Signs your door closer needs replacing - what to do about it

A door closer provides an essential function in terms of the safety and comfort of a commercial building, but it is important that you monitor its performance and can identify when it is not functioning in the way it is supposed to. A door closer has the purpose of controlling the closing action of the door in order to prevent noise, damage and injury. It therefore provides an important safety and security function, but if it is not operating properly then this can cause a problem.

What will happen if your door closer isn’t working correctly?

If the door closer isn’t working correctly, it can slam shut without warning or become difficult to operate. If this is the case then eventually you won’t be able to rely on the door closer providing its basic function; to ensure the door is closed. This can therefore start to compromise a number of important things:

• The door can slam shut and injure someone
• The door can slam shut and start to cause damage to the door and surrounding walls
• The door may not sit in the ‘closed’ position properly, and hence can cause a security issue
• If the door isn’t closed properly it won’t provide the same noise or thermal insulation

So you can see that a damaged or malfunctioning door closer can have a number of wider implications, and hence it is important that you regularly inspect the door closer and are vigilant to changes in how it is operating. These changes may indicate that the door closer is ready to be replaced.

What to look for to confirm a door closer needs replacing

Here we have put together a list of the indications you can look out for, which may be telling you that a door closer needs replacing.

• The door doesn’t close smoothly
• The door closes too fast
• The door closes too slow, or it closes erratically
• There are fluid leaks on the floor
• There are visible signs that the door closer is damaged, ie. physical signs such as it is bent, cracked or warped
• The door closer still doesn’t close properly even when you have adjusted it as normal
• The door closer won’t sit in the ‘closed’ position properly
• The door is very stiff to open and/or close
• There are noises coming from the door closer when it is opened or closed

It is important to note that some of the problems experienced with a door closer can be rectified by adjusting the pressure inside the mechanism. However, if you have adjusted the valves as normal and this still doesn’t solve the problem, it might be time to replace the door closer. Other problems encountered with door closers is that the door closer wasn’t installed correctly, or the design of door closer was incorrect. In some cases a badly installed door closer can be adjusted and salvaged, but in others it could have become damaged. And if the design of door closer was incorrect from the beginning, no amount of adjustment or maintenance will solve that issue, and it will need replacing.

Replacing a door closer

The process of replacing a door closer starts with regularly inspecting the door closer that is currently installed. Through this you can monitor the operation of the door closer and how effective it is in terms of operation, safety, noise and thermal insulation. If you have tried to adjust the mechanics of the door closer and this has made no material difference, it may be time to replace it. At this point you need to check out the range of door closers available and establish what would be the best one for you. It is important that you assess what is the right door closer. Once this is agreed, you can select and install the right door closer.

Door closers, by design, need to be robust and consistent in operating the same opening and closing cycle, over a number of years. They need to be strong and reliable. So it is no surprise when a door closer starts to malfunction through general wear and tear, or because it is damaged, badly installed or was the incorrect type of door closer in the first place. But if you carry out a regular inspection and assess the door closer for the visual checks listed above, you should be able to quickly identify that the door closer needs replacing.

Our range of door closers at MB Direct are thoroughly tested and are manufactured to exacting standards, so we know they are capable of operating on the required number of cycles to enable many years’ reliable service