What Should You Do When Door Closers Show Signs Of Problems?

Door Closers Installation By Eagle’s Locksmith Cincinnati

Door closers are quite often used in buildings which can be commercial or public. Door closers are usually used to prevent doors from slamming and from shut too forcefully or fast, so as to keep the door’s quality and functionality good over a long period of its life span. There are different types of door closers available and they each function in a different way. It also depends on the type of door they are attached to and the surrounding walls or structures around them. It is important to set up these door closers in the right way so that you do not end up causing more harm and damage to your door than it would have without a door closer!

You can adjust your door closers to fit your door and the purpose better so that any damage can be reduced. Before you can adjust your door closer, it first has to be installed right and have its closing arm all positioned in the right way. If your door closer comes with a cover, then you would need to take it off so that you can adjust its parts correctly. This article will take you through such specific adjustments that can be done so that you can use your door closer in the best way possible.

Valve adjustment

Door closers usually have a hydraulic valve and your door closer product would come with instruction and specifications on this to help you out. You can use those instructions to help you locate this valve, and thus have a closer look at it to decide which tool would be the best to be used to tighten or move the valve adequately. There are no fixed sizes for such valves, they come in different widths and sizes and it is such to suit the different types of doors available.

Usually you would need to turn the tool clockwise to get your valve to decrease the speed of the door closing. Turning it anti-clockwise would loosen the valve’s grip and thus close the door quicker. Ensure that you do not remove any screws fully off the valve because this can spoil your door closer, its valve, or it can cause it to lose its function such that the doors are back to being slammed shut again. Once you are done, always try to close and open your door to note if it is at the optimum speed and also to check for any restrictions that you face in moving the door.

Sweep speed

What is meant by the sweep speed is the speed taken for the door to move between 150 degrees to 18 degrees in measurement. The door’s sweep speed can be modified to a suitable pace to correct a door which is closing too slowly or too quickly.

To go about changing the sweep speed, you would need to first locate the sweep speed valve. Again, it is a clockwise turn to reduce the speed and an anti-clockwise turn to increase the door closure speed. This may vary slightly between different door closures so do just check with the instructions manual to be sure of it. Again, make sure you take some time to test if the door is closing at an optimum speed after you have corrected the sweep speed valve.

Latching speed

Latching speed, which is the speed taken to close the door at its final 15 to 0 degrees can also be corrected in a similar way as the previous. This is important as this can prevent hazards such as fingers getting stuck in the hinge from happening.

We do advise readers that adjusting these specific parts may get technical, so contacting a professional service like Eagle’s Locksmith Cincinnati might be a good idea to get the job done correctly and safely.