door closer that WORKS?

Posted by Nate Nagel on April 30, 2007, 10:17 pm

please help my storm door...

I've replaced my door closer (old one didn't do the do) with a new
"Wright" brand "medium duty" closer (beefiest looking one I've found)
and the door closed with a satisfying slam. Then I went to leave, and I
discovered that with the wood door behind it closed, it won't latch -
apparently the main door is airtight enough that it causes air pressure
to build up between the two doors when the storm door tries to close,
and it stops just short of latching. Can anyone recommend a closer that
actually has a positive closing action that really works? I thought I
remembered sometime in my past having played with a closer that would
slowly close the door and then when it got within a few inches of the
latch would really suck it closed.

As a sidebar, the sheetmetal screws provided to mount the bracket to the
door stripped before tightening down (aluminum frame) anything for it
but to get some rivet nuts in, say, 10-32 or thereabouts?

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Posted by Pete C. on April 30, 2007, 11:47 pm

Nate Nagel wrote:

>
> please help my storm door...
>
> I've replaced my door closer (old one didn't do the do) with a new
> "Wright" brand "medium duty" closer (beefiest looking one I've found)
> and the door closed with a satisfying slam. Then I went to leave, and I
> discovered that with the wood door behind it closed, it won't latch -
> apparently the main door is airtight enough that it causes air pressure
> to build up between the two doors when the storm door tries to close,
> and it stops just short of latching. Can anyone recommend a closer that
> actually has a positive closing action that really works? I thought I
> remembered sometime in my past having played with a closer that would
> slowly close the door and then when it got within a few inches of the
> latch would really suck it closed.
>
> As a sidebar, the sheetmetal screws provided to mount the bracket to the
> door stripped before tightening down (aluminum frame) anything for it
> but to get some rivet nuts in, say, 10-32 or thereabouts?
>
> nate
>
> --
> replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
> http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Sounds like an adjustment issue. It's closing with the wood door open
because of the momentum of the door causing enough over travel to latch.
With the wood door closed and the air resistance the door decelerates on
the cushion of air when it gets close and then because the closer isn't
positioned or adjusted properly that's where it stops since the closer
is no longer pulling.

You need to set the closer so that there is tension on it when the door
is fully closed and latched. you should have to pull the closer rod out
a bit with pliers and hold it there with it's lock plate in order to
connect it to the bracket on the door. when not connected to the bracket
on the door the closer rod should rest about an inch back from it's
connecting point. This insures that when closing against the air cushion
the closer continues to pull as the air vents until the door latches
properly.

On the stripped holes, some options are:

Rivet nuts
Pop rivets
Larger screws
Epoxy putty
TIG weld to fill and then re-drill holes

Pete C.

Posted by jim menning on May 1, 2007, 12:13 am

> please help my storm door...
> I've replaced my door closer (old one didn't do the do) with a new "Wright"

brand

> "medium duty" closer (beefiest looking one I've found) and the door closed

with a

> satisfying slam. Then I went to leave, and I discovered that with the wood

door

> behind it closed, it won't latch - apparently the main door is airtight enough

that

> it causes air pressure to build up between the two doors when the storm door

tries

> to close, and it stops just short of latching.

It's probably working fine, but you haven't adjusted it for your installation.
Go
here for the instructions, if they didn't come with your closer.

http://www.rd.com/content/openContent.do?contentId=19294

Posted by Pop` on May 1, 2007, 7:58 pm

Read instructions; follow them; door closes completely. Done!

Nate Nagel wrote:

> please help my storm door...
> I've replaced my door closer (old one didn't do the do) with a new
> "Wright" brand "medium duty" closer (beefiest looking one I've found)
> and the door closed with a satisfying slam. Then I went to leave,
> and I discovered that with the wood door behind it closed, it won't
> latch - apparently the main door is airtight enough that it causes
> air pressure to build up between the two doors when the storm door
> tries to close, and it stops just short of latching. Can anyone
> recommend a closer that actually has a positive closing action that
> really works? I thought I remembered sometime in my past having
> played with a closer that would slowly close the door and then when
> it got within a few inches of the latch would really suck it closed.
> As a sidebar, the sheetmetal screws provided to mount the bracket to
> the door stripped before tightening down (aluminum frame) anything
> for it but to get some rivet nuts in, say, 10-32 or thereabouts?
> nate

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