How to adjust a door closer with your own hands: step-by-step instructions

You can place the finishing device on the door and use it as is, without any interference with the factory settings.This approach is justified, since the risk of adjusting the settings is minimized.

However, it is better to invite a specialist or adjust the door closer yourself. There is nothing complicated in the setup procedure; you just need to read the instructions and correctly follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Types of door closers

The problem of closing the door leaf has existed since the appearance of the doors themselves. At various times, powerful springs, plumb lines on pulleys and with a suspended load, various types of ratchets, and pneumatic shock absorbers were used to close doors.

All of them were not very convenient to use and had an unattractive design. But the main thing is that it was difficult to regulate them, and often impossible to do so that door closer gently closed (slammed) the door without hitting the door frame.

Of the modern models for home and office doors, three main door closer designs are used:

1. Slide or with a “sliding” bar. According to their design, they can be built into the floor, on the top crossbar of the door frame or in an overhead design.
2. Articulated with lever or oil brake. They are almost always made in the form of an overhead housing with a drive of two levers connected to each other by a hinge.
3. Built-in loops doors.Typically, the closer mechanism is mounted in the floor along with the door hinge support. The closer is located inside the hinge, and adjustments are made when installing the door leaf.

The latter scheme is used mainly for frameless glass doors. Adjusting such a closer requires special skills and knowledge of the operating features of the spring. Therefore, if you plan to install such a device in your home, it is better to use the services of a specialist. In other cases, independent adjustment of the door closer is quite possible.

With articulated rod

Structurally, the closer looks like a body with a rotating rod, on which is mounted a pair of levers connected by a hinge. The device is mounted on the door leaf or on the door, the hinge on the second lever is attached to a bracket installed on the door leaf or door leaf, respectively. After installing the closer, the second lever should be located perpendicular to the plane of the door leaf.

The price of devices for finishing doors for different models can range from 2 thousand rubles. up to 12-15 thousand rubles. Externally they are very similar: a body, a pair of levers, a bracket. The difference between expensive and budget models, as a rule, lies in the quality of parts and the ability to precisely regulate the speed of closing the door leaf.

For inexpensive models, the mechanism is adjusted several times a year. In higher-quality finishing devices, the system is adjusted once, usually before the onset of seasonal winds.

Important! Inexpensive models of door closers for external doors of class E6-E7 may not have adjustment screws.

In such designs, the average value of the closing speed is set. The greater the weight of the front door, the more difficult it is to accurately adjust the speed of movement of the leaf.Therefore, adjustment often comes down to choosing the length of the lever.

Slide

The main difference between door closers with a sliding rod is that the device lever is not rigidly fixed using a hinge on the bracket, but slides along the guide during the process of closing and opening the door.

Structurally, such closers provide constant force when opening and closing the door. Moreover, some models have an eccentric for additional door pressure to snap onto the door lock ball.

Subjectively, many users note that the slide system provides a higher level of comfort. When opening, the backpressure load on the hand remains almost at the same level and does not depend on the opening angle of the door leaf, except in the slam zone. But there are also disadvantages: if a slide closer is installed on the front door, then before you start making adjustments, you need to blow out and clean the gutter.

Healthy: Do-it-yourself door closer installation.

In what cases is adjustment needed?

It is not surprising if apartment owners do not adjust the stroke when installing a new door closer. The device is new; when checking at the factory, it is necessary to carry out adjustment according to the standard class. If the closer is marked E3-E5, then the adjustment will be made for a higher load.

But most owners prefer to adjust the closer themselves. This is done if:

1. The door is in the office, and during the working day a large number of visitors pass through the doorway. If this is not done, the hinges holding the door leaf or the ball retainer will quickly become unusable.
2. In the event that the closer is installed on the front door.It is important to adjust the blade pressing force. Otherwise, gusts of wind will constantly open the sash, and accordingly, precious heat will be lost.

Often adjustments are made according to a non-standard scheme. For example, owners of cafes or small shops deliberately reduce the force of opening and closing the door, and make the adjustment of the door slam very slow, but with the leaf tightly pressed to the door frame.

A large number of visitors (customers) enter and exit through the door, and the door closer must work quickly and easily. If you make a big effort, visitors are likely to tear off the handle on the door due to the habit of accompanying the door with their hand.

Adjusting the door closer with your own hands depending on the part of the structure

A conventional damper mechanism is installed inside the case; it slows down the movement of the door under the action of a spring. The adjustment is carried out according to three criteria:

• the force of pressing (opening) the door leaf to the frame;
• speed of movement of the sash at the free stage;
• clap speed.

