The Locksmith Journal Mar/Apr 2018 - Issue 55 | Page 66

66 • DIGITAL&PROGRAMMABLELOCKS PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE Spring set – finding the sweet spot on a door closer Tackling a door that’s hard to open? Simon Gibbs from ASSA ABLOY has a good tip to try with the door closer… » » HERE’S A GOOD TIP FOR ANYONE confronted by a door that is proving difficult to use. It’s quite a common complaint from users who have find a newly installed fire door is not opening easily – or perhaps closing a bit sharpish. The issue is quite commonly down to the spring inside the door closer. When first installed a spring can be quite unyielding, and it can take up to about 5,000 cycles before it assumes what is known as ‘spring set’. When it does settle however, the spring has shaped itself to work as set up and will then operate accordingly. For variable door closers it is possible to short-cut this settling period and get the unit working better – and the door opening and closing more easily for users. HERE’S HOW: First, increase the power of the door closer to its maximum and, carefully, open the door to its maximum opening angle before allowing the door to close. Repeat this process 10 times. After 10 cycles, back the power off within the door closer. Then re-set the closer power, latch and door speed to the correct force for the doorset. When this is done you will find the door is easier to open. How did this happ en? Well, let’s look again at each step. When you wind up the spring, you put the maximum amount of tension on it available through adjustment. Then, when the door closer is used, the spring goes beyond that level to the maximum amount is can compress. After ten cycles, the spring will have set itself. This basically gives you a shorter spring with less travel – so the energy required to compress the spring when the door is opened is reduced. But as the closing force hasn’t been reduced, the door closer will still shut safely and seal the door into the frame. The ultimate solution to share keys and access cards safely • Heavy duty construction • Extra-large internal storage capacity • 14 large and easy to use push buttons • Resettable combination • Large clutch, easy to turn Ease access sharing for professional applications www.masterlock.eu [email protected] +44 (0) 1279 810350 LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | MAR/APR 2018 Sponsored by Lockex 2018 - Security & Fire Safety