How to adjust a door closer closing speed

Door closers carry out an important function in a building by automatically closing a door and ensuring it safely and securely meets the closed position after it has been opened. They are most common in commercial buildings but are also used in residential buildings. Regardless of the location, a door closer provides the same benefits by controlling the closing speed and ensuring a door always shuts. It reduces fire risk and prevents injury, it enhances security, it maintains temperature levels for energy efficiency, and it improves accessibility for people with limited mobility.

There are many different designs of door closer to suit different needs and applications, but the most common are concealed door closers and overhead door closers. Like any simple mechanism that is used as frequently as a door closer, the everyday operation is subject to wear and tear. A door closer goes through many repeated cycles in a day, and in locations of high traffic this can be in the hundreds and even thousands. It is therefore no surprise that the operation and performance of the door closer can change and become a problem.

What operational problems can you encounter with a door closer

When you install a door closer you can set it to open with a certain force and close at a certain speed. This can be set according to the level of traffic and the type of people using the doors. You don’t want doors to close too quickly as they can hit a person or frequently slam shut, which causes a noise hazard, but also can damage the door and injure a person.

Over time, however you have set the door closer upon installation, the door can start to close too quickly because of general wear and tear. The overhead door closers often seen in commercial buildings are a hydraulic unit, and you sometimes see seasonal change which effects the oil in the valves, and hence impacts on how the door closer operates. It is also important to remember that a door can close quite slowly but still slam shut, this is due to the sweep speed and the latch speed. Sweep is the full arc taken by the door from a fully open angle at 90 degrees and almost to the closed position, while latching is the final 12 degrees of the closing cycle, so the point at which the door rests in the closed position. It is essential that both the sweep speed and the latching speed are controlled, to ensure a door closes at the right speed and latching is achieved so the door is properly closed and remains closed.

How to adjust the closing speed of a door closer

Regardless of the design of your door closer, adjusting the closing speed is very straightforward.

A concealed door closer is usually installed into the door itself, and you should be able to adjust the closing speed by tightening or loosening the screws on the bracket attached to the door frame, and which the chain in the door cylinder is also attached to. This adjusts the tension of the chain and either speeds up or slows down the closing speed accordingly.

With an overhead door closer, this process is different but also very straightforward.

An overhead door closer consists of two sections, the main control unit that is attached to the door and the pivoted arm that is attached to the main control unit and the door frame. The adjustments you need to make are to the main control unit, and the only tool you will need is usually an Allen key.

• If you can’t see the screws for the hydraulic valves in the main control unit, it has a cover over the top which needs to be removed. Better quality door closers usually have a cover.
• You should now be able to see the cylinder and the screw holes which need to be adjusted. Some models have these already marked as S for Sweep and L for Latch.
• You can tighten the sweep screw by turning it clockwise and this will slow down the closing speed, while loosening it by turning it anti-clockwise will increase the speed. Adjustments only need to be minor and a quarter turn can have a big impact.
• With the latch speed, again you can use the Allen key to tighten or loosen the screw to adjust this speed and avoid the door slamming.
• Usually both screws need to be adjusted together to control the door closing cycle, ie. the sweep speed and the latching speed.
• If the screws are not marked with S and L, the sweep speed screw is usually away from the hinge, and the latch speed screw is nearest the hinge.
• Some door closers have an optional ‘backcheck’ feature, which is a mechanism that effectively acts like a break, and takes control of the door to prevent it opening or closing too fast. This would be a third screw in the main control unit and would be furthest away from the hinge, usually on its own, while the sweep and latch screws would be closer together.
• You can use trial and error to adjust the screws according to your needs and keep trying the door to get the result you want; a suitable door closing speed for the traffic using the door and a quiet and controlled latching action. A door closing cycle of around five seconds is a standard marker, but in some settings this may need to be longer.

Order your door closers from MB Direct

At MB Direct we have a full range of door closers including concealed door closers and overhead door closers, so choose the style that suits your needs and order online today.