EXCERPT: For adjustment and repair of Door Closers, often used in offices and commercial buildings. Also known as: Mechanical door closer, office door closer, automatic door closer.
For information on pneumatic storm door closers, see this article: Storm Door Closer Maintenance, Repair and Adjustment
Disclaimer: This information may be inaccurate, incomplete, or dangerous. You are responsible for your actions. I caution you to NOT disassemble the main cylinder, your closer may have a strong spring inside that can cause serious injury if an end cap is removed.
This article is an updated version of the original page.
Basic Operation
- Hydraulic Door Closers close a door automatically at an adjustable speed.
- A Door Closer is usually mounted at the top of a door or above it on the jamb. There are also internal models that are installed hidden inside the door frame for a cleaner look.
- An internal Spring applies force to the Arm to close the door. Hydraulic fluid (oil) flows through pathways inside the closer. The resistance/restriction to fluid flow determines the door closing speed.
- Spring strength and adjustment (if any) varies by model. Heavier doors require stronger door closers.
- Door closers are matched to their application, based on door size and weight, and the corresponding strength needed to close them properly.
- Adjustable Spring tension allows models so equipped to work well for doors of sizes within their range of adjustment.
The operation of a door is controlled by the Door Closer in 3 basic zones:
Adjustment
Instructions here are for a properly functioning door closer. If your door closer is not functioning properly, see Troubleshooting section before adjusting.
- Adjustment screws usually require a hex wrench.
- Your closer may have a cover that must be removed before you can access the adjustment screws.
- Do not unscrew the adjustment screws, they will fall out, and oil will spill!
- Generally, turning a screw Clockwise will increase resistance or slow the door, Counter-Clockwise will do the opposite.
- Adjustments can be sensitive, start with a 1/4 turn
Adjustment: Things to consider
- I prefer a slow-moderate sweep and a slow, quiet latch. Sometimes environmental factors do not allow an ideal adjustment.
- If your door won’t latch when adjusted to a slow latch speed, perhaps your latch bolt is not functioning smoothly or installed correctly.
- Perhaps your door requires a higher closing force, adjust your PA (power assist) or Spring Tension if available
- Variables to take into account:
- Weather conditions: Wind, Snow, Ice, etc. You may need to adjust your door to close properly across ALL conditions
- HVAC: Positive or Negative pressure in your building. Some ventilation systems will cause the door to blow open or pull shut, you may need to adjust your latch speed to a little faster to overcome a positive pressure, or slower to handle a negative pressure.
- Your latch zone may be lengthened or shortened by adjusting your arm length.
- Adjusting your arm length may also cause your max open angle, or backcheck zone to engage earlier
Typical door closer
e.g. LCN, Norton/Sargent/Arrow may have the following adjustments:
| Adjustments (typical) | ||
|---|---|---|
| S | Sweep | Rate adjustment for long closing swing of door |
| L | Latch | Rate adjustment for short latch swing of door |
| BC | Backcheck | Adjustment to slow/limit the door’s max open angle |
| PA | Power Adjust | Adjustment for spring tension (less common) |
To adjust a typical closer: Adjust a little at a time – try a 1/4 turn to start, open the door between adjustments to check the difference.
Adjust in this order:
- Sweep speed (and Power Adjust if necessary/applicable)
- Latch speed
- Backcheck
Picture of Norton Adjustment Screws
Kawneer door closer
For Kawneer models with a single combination adjustment for Sweep and Latch. One screw adjusts both settings:
| Kawneer Adjustments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Screw type/loc. | The Sweep and Latch are both adjusted with a single screw | |
| Beveled Edge (see chart below) | Sweep | Sweep is adjusted by turning screw CW to increase resistance/slow closing speed |
| Latch | Latch is adjusted from least to max within 1 revolution | |
| Opposite side | Backcheck | Adjustment to slow/limit the door’s max open angle |
To adjust Kawneer closers: Set your Sweep speed first, then turn adjustment screw +/- one half turn in either direction to attain proper Latch speed.
