Why doesn't the door closer work?

A door closer is a mechanism that is designed to reliably close entrance doors. It presses the blade against the seals along the contour or creates the necessary force sufficient to trigger the lock latch. The door can close abruptly and with a sound, or smoothly and without making sounds, and can also pause.

Adjusting the door closer is a mandatory measure to extend the service life and maintain the performance characteristics of the mechanism.

It is subject to constant loads; frequent closing and opening of the door leads to imbalance of the elements of the device, and therefore requires periodic maintenance and repair, both for preventive purposes and if necessary.

The door with the closer is difficult to open

A closer is used in most doors to reduce the rate of wear of hinges and other fittings of the entrance structure. It ensures smooth automatic closing and guarantees the optimal force required to lock the lock. This is a mandatory element of an automatic access control system. A sign of correct installation and correct operation of the product is silent and easy opening and closing of doors. But, like any mechanism, the device is subject to various types of breakdowns. One of the most common problems is that a door with a closer is difficult to open. To resolve the problem, you need to find the cause and fix it. The source of the problem may be hidden inside the mechanism or caused by external influences.

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How to increase service life

There are a few simple tips that, when followed, eliminate the possibility of mechanical breakdowns and extend the life of the devices.

Always take into account the conditions for using the door closer. If it is installed on the doors of public buildings, the frequency of opening/closing increases sharply. In addition, not all visitors handle doors carefully; strong mechanical stress may occur. For such needs, you need to choose the most reliable door closers. Attention is drawn secondarily to the number of adjustments; the main factor is mechanical stability.

Why is a door with a closer difficult to open?

Before starting repairs, you should find out why the door with a closer is difficult to open. Without finding out the cause, it is impossible to succeed in eliminating the problem.

Most often, the mechanism does not function correctly if the valves are incorrectly adjusted. An imbalance in the access door structure can be caused by intensive use and regular negative effects of external factors - rain, precipitation, high humidity, and sudden changes in temperature. Any inexperienced user can adjust the valve after studying the sequence of repair operations and technical documentation from the manufacturer.

Often, a tight opening of the entrance structure is caused by improper installation of the closer and the door, careless attitude, insufficient care and the use of physical force to quickly close the doors. All this negatively affects the functionality of the mechanism, contributes to its accelerated wear and short service life.

What to do if the door with a closer is difficult to open?

Operating a door with a broken closer is unsafe and causes inconvenience. When is it necessary to adjust the closer?

The door closes against a draft with a loud sound.
The door is difficult to open.
The door jams at one of the closing stages.

The method of troubleshooting will depend on the cause of the breakdown. The first option to solve the problem is to adjust the mechanism. To do this you will need a screwdriver. The type of tool is selected based on the type of screws that secure the door closer to the frame and plane. If you decide to adjust the mechanism yourself, you need to study its design and operating principle.

The closer is a spring that is combined with a gear, pistons or a roller mounted on a rack. When opening/closing doors, it gathers or opens. The free cavity at this moment is filled with an oily liquid. The combination of mechanics and hydraulics results in a reliable, simple and effective mechanism.

Closer adjustment sequence:

Prepare technical documentation, device diagram, instructions, screwdriver.
Open the box - a rectangular box. The top cover can be removed by snapping it off.
Further, the adjustment has features depending on the principle of operation of the mechanism.

If the work is organized by two valves, they must be tightened or loosened. On the diagram presented in the manufacturer's instructions, you can see where the two adjusting screws are located. Their position cannot be changed by more than two turns. This threatens to break the entire mechanism. Typically, the first valve is responsible for opening within 15-180 degrees. The function of the second screw is to adjust the speed of movement in the range of 0-15 degrees. After adjustment work, you should test how smoothly, easily and silently the door moves.

What to do if the door with a closer is still difficult to open, and the adjustment did not help? The cause may be a device with insufficient mechanical strength. If the user initially purchased and installed a product with unsuitable characteristics, then tightening the spring will give short-term results. In addition, such manipulations will significantly reduce the service life of the closer. The only correct solution to the problem is to buy and install a new device with more powerful characteristics.

Source: domofonov.net

Consequences of improper use

Despite the fact that high-quality devices have fairly high durability, they also sometimes experience premature failure.

