Fitting Door Closers

clayton1302 · 05-07-2009, 05:42 PM

I fitted a door closer onto an internal fire door in my house and was initially delighted as everything seemed fine. The door in question is the door that leads from the kitchen to the lounge and when I first tested it after fitting, the back door to the house leading from the kitchen into the garden was open. However when I walked through the door later when the back door was closed the closer didn't close the door. I am told that this is down to the fact that I don't have a vent in my kitchen and air displacement? Apparently the back door being open created a vacuum which meant the door closed which obviously wasn't there when the back door was closed. Firstly does anyone know if this is correct? If so is there any way around this as I plan on fitting door closers onto every door in the house and am not exactly over enamoured about the thought of having to put an air vent in every room! The type of door closers I am fitting are the jamb mounted type which fit into the door frame and work on a spring mounted chain. Any help would be hugely appreciated! Cheers.

Ron6519 · 05-08-2009, 06:38 AM

When new storm doors are installed, this occurs. Especially with exterior door with good weatherstripping. If the door is set to close a little slowly, it will usually close properly.
Ron

clayton1302 · 05-08-2009, 05:49 PM

Many thanks for your response Ron but I think you misunderstood me. The door closers are fitted to internal, and not external doors.

jaros bros. · 05-08-2009, 06:43 PM

You are ambiguous on what type of closer you have. Did you use a screen door closer on a fire door? Regardless, most door closers have two speeds. Closing speed and latch speed. You need to adjust the two so that when it gets down to the last couple of inches it will move quickly enough to overcome any resistance. Was your closer rated for the size door you have it on? If you have too small a closer you are out of luck other than ordering a new one.

clayton1302 · 05-08-2009, 07:27 PM

The door is a 31kg internal fire door. The door closer I have used closes doors up to 50kg in weight. I believe that there are two different types of door closers. One is the arm that sits at the very top of the door and can be seen. The other, which I have used, are the type that act on a spring mounted chain, are drilled into the door and attached to the middle of the door frame. These are totally hidden when the door is closed. I have adjusted the spring so that it is at full tension but it still doesn't close. Well it closes when the back door or a kitchen window is open (please see my original post) but not when they are both closed. Hope I have made myself a little clearer.

DUDE! · 05-09-2009, 08:49 AM

I'm not familiar with the style closer you are using but have delt with the vaccum you are mentioning. You might want to switch to a spring hinge, hidden somewhat, but in order to get it to close with the air issue, you may end up with some slamming door noise. And my two cents, if you are going to the cost of installing firedoors in the house, you might as well go with a good commercial door closer, as far as how it looks, wont' be really noticable in a house with all the doors closed.

jaros bros. · 05-09-2009, 09:09 AM

You may want to try adding some spring powered hinges to assist the door closer. The vacuum is overcoming the power of the door. A lot of closers are also rated as far a size, not just the weight of the door. Do you not have adjustability as far as latch speed? If the spring hinges don't give enough, you will need a decent commercial closer, they would definitely do the job, but not a cheapy, a good one.