BACK TO BASICS Surface-Mounted Door Closer Basics To prove this to yourself, find the nearest in-swinging door with a closer on it. Turn the knob and push the door open. Now, place one hand on the door about a foot from the hinges. Turn the knob to release the latch with your other hand, but don’t push with it; use the one closest to the hinges. See how much harder it is? What this means to us is that the closer Figure 6. The red arrow points to the gear teeth on the spindle/pinion, which is engaged with the teeth of the rack gear. the door closer is to the hinges, the harder it has to work to close the door, but it’s easier to open. It also allows the door to open farther. This is why closers that al- low a 180-degree opening are very close to the hinges. Conversely, the farther the closer is Figure 7. The circled pin moves up or down as you turn the regulator. The arrow is pointing to a pathway for the oil to flow from one side of the closer to the other. fail and allow the fluid to leak out. If you see any of this, it’s time to replace the closer. Make sure you point out the oil leak- age to whoever hired you. If oil is drip- ping on the floor, it’s a trip hazard and liability issue for the building if someone falls and is injured. It’s also possible for someone, such as a small child, to get his hand caught in a door that slams violently because the oil leaked out. Basic Premises of Door Closers First, the door closer is there so the door doesn’t slam, and so it latches every time it closes. The layman thinks you adjust a closer by making it slam faster and harder. 52 KEYNOTES FEBRUARY 2019 Bad idea. Adjust the spring power. Second, a closer isn’t designed to close the door that won’t close freely without it. If the door is rubbing and has to be forced closed, the door needs to be fixed first. Can you sometimes speed up the closer to make it slam and latch? Sure, sometimes, but that’s not professional except in an emergency when there’s no other way, and for a short time. Third, remember what you’re dealing with. The hinges are basically a fulcrum, and the door is a lever. The farther you are from the hinges/fulcrum, the more power you exert with the door/lever with less ef- fort. The closer you are to the hinges, the more effort you have to apply. from the hinges, the harder it is to open for you, but it’s easier for the closer to close, and door will open to a lesser de- gree. This stuff is good to know once you’re experienced at installing closers. Sometimes something might prevent the closer from being installed at the exact horizontal dimensions listed on the in- structions. If you know what will happen when you alter the dimensions, you’ll know if you can make it work or not. Fourth, read the instructions when in- stalling a closer. The diagram you see may only show a leſt hand installation, and your door is right hand. Somewhere near the diagram, it will say something like “leſt hand shown; reverse for right hand.” Other trades tend to see only the diagram, which is why you find closers on backwards. Tune in next month for more insight and tips on closers. y Wiersielis, CPL, DI, has more than 0 years of experience d has worked in most ases of the trade oughout the New n area. He was named Keynotes Author of the Year for 2016. WWW.ALOA.ORG
