I installed a custom wood storm door when the weather was warmer. When I left, the door was working properly.There is a closer on the door. The home owner called me the other day, and stated the the wind caught the door and pulled the closer bracket off the jamb. I just came back from repairing the jamb and installing a new, stronger closer. The problem is the air that gets trapped when the storm door closes. The door won’t close the last half inch by itself. When the main door is open, or the glass is removed from the storm door, the door operates just fine. I have boosted up the speed of the closer, and with no trapped air, it works like a flipper in a pinball machine. Sealed up, and it doesn’t close. I moved the sweep up higher to relieve the pressure, but it is not enough. I’m stumped.
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Replies
two things....is the closer rated for the weight of the door...did it come as part of a package?
did you pull the hold open tab up the piston a bit before you mounted the closer? did you use the winter, or summer hole?
p.s. did you add a safety chain?
Yes to all. I think the problem is there is only about two inches between the doors, and it creates a higher pressure than if it was 3 or 4. I upgraded the closure one level higher than what was recommended.
Dave,
The air trapped between the doors is a red herring. Yes, it does prevent the door from closing with momentum but that isn't how the door should close. If you pull the door open just two inches it should close completely on its own, regardless of the air resistance, pulled closed by the spring in the closer.
What I think is happening is that by the time the door is near to closing, the spring is no longer in tension and therefore can't pull the door closed. When the door is fully closed, there should still be some tension on the spring inside the piston. The piston should resist any effort to open the door. This will hold it closed against the stop whether it latches or not.
The bracket mounted to the door typically has three or so holes so you can adjust the length of the piston. You want to increase the length of the piston to get it to fully close the door. Either move the pinned end at the door out one or more positions or, if you're out of adjustment or can't get enough, remount the door bracket further away from the hinge side to get enough adjustment to lengthen the piston. - r
This problem is fairly common. Generally if you tighten up the spring enough to overcome that last bit of resistance then it slams in other circumstances. The problem, as you suggest, has to do with the available leverage at a given door angle, but few closers are set up to really compensate for this (since it's a non-trivial thing to deal with).