If used incorrectly, even high-quality door closers fail

Mechanical breakdowns of the closer: deformation of the rods, disruption of the functionality of the piston. Such breakdowns appear as a result of improper use of doors and excessive physical effort on the door leaf.
There are situations when mechanisms use oil that is not intended for operation at sub-zero temperatures. It sharply increases viscosity, doors open/close with difficulty, and great physical effort is required.
Sealing failure and oil leakage. The seals cannot withstand the pressure and burst. When using the doors, oil gradually leaks and air takes its place. In addition to deteriorating the appearance of the doors, the performance of the door closer is impaired.
Installation of a rigid closer on plastic doors. These structures cannot withstand significant forces, the elements of the door frame become loose over time, and the mechanism body falls with all the extremely negative consequences.

The type of closer must match the door design

We remind you once again that the duration of use of the door closer largely depends on the consumers. If they follow all the manufacturers' recommendations, then no unexpected problems will arise.

Video - Adjusting the door closer according to closing force

How to adjust a door closer with your own hands

Humanity is inclined to improve the world around us. And this even affected such a seemingly simple object as a door. As you know, the door can also behave “badly”: either close too quickly and slam very loudly, or not close completely, thereby requiring additional attention. So people came up with a device called a “closer”. This mechanism is designed to control the movement of the door, making, if necessary, its movement slower or, conversely, faster and harder. Not everyone knows how to adjust a door closer, and without knowledge it is impossible to use this device to its maximum benefit. But first we should take a closer look at the design of the closer itself.

Door closer functions

A door closer is a kind of metal structure that has a predominantly cylindrical shape. Inside, it is equipped with a spring, which is compressed when the door is opened; accordingly, when the door is closed, the spring is released, which speeds up this process. Inside the closer there is also a gear mechanism and pistons that control the speed of the spring decompression. The remarkable thing is that there are special screws on the body of the device, with the help of which the door owner can independently adjust the required speed of closing the door leaf.

What to do?

If you were able to determine the reason for the door opening tightly, then you need to eliminate it. If the issue is the incorrect selection of the door closer in terms of power, then there is only one way out - change the device. The fact is that there are no technical capabilities to correct this error. The closer mechanism cannot be altered. Moreover, remember that all parts inside the device body are under pressure, and under no circumstances should you disassemble it! By the way, even if the opening force suits the user, a door closer that is too powerful on a light door will still not work correctly, which can lead to its breakdown.

As for incorrect installation, it can be corrected. This may lead to the appearance of extra holes in the door leaf, which may be visible, but in this case functionality is more important than aesthetics. The most effective way to adjust the opening force of a door with a closer is to move the device closer to the door hinges. This will increase the leverage and, accordingly, make opening easier.

Types of devices and principles of their operation

The mechanism for closers can be:

Toothed lever - this mechanism is the most popular. The spring in it moves under the pressure of the gears, which allows the product to be installed even on massive doors equipped with combination locks.
Cam slide - such a mechanism easily ensures the smooth movement of light door leaves, but it is absolutely unsuitable for a heavy door.

They also divide types of closers based on the principle of their installation. This:

Hidden mechanisms are often used where the appearance of the room plays an important role. In this case, the closer design is hidden inside the door leaf or in the floor. However, while getting a harmonious interior, the owner of a door with such a closer also has trouble with adjustments, because even just getting to the device itself is very difficult in this case.

Overhead door closers are the most popular due to their simplicity. On the panel of their box there are special screws or valves, by controlling which you can correct the operation of the mechanism, and the instructions issued by the manufacturer will tell you what number of revolutions is permissible.

Floor structures are also quite easy to use and differ from the previous type only in that they are attached to the bottom of the door leaf. Having gained great popularity in public institutions, they “did not take root” in residential buildings.

Tips and tricks

In order for the mechanism to work correctly, certain measures must be observed:

You should not prop the door with objects, because to fix the position it is enough to twist the screws.
Before adjusting, you should read its instructions to become familiar with the permissible standards regulated by the manufacturer.
When buying a mechanism, you should know the temperature conditions under which it will operate, because many models are designed for warm rooms.
If a malfunction is detected, you should call a technician so that your actions do not aggravate the problem.
The floor closer is installed at the door installation stage, which must be taken into account when purchasing the device.

