Do you ever notice how your security door or storm door slams shut in the winter? We field a lot of calls from folks that think the closer (round tube attached to door) on their door is broken. So, why does the door slam shut when it’s cold?
Before you start yelling at the kids, or your significant other, you may want to stop and think about why that security or storm door just slammed shut. The true culprit may be Old Man Winter.
Door closers are made up of a metal tube that surrounds a spring. There’s air (and sometimes a bit of oil) inside that tube to cushion the spring action. When the door opens, a rod attached to the spring extends out of the tube. When the door is released, the air pressure in the tube provides enough resistance to ease the door closed.
When its nice and warm outside, the air moves a bit faster and keeps the metal tube full. When it gets cold, the air molecules slow down and take up less volume. That’s why the door seems to close faster.
Some closers have a winter and summer pin location to accommodate for the air temperature changes. You may want to check yours to see if it is in the correct position. If not, get a friend to help you hold the door while you adjust the closer pin location. Be sure to use the hold-open washer on the rod to keep the tube extended while you change pin positions. If that doesn’t help the slamming situation, try the Adjusting Screw move described below.
Other door closers have just the Adjusting Screw. To decrease the closing speed, turn the Adjusting Screw COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. To increase the closing speed, turn the Adjusting Screw CLOCKWISE.
If that doesn’t help, we still suggest waiting until the weather warms before replacing it just in case. If all else fails, call us, we stock closers!
