How to Adjust a Commercial Door Closer

Understanding how to adjust a commercial door closer is an art that requires a keen eye, patience, and the dexterity to handle tools while ascending and descending a ladder. But, with these qualities in your arsenal and the right toolset, you can master the art of adjusting an automatic door closer.

This guide provides an in-depth look into commercial door closers, but its principles can be applied to other door closer types as well. Remember, when you’re dealing with the screws that control these valves, a little adjustment can have a considerable impact. A mere five-degree turn can drastically alter the closing speed.

Upon examining your commercial door hydraulic closer, if the adjustment screws aren’t visible, it likely means the closer is fitted with a cover. This cover could be plastic or metal. In case there are no visible fasteners holding the cover, it’s held in place by tension and can be removed by pulling it off. If fasteners are present, loosening them (without completely removing them) will allow the cover to slide off.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for adjusting a commercial door closer:

Sometimes, a door closer can only do so much to solve a problem. If the door is warped, if there’s an issue with the self-closing door hinge, or if the door must swing uphill to close, the door may need to be repaired before it can close and lock automatically.

Here are some common issues you might encounter:

Here are a few signs that indicate it’s time to replace your commercial door closer:

Before we dive deeper, it’s important to understand what a door closer is. A door closer is a hardware device that controls the door’s movement. It uses a simple hydraulic mechanism to automatically close and lock the door after each use.

This helps maintain safety and reduces the amount of conditioned air escaping through the door. Some door closers are small models for residential use. Users can adjust the door closer to control how fast it closes and locks.

Door closers typically have two adjustable speeds. The latch, or speed of movement, controls the door between 90 degrees and 10 degrees. The closing speed regulates the last 10 degrees of closing before the door locks.

Here’s how you can adjust the closing speed: