A couple of weeks ago I posted this photo of a broken door closer casting for Wordless Wednesday, and there were a lot of questions and comments.
Keith Krienke of the University of Calgary sent me a few more postmortem photos of this closer for those of you who asked…
Feel free to continue the discussion!
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hello Lori,
as long as I been known as “Jess the door closer doctor” I never thought I would have to give the post-mortom report of what happened to this DC2406. ( or more less any door closer)
rest in peace DC2406, such a tragic way to have a (service) life end while at work on the door 🙁
what I think may have happened, tooth on pinion broke off and got jammed in rack causing closer to not close, may have been forced closed and the broken piece got wedged between the rack and pinion and pushed the rack (piston) outwards and caused the piston (rack) to break in half and enough force was applied to it to break the cylinder wall of the closer, and dismemberment of body and loss of bodily fluid (all the closer’s fluid) resulted
cause of death: natural causes (wear/defective components)
due to: broken/worn pinion tooth snapping off inside, internal forces breaking piston and cylinder wall
due to: metal fatigue of pinion teeth/cylinder wall
due to: age/wear
(sorry to sound soo graphic/dramatic, just had to do it like a medical examiner would fill in the death analysis report)
-Jess the door closer doctor
Just not college student proof????
Door Hardware wears out. They don’t call it hardware for nothing. This is an example of why life-time warranties should not be offered.
We actually had a Sargent closer on an aluminum door that was opened into a strong wind and the door whipped open and snapped the closer in half similar to above. Unfortunately the poor soul that opened the door got an oil shower.
Gross!
ohh no David, poor closer and the random individual that passed thru the door at the time of the oil shower.
I have seen Sargents get whipped open, was result of some testosterone fueled boys, closer did not break in half like yours or the one in pics above but snapped it’s forearm at the “elbow joint” instead.
the door close rarm did get fixed, took the guys 6 hours to figure out how to replace the arm….. (goes to show how much some maintenance people are trained in things other then mowing feilds and floor care!)
-Jess the door closer doctor
I always wondered what the inside of a closer looked like and can see why you get what you pay for.
Come to an LCN closer class. We take one apart.
Jeff,
how I wish I lived “closer” to the factory, would love to take one apart or watch one get disassembled (the safe way)
I personally know how to take a closer apart, just never really had a need to take one of mine apart.
there is a wrong way and a correct way to do it, (risky too if not careful, spring and piston can fly out and hit something/someone if done wrong)
-Jess the door closer doctor
I concur with Dr Jess’ diagnosis 🙂