Saturday, June 16, 2012

Old Norton Door Closer Adjustment

I had a door that was slamming harder than I would like so I decided to look into how to stop it from closing so fast.  After doing some research, I found that most door closers have a few ways to adjust them including a Swing (How fast the main swing is), and a Latch (how fast it closes at the end).  Some also have a way to adjust the Back Swing.  Basically you turn the screw to the right to slow it down, and turn it to the left to let it close faster.

I saw that my door closer said Norton on the bottom so I knew that was the brand.  I looked it up but couldn't find the exact model, probably because it is old and out of production.  Anyway, on the right side there was one place that looked like you could adjust it.  You can see in the picture, it is the hole to the right of the big X.  I used a small hexagon wrench, about 1/8th inch and turned it clockwise just a little bit to see if it would do anything.  To my surprise, it worked perfectly!  Just the little turn slowed down the latch speed so it closes much more softly. 

So if you have a door that is slamming and it has a door closer, just look for the little wrench holes or screws and turn them a little to the right and it should help slow it down. 

Another tip to lessen the noise is to get a little rubber adhesive bumper (can be found at most hardware stores) and put it on the door jamb inside where the door closes against it.  This should help prevent the door from hitting directly against the frame.

If this guide was helpful, or you have any questions or tips, leave a comment below.

11 comments:

  1. The door closer holds a hydraulic based mechanism. The closers must be adjusted in such a way that it closes the door more rapidly and slowly and also can be used to hold the door for a little moment before the closing process begins. In case you can’t see the alteration screws then it is quite sure that the closer has a cover. The cover can be of plastic or it might be of a metal. Begin with 1/8 of the turn. Rotate the alteration screws clockwise to slow down the door closer and counter clockwise to pace it up. Get more tips at : http://www.homeseekersreno.com/how-to-adjust-door-closer/

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    1. Hi. My problem with this kind of closer is actually the sweep speed of the door, the small button does take care of the latching problem, but how can I slow the travel of the door? I see there is two big x’s at each end, is this it? I try but to hard to even move. Help please

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    2. Connected IsolationMay 2, 2022 at 5:30 PM

      I don't think the X's adjust the sweep speed. It may only have the one adjustment point that you have tried. It's possible it may have lost oil over time which can affect how it works.

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  2. Thank you, This was exactly the information I needed. Worked like a charm.

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  3. Does anyone know the model number, I have one just like this.

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  4. it looks like my Norton door closer is very old. it doesn't have an allen key adjustment screw. there is one hexagonal screw at right and one at left. If you know how to adjust it please let me know. Thanks

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    1. Connected IsolationOctober 6, 2020 at 9:52 PM

      If you have a tool that will fit, I would try turning them to the right a bit to see if it makes a difference. With adjusters it can take a little trial and error to get it how you want it.

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  5. I'm trying to adjust an old Norton closer (approx 50 years) which has the large "circle X" on both right and left. On the left is one recessed hole with a protruding tab which looks like it might be a screw, but if so it needs a special tool. On the right side is a similar recessed hole, but with no screw or tab, so nothing to adjust. Any ideas?

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    1. It sounds like the one of the left side may be the adjuster so you just have to find which tool will fit so that you can try it out. Good luck!

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    2. Thanks! Needle nose pliers worked. So far as I can tell there is only the one adjuster, but one is better than none.

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