The adjustment is carried out by carefully rotating the screws, because it is easy to disrupt the hydraulics, which will lead to a malfunction of the mechanism, which will be difficult or almost impossible to restore. Before setting up, you need to make sure that the reason for the poor operation of the device is in the closer.

In what cases is it necessary to adjust the closer?

Without obvious reasons, there is no need to check the door closer again. Adjustment of the door closer is necessary in the following cases:

the door began to close too slowly or, conversely, too quickly;
sharp jerks began to appear in the movement of the door leaf;
The door stopped slamming completely.

In addition, the ability to adjust the action of the door closer will be useful during the first time after installation, because the initial parameters may not be very convenient for daily use of the door and will require minor changes.

Experts recommend thinking about these devices in the off-season, when the temperature changes. For example, in winter, the oil filling of the closer will become more viscous (as a result of low temperature), which will affect the operation of the mechanism, and therefore the device will have to be slightly adjusted. Although some models have a thermal shutter inside their mechanism. During the period when the oil becomes liquid, it expands, thereby compensating for the missing thickness. When the temperature drops, the thermal damper acts in the opposite direction.

If the design of the closer fails for some reason, no adjustments can replace full-fledged repair work.

How do you know if adjustment is required?

In order not to wait for signals from the closer about the need for adjustment, you should check the functionality every 3 months - this is a fairly long period. Prevention will provide an opportunity to detect a malfunction at the initial stage, adjust the work, and replace it.

It is imperative to adjust the closer for the changing seasons. The mechanism is hydraulic and has oil inside, which changes its consistency as the temperature increases or decreases. When the temperature is closer to winter, the oil thickens, and in the summer it becomes liquid.

The operation of the structure should be corrected when problems are detected. Among them:

braking of the door leaf when closing;
slamming at high speed;
jerky movement.

If the closer is broken, then the effectiveness of the adjustment is reduced to a minimum - it needs to be repaired.

Adjustment process

Adjusting the door closer with your own hands requires thorough theoretical and practical training. Naturally, you should initially check whether all the necessary tools and materials are available. Among them must be: instructions (offered by the manufacturer), a screwdriver and a chair or ladder so that you can comfortably work with the upper mount of the closer.

The door closer can adjust the following processes: a) speed of door closing; b) the presence of an aftershock; c) open position.

Closing speed adjustment

In order to change the speed of movement of the door leaf, it is necessary to carefully examine the body of the closer. As a rule, there are two screws on standard models. The first of them regulates the speed of spring release, and, accordingly, the speed of door closing. Depending on the direction of its scrolling (tightening or loosening), you can make the process of moving the door leaf easier and faster, or, conversely, slow it down. By the way, to slow down the door, turn the screw clockwise, and to speed it up, vice versa. It is also worth not forgetting that an extra turn of the screw can lead to depressurization of the closer body and oil will begin to leak out of it.

All about doors

For ease of operation of doors, door closers are often used. They allow for smooth closing without slamming. The device requires constant and careful care; it must be periodically inspected and preventative repair work carried out. Adjusting the door closer according to the instructions included in the package is easy to do yourself.

The closer regulates the process of moving the door leaf, promotes its smooth closing or, if necessary, a sharp slam. If necessary, it holds the door leaf open. There are various device models on the market.

Cautions

Like any mechanism, a door closer can fall victim to unwise actions. In order to protect such a useful device from damage, you should follow some simple rules:

To prevent the set diagonal from becoming skewed, under no circumstances should you hang heavy objects on the door leaf.
While the door is closing, you should not put pressure on it, thereby trying to speed up its movement.
The design of the closer must be in a level state; if a misalignment occurs, there is a risk of failure of the structure.
You cannot turn the screws too much, as this will lead to oil leakage, which will adversely affect the operation of the mechanism. By the way, it is impossible to return the oil back at home.
In order to hold the door in the open position, it is recommended to use a special function rather than propping the door with any object. This leads to a gradual breakdown of the mechanism.
Before installing and adjusting the closer, you must carefully study the instructions supplied with the device by the manufacturer.

Having carefully studied all the above recommendations, every owner will know how to adjust their door closer so that it lasts as long as possible. In general, both the door closer itself and its adjustment are not something extremely complex and incomprehensible, and therefore, with sufficient theoretical training, everyone can master the adjustment processes.

