| Mechanical

A door closer is defined as any mechanical device that closes a door in a controlled manner, preventing it from slamming, in general after someone opens it, or after it was automatically opened. The force used to open the door is stored in some type of spring and when released this energy is then utilized to return the door to a closed position.

| Automatic

An automatic door closer, more often called a "door opener", opens the door itself, typically under the control of a push button, motion detector or other device, and then closes it as well, employing a motion or proximity detector to determine when it is safe to close the door. These types of door mechanisms can also be used for security purposes, keeping the door locked on a electromagnetic device (mag-lock) until either a code is entered into a key pad or a swipe card is presented.

Our Do It Yourself Commercial Door Opener PRO model is designed for applications that already have an existing closer in place. This opener features a rolling wheel on the end of the arm, allowing the PRO to push the door open, hold it open for the length of time you desire and then release the door by retracting the arm, allowing the existing closer to shut the door.

This is truly an on-demand system that adds no resistance to normal door operation. Like our Elite opener, this model is tested to one million cycles and is quite easy to install. This swing door operator is ideal for retrofit or new construction. It automates all exterior or interior swing doors up to 4.0 feet wide. The Pro is a jamb-mounted system. The actuator arm does not connect to the door.

| DOOR OPENER FEATURES:

• Easy Install (About one hour)
• Rugged construction – system does not require a clutch system to protect the gear trainChoice of on demand or automatic operation
• 1/10 HP motor
• Works with any existing closer
• Non-handed – system converts from right- to left-hand configuration in 15 minutes or less
• Push- or pull-open operations
• No maintenance required
• System includes exclusive SafeTek™ safety control programNo external safety devices required
• Sensor and access control ready (24 VDC @ 1/3 A contacts)
• Quiet, smooth and efficient operationTrue microprocessor motor control
• Hold-open and operator shut-off switches are standard
• Wireless operation standard

 A door closer is defined as any mechanical device that closes a door in a controlled manner, preventing it from slamming, in general after someone opens it, or after it was automatically opened. The force used to open the door is stored in some type of spring and when released this energy is then utilized to return the door to a closed position. Door closers can be linked to a building’s fire alarm system. Where doors need to be held open for the majority of the time they are held back with an electromagnetic device. When the fire alarm is triggered it cuts power to the electromagnetic hold-open device allowing the doors to close. These hold-open devices can be separate from the door closer or part of its design.

Types

There are five styles of interior door-closer:
| Surface-mounted
|Concealed in frame (jamb)
|Concealed in header (transom)
|Concealed in floor
|Concealed in door
|Concealed in shoe
|Integral to hinge

Overhead or surface-mounted door closers come in four variations: slide-track arm, regular arm surface mounted, parallel arm surface mounted, and top jamb mounted, most are surface mounted although some manufacturers offer concealed models too.

Another type of surface mounted door closer is attached to the door frame behind the door (where the hinges are) next to the middle hinge. The "arm" (tail) rests against the door, and a spring that is twisted by the user opening the door closes the door by returning to its pre-twisted shape. This type of door closer is referred to as a "tail" spring  and is one of the more simple mechanisms, having no damping control.

There is also the storm door and screen door variation of the door closer: As the name implies, these piston type closers are used on storm doors, security, and screen doors which give the home an extra line of defense against weather, intruders, and insects. Whereas interior closers typically use hydraulics, storm door closers are more typically pneumatic, using air and springs to close the door. Storm door closers often have a small metal square washer on the rod that is used to lock the closer in the open position if required, more recent models have a button to actuate the hold open feature to make this process easier. Concealed, jamb-mounted type door closers, mounted in morticed recesses in the door and door frame, are concealed when the door is closed. These are available in controlled and uncontrolled versions, selected according to the application for which they are intended. Such concealed closers when mounted inside a pocket in the door frame (door jamb) are commonly known as "perco's" or perkomatic closers

When door closers are mounted in the header they are known as transom closers. These can be HO (hold open) or NHO (none hold open).

Door closers that are mounted in the floor directly under the pivot point beneath a decor plate are referred to as floor springs and come in two variations, single action for doors opening one way (right and left hand) and double action for doors that open inward and outward, both types can either be none hold open (NHO) or hold open (HO). They consist of a pivot which protrudes from the top of the device and mates to a shoe (or strap) that the door is connected to, some kind of spring and a damping device to control the rate at which the door closes (very early ones had no damping), these damping devices are either pneumatic (known as an air spring or air check) or hydraulic in nature. When a floor spring is used to control a door, they can be used in conjunction with hinges but generally have a single pivot point at the top of the door, this pivot point is known as a top centre. Floor springs are usually the most expensive and most hard wearing of all the door closing devices in use.

The shoe door closer, known as a heel spring,  is housed entirely in the 'heel' of the door, inside a shoe. This shoe looks very much like the shoe used in conjunction with floor springs.

Finally there is the spring hinge (self-closing door hinge). This type of door closer uses a spring mounted in a hinge and is integral to its design. The spring can be either visible or hidden within a tube and can be found more commonly on interior doors. When used on doors that open both ways they are known as double action spring hinges.

| Manual

Old type of manual door closer (made by BKS)

A manual door closer stores the energy used in the opening of the door in a spring, either a compression, torsion, tension, volute or leaf. and releases it to close the door. Some closers allow for adjustment of the strength of the spring, making it easier or more difficult to push the door open along with providing more closing force. To limit the speed at which the door closes, most modern door closers use oil-filled hydraulic dampers, although spring mechanisms and friction alone may also be used for damping. Some closers incorporate a back-check facility which prevents the door from being opened too fast; this is useful for exterior doors where there is a danger of wind catching and blowing it open, potentially damage to the door, nearby objects, or people near it. The speed at which the door closer closes the door may be adjustable by up to three adjustment valves. These valves often adjust the sweep speed and the latch speed of the door and some closers are optioned with a delayed action valve. The latch speed is the speed that the door travels in the last 10 to 15 degrees of it closing cycle and is often set faster than the "sweep" so that the door can properly latch closed. The sweep speed is the speed which the door travels along the majority of its travel, before reaching the final 10 to 15 degrees, and is often set slower than the latch speed. For openings where a much longer close time is desired, a delayed action closer may be appropriate. The delayed action valve slows the sweep speed dramatically for roughly the first half of the sweep range. Door closers which provide this two or three-stage action and close doors at a determined rate are called 'controlled' door closers.

| Automatic

An automatic door closer, more often called a "door opener", opens the door itself, typically under the control of a push button, motion detector or other device, and then closes it as well, employing a motion or proximity detector to determine when it is safe to close the door. These types of door mechanisms can also be used for security purposes, keeping the door locked on a electromagnetic device (mag-lock) until either a code is entered into a key pad or a swipe card is presented. High security areas may opt for a biometric system, using a retinal scanner or some sort of electronic finger print device in place of the key pad or card method.