Commercial Door Closer Problems and How to Fix Them

Commercial door closer repair is one of the most common calls we get, because a closer quietly works thousands of times before it starts to fail. A door closer controls how a door closes. It brings the door back from fully open at a steady speed, slows it near the end, and gives it enough force to latch. When it is working, nobody notices it. When it is not, the door slams, hangs open or never quite latches, and that last problem is a security issue.

A door that slams usually means the closing or latch speed needs adjustment, or the closer has lost hydraulic fluid. A door that will not close fully or will not latch may need more latch speed, a different spring setting, or attention to the strike and hinges rather than the closer itself.

Oil on the closer body, the floor or the door is a clear sign the seals have failed. A leaking closer cannot be fixed with an adjustment; it needs to be replaced. Loose arms, bent arms and stripped mounting screws are also common on busy doors.

Many closer problems can be fixed with an adjustment of the speed or backcheck valves, which is quick and inexpensive. Mechanical problems such as worn arms or loose mounting can often be repaired. A leaking closer, a closer that is undersized for a heavy exterior door, or one that has been adjusted to its limit should be replaced.

Matching the closer to the door matters. Heavy exterior doors, doors exposed to wind and high-traffic entrances all need closers rated for the job. An undersized closer will keep failing no matter how often it is adjusted.

A closer problem is sometimes really a hinge or frame problem. Sagging hinges let the door drop until it rubs the frame or misses the strike, and the closer gets blamed. When we service a closer we check the hinges, strike, latch and exit device too, so the door closes and locks reliably and stays that way.