Picture of Kawneer Adjustment Screws
Troubleshooting
Most problems are caused by low oil.
Low oil level can look like:
- Door swings too fast to a point mid-swing, at which it closes at a normal slow pace
- Door swings closed without any resistance, slamming against door jamb/frame
- Changing adjustment screws is of no effect
- Oil puddle underneath door closer unit
- Oil drops on bottom of arm
Oil loss is usually due to:
- An adjustment screw being removed
- Leaking adjustment screw seals (o-rings)
- Leaking arm shaft seals (o-rings)
Kawneer adjustment screw with o-ring replacement
Repair
Smaller Door Closers are relatively inexpensive, figure in your time, and consider replacing them.
Heavy Duty Door Closers can be expensive and hard to find replacements for
Check to see that your door closer is not under warranty. The following instructions may void any warranty you have.
Repair seals / Refill Oil:
Consider Hydraulic Jack Oil in the automotive section of a major store. I have also successfully refilled door closers using 3-in-1 household oil
- Wear Safety Glasses
- Note the leaks, and their apparent origin
- Remove the door closer unit from the door or top jamb
- Move unit to a suitable workspace (oil will drain, and sometimes squirt from unit during refill process)
- Remove adjustment screws or other hardware to gain access to seals
- Remove seals, or take the screw/shaft with the o-ring on it to the hardware store
- Match the o-ring with a new one at the hardware store
- optionally, buy an assortment of o-rings from Harbor Freight
- Typical: re-insert BC adjustment screw, tilt and hold closer so that it’s on it’s end, with the S and L adjustment screw ports facing upward
- Fill port(s) with oil, slowly moving the closer Arm to distribute oil internally. If you move too fast oil may squirt out!
- Fill to top and re-insert adjustment screws with fresh seals
Tip: If you want to save yourself some time adjusting, count the number of turns while you remove the adjustment screws. When you reassemble you can turn them in the same number of times to get close to your original settings.
Arm Shaft Seals: If you’re changing the Arm shaft seals, here’s a few tips. Be careful if removing the internal Spring. The Arm shaft seals on your closer might be accessible after removing the retaining ring on the pinion shaft (where the arm is attached to the closer) note the position of the arm on the pinion shaft, you will need to correctly align the arm and pinion shaft when you reassemble. Replace the o-rings on both sides of the pinion shaft
Pinion Shaft Illustration
Harley Hopkins 19 May, 2013
Look for the adjustment screws on the spring cartridge of your hydraulic door closer. Determine if the adjustment screw is a flathead or a Philips screw and have the appropriate screwdriver in hand. Use the ladder if necessary.
David 17 May, 2013
I have a stanley closer, and the pivot point of the arm is hitting the door just befor it closes. Do you know what is causeing this, and how to fix it?
jburl 10 May, 2013
my door closes fine but the resistance is high and difficult for older people to open? how do i adjust this?
Megan S. Meyers 7 May, 2013
Look for the adjustment screws on the spring cartridge of your hydraulic door closer. Determine if the adjustment screw is a flathead or a Philips screw and have the appropriate screwdriver in hand. Use the ladder if necessary.
MasonFlores 5 May, 2013
I prefer to install spring gate closer for my residents doors rather than hydraulic system because they’re heavy and costly,I think they’re more suitable for commercial use because in commercial sites gates are heavy as compare to residential gates.
Jess 5 April, 2013
John:
the norton, over the euyars they made them differntly (every 10 or so years) and may require special tools to get the pinion nut off to access the o-rings, older ones they had a nut on both sides, many newer ones the nut is only on one side and if the opposite side is leaking, you have to totally remove the pinion shaft from the closer to be able to get to the bottom o-ring,
may I ask the 2 alpha letters on the closer (the date code, on a 8000 it is located on mounting surface, remove closer from door to see it) if its still new, it may be best to return it to Norton if its still under warrentee,
the removal of the nut, over the years they have changed as well, from a large hex, to a 3 hole special nut, these still can get into, without the tool (may chew it up alittle bit, but may come off)
first remove the closer from the door and take to a workbench with a vise using vice grips, undo the nut, if the effected side is not the side with nut, you may have to drain out all the closer’s oil into a pan or an old unwanted bowl and refill after fixing the o-ring (o-ring can be found at a hardware store) tighten the nut and test, if no more leaks, reinstall to door and adjust,
masonflores,
the tension adjustment depends on what model number you have, is the brand and model of the closer known?? possible you can show a photo of the closer??? you may actually have a fixed sized door closer, have you also tried adjusting the distance between pinion shaft and arm bracket on frame??? this can help with making spring tension easier to manage, but only a small amount of change, as for the gate closer question, this all depends on the strength of both the closer in question and the gate closer you want to use with it,
-Jess the door closer doctor
MasonFlores 3 April, 2013
Can i increase of decrease the speed of the hydraulic door closer. Can Pool gate closer be mounted on the bottom of door.
John 19 March, 2013
Howdy, I have several Norton 8301s leaking around the pinion.
How do you remove the retaining around the pinion?
Does not seem to screw off.
Thanks for any help
Greg Geissbuhler 7 December, 2012
Your post is fantastic, can I direct customer to you blog? We sell replacement door closer springs and door closer arms. We are asked these questions all the time!
Greg
RBAdoor.com
Holy Family School 2 December, 2012
Got new doors and windows with kawneer hinges 10 years ago in the whole school. Murphy Aluminium Cork supplied them but they are no longer in business.Is it possible to buy Kawneer hinges for replacement or is there a supplier in Ireland.
Alice 1 December, 2012
You can find your best sources of how to trouble shoot door closers in general, including latching problems on many good websites. These websites such as ehow gives very good advice to stay safe and get your questions answer. Some of us as individuals who are into door closers that give advice use the Internet or write to the manufacturer to get our answers. Therefore you can get the same information that some of use do by doing a little research. When I give advice I will give the source.
Jess 16 November, 2012
Hello anonymous,
I am glad my comment has helped with dealing with EU (or any Asian/European) door closers, although working similar to the “large body” north American closers, just they have different body styles and not all have same amount of adjustment screws or all features, which also depends on the brand and series.
John Triplett,
most “storefront” and closers that dont have staked valves are pretty much the same method for adding oil, just have to do it carefully (to not make a mess of oil if you lose grip of arm or arm comes off shaft)
as for the retaining nuts around the pinion shaft, sounds like you have an older one as per the discription of what you did in your second comment.
many newer closers there’s just one nut and other side is part of the body, and means if there’s a leak, you would have to remove the pinion to get at the opposite side of the shaft, (and lose the oil in the process)
only way the spring tension could release is if you removed the end plugs/end caps (the large round parts with 3 holes in middle, or spring tube (certain brands, such as norton7500/7700, Yale 4000 or the LCN 4000 series closers)
and as the article Parod wrote, it is NOT recommended to remove the end plugs/end caps, if you must remove them, its best to send the closer to a repair center/locksmith that specializes in rebuilding/repair of internal components of door closers. door closer springs are dangerus and are under alot of pressure in the closer cylinder, and if done improperly, (and not proper tools used or precautions) the spring can cause damage to the closer body, or injury to the person working on the unit, or anyone/anything in the area where the closer is being worked on.
good luck with this and any other closers you come across that leak, just be careful with them when working on them if you decide to carry out the repair yourself.
-Jess the door closer doctor
Anonymous 13 November, 2012
Thanks for the instructions and to Jess for explaining how the ones in EU work. My doors are finally latching fine.
John Triplett 12 November, 2012
Regarding my previous questions, I’ve answered them all. I removed the retaining nuts , top and bottom (on the pinion shaft). This did not release the spring tension. I replaced the O-rings inside the retaining nuts (the Harbor Freights kit had the exact size). I replaced the hydraulic fluid through the BC adjuster hole. I ran the arm through its complete range many times to bleed out the air, adding a tiny bit of fluid each time. As I rotated the arm fluid backed up into the funnel, so the funnel had to be a tight fit in the hole (to avoid a big fluid mess). I added fluid until it seemed to not be able to take any more. Total fluid added was about 1/3 cup–not much, and it was essentially empty. It now works like new, and doesn’t leak. Hope this helps someone.