Source: doorchange.ru

Precautionary measures

In order to repair the door closer less often, it is necessary to inspect it at least once every 6 months and eliminate any detected defects. For everyday use you should not:

“help” the door closer close the door;

interfere with closing manually or using foreign devices;

hang and secure heavy objects on the canvas;

allow children to use the door as a “swing”;

violate the provisions of brand instructions.

When servicing, it is necessary to add or replace oil only with recommended samples. Each company that produces door closers gives preference to one or another option. At the same time, serious research is carried out to show how the reagent will affect the corrosion and mechanical properties of the product. Some designs use water-glycol compounds, others use machine oil. Replacing one mixture with another is unacceptable.

But if an exact analogue of the technical fluid is not commercially available, you will have to fill the closer with synthetic motor oil for cars. This is an almost universal option, but it is still worth paying attention to its behavior at different temperatures. Due to the high cost of such oil, many recommend using shock-absorbing fluid. But even here you need to understand that it is used at your own peril and risk - no one except the owner of the door bears any responsibility for the consequences.

Watch the video to see how to repair and adjust the door closer.

Often you have to deal with a situation where the door closer makes it difficult to open the door. It takes truly titanic efforts to move the door leaf from its place, and even more so to open it wide. What is the reason for this and is the door closer to blame?

First, let's understand the terms. We have already written that immediately after installation, as well as when the season changes, the door closer needs adjustment. This is done using a simple screwdriver by tightening or loosening special adjusting screws located on the closer body. However, in this way it is possible to adjust only the closing force , that is, the force that the closer mechanism transmits to the door leaf. Accordingly, during the adjustment process, the speed of the door leaf will change in two segments of movement: from the opening angle to 18˚ and from 18˚ until the door is completely tightly closed.

But what about the force that needs to be applied to open the door? It is worth mentioning that we use the expression “ opening force ” metaphorically. This force itself is regulated by a person: after all, it is the user, and not the door closer, who opens the door. In fact, if the door opens too tightly after installing a closer on it, you need to somehow adjust the sensitivity of the mechanism to the force exerted by a person on the door leaf when opening. There is no special system for such adjustment. Moreover, if this adjustment is required, it means that the door closer is not working correctly.

Door closer repair

In modern life, closers are used everywhere; this element is integral to iron and plastic entrance doors, which have a large mass and general accessibility. You can encounter this element and its repair everywhere. However, how to repair a door closer yourself? In this text we will look at a specific example of repair and adjustment of door closers that are used for entrance plastic and metal doors.

This is what a simple door closer looks like

Types of door closers by installation method

The mechanisms can be fixed in different places; consumers independently decide which type suits them best.

Overhead closers.

Causes of breakdowns

Before talking about methods for dealing with malfunctions, you should pay special attention to some reasons that can cause the breakdown of such a reliable structural element as a door closer. The causes of malfunctions may be as follows:

Oil leak in the closer cylinder. The most common malfunction, which is accompanied by a quick slamming of the door or a strong force to close it. Faced with this problem, you have to replace the oil cylinder and adjust the closer.

Internal structure of the closer mechanism

How to repair a door closer? This issue may be encountered if this structural element is present in the door structure. You can do all the troubleshooting work yourself if you have a small tool at hand.

Names of elements of the closer mechanism

Main types

The device is divided into types of mechanisms:

cam, ensures smooth closing of door leaves;
gear, a common type of device, the spring is moved by gears. These devices can be used for heavy weight door models. In particular, Armadillo is designed for a door leaf weighing about 65 kg and can be used for an entrance door.

According to the installation technology, devices are:

Invoices. Easy-to-use devices for residential use. Their adjustment is carried out by adjusting screws or valves. The number of possible revolutions is set by the manufacturer. The most common Armadilo model, it can be installed on a door in use.
Floor-standing. Adjusting the door closer is simple. The mechanism is fixed on the door leaf at the bottom; they are used mainly on the entrance doors of public places.
Hidden. The mechanism is placed inside the canvas or mounted into the floor surface. Adjusting the door closer with your own hands of these designs is difficult.

