How Door Closers Function?

In most commercial buildings, houses and offices

, you see door closers. These are mechanical devices that make a door close when people enter or leave. In this context, we shall focus upon the functioning of door closers.

Local building codes in the United Kingdom usually determine the exits that should be outfitted with door-closers. Some conditions may require all doors to have door-closers. At the very least, most situations require them on fire-exit doors. The reason for this is that fire-exit doors are to remain closed at all times, when not in use. This helps to make sure that, if a fire breaks out in the building, the flames do not spread from one part of the building to the other, before the fire fighters can bring the blaze under control.

Such door-closers that are intended for fire exit doors should be fire-rated. Fire-rated devices are tested by a recognized testing service to ensure that they can withstand flames.

Manual door closers are further divided into two types; overhead or jamb mounted. The overhead device is attached to the top of the door and resembles a box with an arm attached to it. The manual door stores the energy used in opening it and releases it to close the door. So that the speed remains confined to a limit when the door is closed, oil filled (hydraulic) dampers are used in most of the doors.

To limit the speed at which a door-closer closes, most door-closers use hydraulic dampers, although spring mechanisms may also be used for this purpose. The speed at which the door-closer closes may be adjusted by up to three adjustment valves. These valves often regulate the sweep-speed and the latch-speed of the door, and some closers are equipped with a delayed action valve.

The latch-speed is the speed at which the door moves in the last one-third way, as it closes and is often set fast, so that the latch can be closed accurately. The sweep-speed is the speed at which the door moves along the first two-thirds of its move, and is often set slower than the latch-speed.

The closing speed of any door can be easily controlled with the help of door closers. Hydraulic dampers are quite common. Some areas make use of spring mechanism as well. This is done so by fitting in screws that can be adjusted so as to have the required speed of closing and latching.

This concludes the write up on the functioning of door closers. There are more intricate and complex mechanisms involved in the working of door closers, but the above mentioned functions are what a common man should know.

by: Paul J Coleman.

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