John Triplett 9 November, 2012
I have an International Door Opener that is leaking around the pinion shaft (on the bottom). Obviously the arm is under spring tension. Will I release this spring tension if I loosen the retaining nut? Do I need to hold the pinion nut in place while loosening the retaining nut? Will I need to release the spring tension in order to replace the O-rings around the pinion shaft? Is the spring tension set by turning the pinion nut? And what holds the pinion nut in place (and retains the spring tension)? Do I replace fluid only through the sweep and latch adjuster holes? Or do I need to also replace fluid in the BC adjuster hole? Thanks.
Jess 25 October, 2012
Kathy Maguire,
from the description you give about your 68, these are the Rixson uni-check floor closers, now as for filling them with oil while still in the floor, that depends on their age and if Rixsons back then “staked” their valves (cannot remove valve from the closer)
if the valve is removable, unscrew it and put a small funnel in the hole the valve came from and slowly put in oil such as power steering fluid or automatic transmission fluid until it gets near the top of the hole and put valve back in, let door close (check for dampening action) if still out of control and slamming, repeat adding oil until a dampening effect is seen when valve is in and adjusted to slow the door down.
the other problems, (clunks, pops, knocks) most of these noises are caused by a loose arm at the bottom of the door, most of the time it’s the screw holding the arm to the closer spindle is loose and when it comes out of hold open it will knock, also a loose door is cause for “bouncing” at latch(door hits frame then bounces open) to tighten, remove the dress cap covering the bottom pivot, open the door and use an allen wrench to tighten the set screw while allowing the door to close, when the set screw is fully tightened, reinstall the dress cover cap over the spindle shaft.
Don Shuford,
about the O-rings, are you meaning the ones for the individual valves themselves or the pinion shaft?? from what i see with norton/yale products, only one side has the pinion shaft nut, if the sealed side is effected, you must remove the pinion shaft and you lose all the fluid in the closer.
got photos of any broken/problem closers??? the door closer doctor (me) may be able to help, my email is JLD902 (AT) aim (dot) com.
(sorry if it sounds like a “hijack” of the blog, but could help with the advanced problems)
-Jess the door closer doctor
Don Shuford 27 September, 2012
I need more information on disassembling and rebuild of a Norton 4400 series closer. I have 2 of them that need new seals, (O-Rings) which I can probably find at the local hardware store. Plus your website has good information on adjustments. But these things are going to keep loosing oil down the door until all the seals are replaced. can you help?
Thanks,
Don Shuford
Don Shuford 27 September, 2012
I need more information on disassembling and rebuild of a Norton 4400 series closer. I have 2 of them that need 2 seals, (O-Rings) which I can probably find at the local hardware store. Plus your website has good information on adjustments. But these things are going to keep loosing oil down the door until all the seals are replaced. can you help?
Thanks,
Don Shuford
office cleaning in los angeles 6 September, 2012
Actually no matter if someone doesn’t understand after that its up to other users that they will help, so here it occurs.
Kathy Maguire 21 July, 2012
I’m trying to fix a Rixson offset bottom door closer Model 68 (I think). We have a number of them in our building all with different problems. I think at least some of them need oil.
Can I remove the adjusting screw and refill the oil without removing the door and the closer from the floor?
The building was built about 1964.