Closer device

It is worth noting that the sooner the closer is repaired or diagnosed, the greater the chances of completely restoring it rather than resorting to purchasing a new mechanism, which, in turn, is not cheap.

As a rule, a door element such as a closer consists of two separate components, namely:

a working cylinder in a housing filled with oil contains: a spring, a needle bearing, a gear and a device that allows you to adjust the closer with your own hands;
two lever rods and a connecting screw, it is this design that allows the door to be closed smoothly.

Oil leakage

A very common reason when a door closer needs to be repaired. In this case, the oil liquid that fills the working mechanism completely or partially leaks out, which leads to sudden operation of the spring and a corresponding slamming of the door. Such a malfunction can occur if the device is used for a long time without proper adjustment according to the instructions.

Door closer adjustment diagram

The design of the door closer includes small recesses where there are adjusting screws; if they are broken or incorrectly adjusted, oil fluid may leak out through these holes.

If the speed of movement of the structure is too sharp or excessively slow, then you should pay attention to these parts; when oil leaks out, characteristic oil stains will be visible on them.

Is it possible to repair door closers if oil leaks? If a small part of it has left the device, then this is possible if there is a complete absence of fluid from the part of the closer responsible for smooth operation, then repair is not advisable. In this case, it will be much easier to purchase the same model of door closer, but without mounting levers; it will cost significantly less. If there is a slight leakage of liquid, it must be added in the required amount. To do this, the structure is completely dismantled. Oil is poured through a special hole.

Checking work

It happens that the mechanism is operated without any particular complications. In this case, there is no need for serious repairs, especially replacing parts and oil. But you should still control the changing characteristics of the closers. During prolonged use, the device must be adjusted. First of all, you need to monitor the speed and uniformity of the door movement.

An equally important point is how tightly the door adheres to the opening when the closer completes its move. When ruptures occur, it is almost always due to temperature differences. Closing the doors too quickly or too slowly can be corrected by turning the control valves. You can slow down the movement of the blade by moving the valve in the direction of travel. Acceleration, on the contrary, requires turning the valve counterclockwise.

To adjust the speed of the door joining the opening, you need to turn the second valve. Sometimes it is necessary to hold the canvas when closing. This is achieved by leaving the door open at a right angle. Having brought it to this position, tighten the lock tightly. But you cannot turn it more than 2 turns.

Lever failure

The second malfunction that can also affect door closers is a malfunction or mechanical damage to the lever. If the closer breaks down for this reason, identifying the fault will not be difficult, since it will be visible visually. Most often, breakdown occurs under the following circumstances:

The process of adjusting the door closing speed

deformation changes in levers;
rust and corrosion of the metal surface of the rods;
fracture or complete fracture of the lever;
partial jamming of the mechanism associated with the fastening screw.

These closer breakdowns can be visually identified during an initial inspection of the mechanism. As a rule, the part is in a visible place, and identifying the cause of the appearance is not difficult.

Device and design of the closer mechanism

In this case, you can use the following troubleshooting options:

If corrosion appears, the mechanism should be removed and its surface thoroughly cleaned of rust. After this, it should be covered with primer and paint, and then the structure should be returned to its original place. As a rule, after such actions the door closer will work like new.
A break or fracture of the levers can be eliminated by welding or replacing these mechanisms with similar ones.
If the cause of the malfunction lies in the mounting screw, then it should be unscrewed and the entire working surface thoroughly lubricated with grease, after which the screw is placed in its original place.
If the levers are deformed or changed, they should be removed and carefully straightened to a smooth state. If this is not possible, then the parts will have to be replaced with analogues.

It is worth noting that careless use of the mechanism leads to breakage or other malfunction of the levers. To avoid this in the future, you should be careful with the mechanism and the doorway as a whole.

Support from NORA-M specialists

The above recommendations should not be taken as a guide to immediate action. Moving the door closer to another place is not a difficult task, but you still shouldn’t make extra holes in the door without firm confidence. To correctly assess the situation with the installation of the NORA-M door closer, you can contact us.

Technical specialists of the NORA-M brand are always in touch! For consultation, you can provide a photo of the installed door closer to make it easier for a specialist to identify the problem and ways to solve it.

In order to get advice, you can use the special “Technical Support” form on our website (the corresponding button is located in the upper right corner of any page of the site), or call.