This is a standard set of adjustment points; it is present on almost all models of door closers. In more expensive devices, additional adjustment points can be installed, with the help of which it is possible to adjust the force when opening doors or adjust the angle at which the door leaf will automatically lock in a stationary position.

Closing force adjustment

At the end of the closer body or under the sliding decorative cover you can find two adjusting screws. The upper adjustment point is used to adjust the slam speed, the lower one is used to adjust the process of closing the door leaf in the range from 180O up to 15O.

To adjust, you just need to turn the second screw ¼ turn clockwise. As a result of adjusting the closer, the door will close more slowly.

How to loosen a door closer to open

It is clear that opening a door leaf in the absence of resistance is much more convenient than overcoming the force created by the door closer. In simple devices like NORA-M, they simply reduce the slamming force by turning the adjustment screw slightly more than the middle position.

It turns out that going out through the doorway becomes more convenient, but there is a risk that the door will close slowly. For metal-plastic door panels this is not a problem, you just need to add slamming force.

But there is a more rational solution. For example, instead of NORA-M, install a German door closer with additional functions or adjustment points. In this case, instead of two screws, there will be four heads on the case. These are usually expensive models with a built-in hydraulic fluid bypass valve and a door leaf position lock in the open position.

The purpose of the screws may vary among different manufacturing companies. Therefore, before you start adjusting the door closer yourself, you definitely need to look at their purpose. Moreover, it will be useful to make for yourself step-by-step adjustment instructions in several points, which you should save in your smartphone or in the box from under the closer.

Next, according to the diagram, you need to find the screw with the designation BC (closing brake), tighten it completely and unscrew it a quarter turn. With each new adjustment cycle, you have to turn it ¼ turn counterclockwise, gradually reducing the brake force when opening the door leaf.

How to adjust a door closer to prevent the door from slamming

Even if the device works normally and the door does not hit the frame, but closes smoothly, it will still be necessary to make adjustments in a year or a year and a half. This is a way to compensate for the wear of the main parts and mechanisms of the brake.

In order for the slam to be smooth, it is necessary to adjust the speed of closing the sash in the last 20 cm of the path. For these purposes, screw valve No. 1 is provided on the closer body.

The essence of the adjustment is that by turning the screw inward (clockwise), we block the cross-section of the oil flow. The hydraulic fluid pressure drops more slowly, so the door will close without slamming.

You can immediately tighten the screw all the way and turn it back half a turn. This is a standard adjustment technique that is used on all door closers. If the latch is too weak, then you will need to tighten the slot 1/4 or 1/8 turn with a screwdriver, remembering to check the operation of the door closer after each new adjustment.

To avoid confusion when adjusting:

• in order to make the movement of the door leaf more rigid and faster, you need to unscrew the screw counterclockwise;
• To enhance the braking effect, the adjusting screw is turned clockwise.

Important! Correctly according to the instructions, the adjustment should begin with tightening the screw all the way.

Do not try to unscrew the screw from the closer a few turns (completely loosen the resistance) and only then screw it back in. It is not right. Firstly, it will be much more difficult to adjust in this way, and secondly, there is a risk of turning the screw too much, which will result in hydraulic fluid leaking.

Loss of oil usually results in a spring-loaded effect on the door leaf, causing the seal on the stem to wear out much faster.

Adjustment for tight door closure

The degree of pressing of the door leaf is selected when installing the closer. If the installation and preliminary adjustment of the closer is carried out according to the instructions, the second (adjustable) lever of the hinge pair should be at an angle of 90O. In reality, it is usually deviated from the perpendicular by a small angle to the left or right. This is due to the fact that the installation plane of the bracket and the surface of the door leaf do not coincide by 1-3 cm.

As a result, the door may not fit tightly or, conversely, the closer lever does not reach its extreme position. Both options require intervention and adjustment.

In order to increase the pressing force, you need:

• disassemble the hinge on the bracket;
• disconnect the threaded lever and screw the rod several turns inward so that the total length decreases by 3-5 mm;
• Reassemble the mechanism in reverse order.

If you choose the right length of the adjustable lever, the door will close tightly. But it is also impossible to shorten the rod too much, as this negatively affects the operation of the device spring. It is clear that you will have to open the door with a little more force than usual.

Results

Adjusting the door closer with your own hands does not require complex tools or special knowledge. All you need to do is carefully read the instructions for the closer. Naturally, the screws are not suitable for daily adjustment. Typically, you need to tune the device a maximum of a couple of times a year. If you have to do this every month, then perhaps the device needs replacement or major overhaul. repairs.

Tell us about your experience using door closers. Have you had experience adjusting them yourself? Bookmark the article and share it on social networks so that you and your friends can use our instructions at any time.