Jess 2 May, 2012
Hello Brian,
the “1″ and “2″ seen on your closer indicate to me that this closer of yours may not be made in USA, (european brands tend to use numbers)
1 is most likely your sweep speed, turn to left to speed it up, righ tot slow it down,
2 is most likely the latch adjustment, do same to regulate the action
some also may have a [vvv] symbol next to the screw, thats for spring, if not, its still possible its spring adjustment or the backcheck (sometimes numbered as 3,)
dorma closers used in europe use this method, its to make it easier to figure out whats adjusted first, next and last, due to many there may not understand english, french, german or portugese or any other language spoken in EU territories. also this method (no words, but numbers or symbols) is helpful to learning disabled or even dyslexic be able to figure out how to adjust their closer.
hope this helps,
-Jess the door closer doctor
Ken 23 April, 2012
I have a Norton Door Closer that was installed around 1989. The adjustment screws are numbered 1 and 2. Could you tell me what these screws adjust – Thanks Ken
Brian 16 April, 2012
My office has a closer that needs adjustment, but I don’t know the manufacturer (not labeled). It has three adjustment screws. One on the hinge side is not labeled, and the two on the non-hinge side are marked ’1′ and ’2′. Any ideas on adjusting this door?
Jess 29 March, 2012
Jamie,
some questions about the closer, whats the series?? how is it installed (push side/top jamb/ or pull side?? the 1 foot of door travel and stuck, may not even be backcheck, if this is on pull side of the door, it may just be the arm banging into the top of the door (loose arm condition)
Chris: nice to see you commenting again,
I’m personally an expert in closers, any questions you may have too, feel free to ask.
-Jess the door closer doctor
Chris 24 March, 2012
If you go to the manufacturer website for your closer (or the norton one, which will give you the basics of how most modern closers are designed) you can download a PDF of the installation instructions. Maybe the arm needs to be repositioned on the pinion nut. Maybe the arm needs to be adjusted if it has a screw-type adjustment. Or maybe it wasn’t installed anywhere near properly in the first place =\
Chris 24 March, 2012
If it’s closing slowly most of the way, but slams at the end, it’s probably low on oil.
Probably need to fix any leaky seals and top it off.
Every properly functioning closer can be adjusted to latch slowly, It shouldn’t go from swing to latch, and at end of latch do a quick slam. The quick slam at the end hints that the closer is low on oil.
Is the noise just from the slamming of the door? Or does it make noises over the entire swing of the door as it closes? Are the noises like air bubbles in the oil? Are they from a creaky door closer arm joint? Are they from the hinges? Are they from the door scraping?
Chris 24 March, 2012
Sorry, I’m not sure.
Chris 24 March, 2012
3 is typical, they should match the Swing, Latch, and Back-Check adjustment screws as shown on this page.
Chris 24 March, 2012
Not sure what you’d do other than check the doorjamb to make sure it’s square.
You could also check to make sure the hinges on the door aren’t worn out, and aren’t loose or wobbly.
Chris 24 March, 2012
The only adjustment that would stop the door from opening is the back-check. Otherwise, check to make sure the arm looks ok. If everything checks out so far it might be that the spring inside is broken =(
jamie 5 March, 2012
i have a norton door closer it will only allow the door to open about a foot and gets stuck. i have noticed a litte bit of oil leakage. can you give me some input? thanks jamie
Terry VanDyke 11 August, 2011
I do maintanence for our church. We have several different types of doors. We have some Kawneer doors, one set is out of adjustment. It is not closing completly due to hiting the front upper edge of door jam. It has a adjustment screw at the lower left bottem corner, however this dosen’t seem to help. I think the building has settled and this is adding to the problem. Any help appreciated.
Anna Calhoun 4 August, 2011
I need instructions for adjusting a Falcon Door Closer…any ideas.
There are three adjustment screws but i have no idea what controls what
BJ 9 May, 2011
I have an LCN 1460 that is leaking out around the arm shaft. I assume it is the seal. There is what looks like a retaining nut that should come off and give me access to the shaft on the side where the pivot arm attaches. However, this is decades old and I cannot get the nut to budge…either on the pivot arm side nor the other side. Is this the best way to get at the shaft on this model, or is there a better way? Any help would be appreciated.
