Door closers, whether overhead, floor mounted, or concealed, are essential for controlled closing, security, and passive fire safety. This applies to commercial, industrial, and some residential premises.
Selecting the correct model with the right power size and adjustments for your facility or project is crucial. You can read about how to choose the right door closer in another one of our blogs. Once you’ve narrowed down the selection, read on, and we’ll guide you through power size, closing speed, and latching action, and how they impact controlled, effective closing.
So, let’s go through each of these three terms, what they mean, and how they impact decision making when buying, fine tuning, and maintaining door closers.
What Is Door Closer Power Size and Why Does It Matter?
Power size determines the force applied to the door being closed, and the effort required to open it. This strength or torque does not directly control the closing speed.
Door closers can have either variable or fixed power sizes. The changes to power size may be a screw on the closer body itself or by the units positioning on the door (template adjustable). On-door power size changes are ideal for doors affected by shifts in air pressure, environmental factors, or external doors to help reduce slamming.
The door closer fitting configuration can also change the power size of a unit. For example, the CE marked Briton 2003V overhead closer is an EN 2-4 closer but when fitted in parallel arm fixing, it is EN 3. Pull side mounting typically offers the most variation with adjustable power size models.
These are the common door weights and leaf widths comparable to the power size of a closer. Make sure to check manufacturer-specific details before choosing the right model for your application:
If the power size is too high for the door it can make doors harder to open, causing accessibility issues and excessive wear on hinges and other ironmongery. Heavier, wider, or taller doors require more force to close them fully into the frame and to close against any latch that’s fitted.
When a door closer specification notes a door weight, it refers to the test door mass. When calculating the closer you need, you should base this on the adjusted door weight, not the actual door mass.
The adjusted weight of the door (or effective door mass) factors in additional forces. For example, door closers with backcheck function increase the mass by 75%. Knowing the adjusted door weight also assists in selecting other appropriate door hardware, such as hinges.
You can read more about the different considerations when selecting the right door closer in our blog. It covers the door leaf itself, its location, traffic, and more.
Real-world applications for the varying power sizes include:
•Power Size EN 1-3: Common for non-fire rated internal doors with a lower leaf weight, width, and height.
•Power Size EN 4-7: Needed for heavier doors, tall doors, wide doors, or doors subject to wind resistance.
•Fire Door Closers: A closer set to a minimum power size EN 3 is required. This could be an adjustable closing device or a fixed EN 3 door closer. This is to ensure that they conform to British Standard BS EN 1154.
Many types of door closers have a selectable power size; it’s not restricted to overhead door closers. Watch one of our Tool Box Talks videos below on how to adjust the power size of the dormakaba ITS96 concealed door closer. Invisible when the door is closed, this transom mounted overhead door closer has very similar adjustments to the dormakaba surface mounted units; they are only positioned in different places on the closer body.
Understanding Power Size and Closing Speed in Door Closers
Increasing the power size does not make the door close faster; instead, it increases the force needed to open it. The closing speed is independently adjustable via hydraulic valves. It is not determined by the closer power size.
•Closing speed controls how quickly the door moves after it begins to close. This is often from fully open (c.180°) to 15° in the closing cycle. It is sometimes referred to as the sweep speed.
•Altering the closing speed does not compensate for an incorrect power size. Choose the right power size for your door closer using charts like the above.
•For doors requiring a longer closing cycle, consider fitting a unit with delayed action function. Rather than relying on the standard closing speed adjustment, the time of the closing cycle can be changed to suit the facility’s users using the delayed action ability.
Latching Action: A Key Adjustment for Door Safety
Latching speed typically covers the closing angle from 15° to 0° - the final part of the door's closing cycle. Having this correctly balanced ensures the door fully engages with the frame. After every use, a door should latch fully into the frame against any door seals or latch fitted, air pressure, or any other resistance the door encounters.
•Too fast a latching speed can result in doors slamming.
•Slowing down the closing speed too much can prevent proper latching. This directly impacts fire door compliance. A fire door that doesn’t latch could fail in an emergency, it would no longer compartmentalize a building or prevent the spread of fire, smoke, and gases.
•Adjustable latching action ensures reliable closing, securing doors after each use. This is key for access control doors that rely on effective closing after every activation.
Factor regular visual and functional checks into your door maintenance routine to ensure your closers are doing their job. No matter the type of unit, they require regular adjustment to compensate for seasonal environmental conditions local to each door so readjust as necessary when any issues arise.
See how to make closing speed and latch action adjustments on the dormakaba TS83 overhead door closer:
Fine Tuning Door Closers for Safety and Compliance
Identifying the correct power size, closing speed, and latching action isn’t always straightforward. As a specifier, installer, or Responsible Person, you must consider fire safety, accessibility, and user experience when selecting, fitting, and maintaining door closers. Pair this with the door weight, width, height, fire rating, location, usage, and of course budget, and there are more than a few factors to consider.
Installing adjustable door closers allows for flexibility for future needs as well as the specific conditions at the time of installation. Units with a variable power size, e.g. EN 2-5, allow for greater flexibility within one model of closer. But on-site adjustments to closing and latching speed make a big difference too.
Different door closers have differing valve positions, but all can deliver effective, reliable closing when you know where to look and what to tweak. It’s all about those final adjustments.
At Door Controls Direct, we’re here as a dependable, knowledgeable partner so reach out to us for guidance and support with problem solving compliant door hardware solutions. You can also find our expert advice in a variety of publications, like the Locksmith Journal, as well as our YouTube channel.
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