There are two good reasons to replace your door closer if you suspect it is failing. The first and most important is security. If it fails it may not close all the way and the door may not latch and some unwanted person may enter the premises the lock on the door is meant to keep out. The second reason is that hydraulic fluid in the door closer may leak out onto the door and floor and leave a terrible stain that is impossible to get out. It also smells really badly.
The door closer’s purpose is first to close the door, and second to regulate the speed with which the door closes. It ensures that unless somebody leaves an obstruction in the doorway, the door will close. It is then a nearly fool-proof method of securing a door when that door has a latching lock on it. If the door closer is not properly configured or a gasket fails and the hydraulic fluid leaks out, the door may not close with enough force for the lock’s latch to engage, allowing people to push the door open and enter without a key.
Bottom line is if you notice that your door is closing faster or slower than usual or barely latching shut, or if there is a sticky oily brown mess leaking out of it, it may be time to replace it in which case you ought to give me a call. My charges are a service call of $65 to North Seattle in addition to:
- Labor for Replacement: $45
- Parts, depending on traffic and weight of door: $120-350