BarryNYC 5 May, 2011
I have a question if anyone can point me in the direction. Since I don’t know the actual terms I will try to explain as best as possible. I am looking for a closer (Norton style) that during the Latch part of the swing which is very slow=quiet the arm actually will PULL the door closed. Since this is happening slowly, standard closers won’t do this. I have been a building (can’t remember the door, how many do you walk through in a week lol) where it operated just as I said. The swing was normal. I don’t recall hearing any sound (pneumatic). But in the final third or so of the latch part of the swing, the gap was very small (2-3 inches door to jam). The closer actually pulled the door quietly closed.
P.S. I tried adjusting a Norton style and get the slamming part quieted somewhat, but the issue is the door still makes considerable noise closing. This is happening because the arm doesn’t actually pull closed. It is using tension to slam the rest of the way.
Can anyone help?
Thanks
Barry
P.S.S. I’m not a super or work for my building. I happen to live in a first floor apartment in NYC and trying to direct the owner to replace that closer. Pictures have fallen off my wall (lobby door opposite my living room wall), plus the sound is atrocious.
Lawrence Hudson 29 April, 2011
Is there a way to adjust/rotate the pinion nut on a Norton style closer? I’ve got a closer that is either positioned wrong or something. The pinion nut won’t pull the arm so that the door closes all the way. In a resting position the door is open about 2″. Whatever it is, the “latch” movememt won’t close the door unless the door is pulled open far enough to get a rapid “swing” movement going.
Bruce 26 January, 2011
Thank you this was real helpful.
Jess 30 September, 2010
hey parad, I recognize some of my tips used here in the updated site, glad i was able to help with troubleshooting of door closers (i emailed you using gmail instead of aim)
cowboy, your parker, do you have model number??? does it look like any of the closers pictured in the article parod has made??? many closers are generic spinoffs of name brands and basically can be fixed the same way as name brandwhen replacing seals,
many newer closers (Norton, Yale, LCN’s some have an indention near the valve hole that prevents valve removal from beyond body surface. if you really must remove the valve, its best to use a dremal and file down the indention so it looks like there’s no indention, you may meet resistance when removing the valve after this, it’s because of the tight fit of the valve against the shaved down indention on body when removing the valve screw
if working with the LCN “no leak” closer, their O-rings are alittle different, they are some v sheild thing, as in part gets moved across 2 “wipers” (much like a car shock absorber)
now if the leak is from the end cap (part with 2 or 3 holes, or huge cross head screwdriver bit depending on the brand and year they made the closer in, the O-rings for the end caps usually are thicker and larger in diameter and because the spring in many closes is under compression even when arm don’t move (rest position) and closer is off the door, its best if you have a machine shop or locksmith shop remove the effected end cap(s) to do the O-ring replacement, being they could use a press with the oversize bit and not risk injury from a spring flying out.
Mr. CParod: im glad we can now comment on this and get/give help with door closer repairing. great job on updating the door closer repair info page, if you come across any problems with ones you fix, please let me know as well, ok cparod???
I was given the nickname door(closer)doctor in high school because of stuff like this
adjusting and telling maintenance men how to fix leaks and once in a while fixing leaks and gurgling sounds some may make due to low oil.
-Jess the door(closer)doctor
cparod 24 September, 2010
Sorry, I don’t have Parker-specific instructions, but the general ones may work for you. Let me know what you find out and I’ll update the article.
Thanks for your question!
cparod 24 September, 2010
With the closer removed and on the bench, I removed the combination swing/latch adjustment screw and put the oil in that hole.
Sorry, I don’t remember which size o-rings were needed. If you take the old ones to a hardware store they can find some equivalent ones.
Thanks for the question!
Cowboy 22 September, 2010
Do you have info on adjusting/repairing a Parker hydraulic closure?
frank 10 September, 2010
This article is very helpful. We appreciate very much !
Randy 27 August, 2010
How do you fill the old Kawneer door closer with oil? Where is that done? Also what size o-rings do I need to replace the old ones? Thanks in advance, Randy
Ken Smith 19 August, 2010
Thanks a million. I was in building maintenance for a couple of years, filling time before retirement, and looked high and low for this information. I’ve noticed a couple of buisnesses that need help with there doors. This will be of great help.
Thanks again
Ken