to recognize and be able to remedy these problems because that is what they do.
how can i adjust my door closer to open it smoothly, its to hard to open. K2 door closer model
Your first step is to go to the K2 web site, identify your closer and download the installation instructions. Here is the link:
http://www.k2commercialhardware.com/Products/DoorC
After you do that, you can begin to find out whether the closer arm is perhaps installed incorrectly, the back check adjustment is too tight or the spring tension is adjusted too high.
The graphic of the closer has some problems. The latch and general speed regulation screws are always on the end of the closer away from the spring tube. The backcheck regulation screw is always on the end with the spring tube.
Yes, that's true. However, I did not want people who have never adjusted a closer before to have to try to find which end the spring tube is on closers that have no spring tension adjustment. So I thought I would just tell people that the latch and swing speeds are close together whereas the back check adjustment is apart from those two. Nevertheless I will adjust my drawing to better match reality. Thank you.
I never comment on blog postings for the most part, but man, this article totally rocked. The door was slamming the from the last few inches at the convenience store that I work at. It's great to know that I was looking for latch speed. While the screws didn't match the layout on the Norton door closer that I have, by process of elimination and a few turns using a pair of scissors (that I used carefully), perfect door shutting. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Patrick! To know that something I wrote helped someone - this is the ultimate ROI. Thanks again
Great site mate! I work as a maintenance techncian for a healthcare company and in a few of our homes the arms on the door closers are hitting the tops of the doors and in some cases the arms have dropped so much that they stop the doors from opening. Is it purely a problem with the arm failing? or the arm not being tightend enough on the door closer itself? if i tighten the nut that fixes the arm to the closer it seems to solve the problem for 20mins then it comes loose again. Any ideas. Cheers mate.
Sounds like the closers are not very good quality. I think I would try some Loktite on the screw that attaches the arm to the spindle if it keeps loosening up.
Moxster and Tom,
arms loosening up can be a result of no pre-load on the arm during installation or loosening of the forearm segment of the closer.
to fix, if the closer has a square pinion (where arm attaches to closer body) arm disconnected should sit at 45 degrees to door surface (pointing towards hinges) also make sure that the forearm is at 90 degrees from doorframe when fully closed,
hope this helps
-Jess the door closer doctor
Thanks, Doctor Jess!
Hey Tom. This info is precious. Great advice from a generous expert! Hope you get a proper credit for your experience.
The thread is long and I read many feedbacks but not sure whether anyone has asked about the issue with noisy latching mechanisms.
My neighbour starts at 3am in the bakery and snaps me out of sleep when deadlock mechanism is released (my bedroom shares the wall with his main door, my bed lines up right in level with his door). Was about to complain and suggest him to use (GENTLY) the actual deadlock key to close the door behind but wonder if there is a way around the snappy latching mechanisms (20 or so doors in the building do the same frustrating thing). It seems that the snapping sound comes due to latching tounge hitting the internal housing on the door side, rather then hitting the metal doorframe. Please save my bedroom to turn into BADroom.
Well, it does sound like a problem by design. Door closers are designed to close a door slowly, with minimal noise. But some locking systems are just plain noisy. There is one electric strike I know that releases with a bang, and there is nothing that will help that.
is it possible to adjust the initial angle of the swing arm?
Jim,
do you mean the angle of the arm when the arm is put on teh closer (Preload) or do you mean the length of the arm to prevent the arm from contacting the door/frame and causing it to snap??
better explanation is needed here...
if you are using a closer that doent have a spring tension nut, adjusting angles of the arm can help with reducing or increasing the strength of the spring to get the latch to work properly or to overcome some situations (provide more or less power in latching)
or do you mean mounting the arm closer to frame or further away from frame then what the installation instructions say??
please reply soon,
-Jess the door closer doctor
How do you adjust the door closer to remove the hold-open option, so that it doesn't stay open?
Not sure what model I have, but it is concealed and about a year old.
Steve, most of the concealed in the frame closers the hold open is not selective, only way to have it not hold open is to replace it with one that isnt hold open,
sound to me you may have a jackson or a kawneer husky, possible you can take a photo of it?? (so i can better identify it)
email is jld902 @ aim. com
(take out spaces)
(Tom: i try not to "take over" the site by putting my email here, just trying to help with the closer questions)
-Jess the door closer doctor
Actually Steve emailed me privately and I gave him the same advice. Jess, your advice is always accurate and well researched. You are always welcome here.
got door closure no name on it. door slams, two adjustments on top and allen key on right. how do i adjust it. thanks
hello iread11
the adjustments, are these near eachother on end of the closer? these most likely are the sweep and latch valves, usually marked with "S" and "L" or "1" and "2" or if this one is from europe, "0-10" and "10-180" GEZE of germany uses degrees of opening to symbolize what valve does what,
the other one with allen key, if marked with BC, this is backcheck, it adjusts the dampening effect when opening the door past a certain degree. if not marked or has a [vvvv] symbol, this is spring adjustment.
if you have a photo of the closer, you can send to my email address (mentioned in a comment above) so i can try to identify the closer.
-Jess the door closer doctor
Thanks, Jess!
my door keeps opening by itself when the wind gets up. What adjustment is there?
If you have a door closer on this door, sounds like there is not enough spring tension. If your closer has a spring tension adjustment, you can increase the spring tension. If not, then you will probably have to get either a closer with a stronger spring or one with adjustable spring tension.
k@ri 3 years ago
Maybe I read the wrong hub? :)
I wish I had information a year ago! I lived in a locked entry high rise and they "fixed" the door to the garage, which wasn't shutting due to air pressure. After the "fix", most of us couldn't open the door!