In focus: Door closers

Rob Adams, technical manager for ARRONE, provides the latest updates about the ARRONE door closer offering and shares best practice guidance for making sure door closers comply with the latest safety standards.

Door closers play a key role in balancing fire safety and accessibility so it’s crucial that the right product is specified, properly installed and maintained.

To conform to BS EN 1154, the British-European standard for door closer performance, the smallest door closer that can be used on a fire door is a size 3.

The heavier the door, the more powerful the closer must be. The smallest size 3 is up to 60kg and 950mm wide and the largest size 7 up to 160kg and 1600mm wide.

Electromagnetic closer

If a fire door must be kept open, for instance, because it is in a high traffic area, then the use of an overhead electromagnetic door closing device would provide a safe solution.

This type of closer will allow the door to be held open, making it easier for people to move through the building, but will automatically close the door when the fire alarm is triggered.

The recently launched AR6409B electromagnetic closer from ARRONE is now available in stainless steel effect as well as silver.

Overhead surface-mounted closer

This is one of the most cost-effective and widely used on the market.

It is sometimes known as a Rack and Pinion closer and is generally fitted to the head of a door.

Power adjustment can be achieved in two ways: by fitting position or adjusting the spring power to control the door closing speed.

Depending on the closers category of use they can provide controlled closing of a door from 105 degrees (category three) up to 180 degrees (category four).

The AR1500 door closer category has recently been upgraded from three to four.

It is particularly suited to applications on doors where optimum clear opening widths are a key requirement such as hospital corridors.

Door closer inspection best practice

To ensure a robust inspection of door closers, there are some key areas that need to be considered including proper positioning and secure attachment to the door and frame; checking for any damage; ensuring the closer allows the door to open and close in a controlled manner; checking all screws and fixings are still tightly in place; and looking for any signs of leaking fluid.

The impact of faulty door closers on doors

When a door closer doesn’t function properly, it directly impacts the performance of the fire door. Faulty door closers can result in doors:

• Not latching correctly when opened to 5 degrees or 75mm
• Taking too long to close – within 25 seconds is considered best practice 
• Not easily opening by up to at least 70 degrees

Help is at hand

The ARRONE range caters for a variety of power sizes, suitable to meet requirements for all building types.

In addition to overhead and electromagnetic closers, the ARRONE range also features concealed overhead closers, Cam-Action door closers and floor springs.

ARRONE has a series of videos covering the installation and maintenance of the AR1500 and can be found on the HOPPE YouTube channel.

https://www.hoppe.com/gb-en/catalogue/1001199032/door-closing-devices

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