Handyman Tip On Adjusting Pneumatic Door Closer
Pneumatic door closers are the weak little sister of hydraulic door closers. Pneumatic door closers are good for closing lightweight screen doors, as they use air in the closing mechanism versus the oil used in the more powerful hydraulic closers.
As a handyman, we are asked which type to use, and the answer is that it depends. It mainly depends on the weight and size of the door. Lightweight doors, such as screen doors or hollow doors, can generally be pulled shut by a pneumatic closer, whereas heavier doors, such as steel exterior doors, need a hydraulic closer.
The closing is done by an internal spring inside the closer. As you open the door, the spring tension begins to close the door. The rate of closing is controlled by a piston and chamber that fills with air when the door is opened. There is an adjustment screw on the end of the closer that controls how quickly or slowly the air empties from the chamber, and consequently how quickly or slowly the door closes. That's why you hear a hissing noise as the air escapes from the chamber...it's more of a controlled slamming of the door.
These pneumatic closers are a game of adjustments. You can adjust how quickly the door closes by adjusting the screw that allows air to escape. However, the door may still give you problems. If the door doesn't close the last few inches, you will need to play with the bracket on the door where the closing arm mounts to it. Many of these brackets have several sets of holes to allow for this. If you move the arm to a hole farther away from the closer, you should get enough force to close and latch the door. If your bracket doesn't have a series of holes for these types of adjustments, you will need to move the bracket slightly farther out away from the closer.