# Larson Storm Door



## timlynne (Dec 3, 2010)

I bought a Larson Storm Door this summer and it is driving me crazy. It has the double piston closer and I can't keep it adjusted. I have tried everything. It will close nice and easy for about 4 or 5 times and then it will slam shut after that . Adjust it again works fine 4 or 5 times and then slams shut. I'm afraid I',m going to break the glasshttp://www.diychatroom.com/images/smilies/sad.gif


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## Ron6519 (Mar 28, 2007)

The door can need seasonal adjustments, but if it's more then this, contact Larson. The door is under warranty.
How a door closes depends a lot on how tight the main door is and whether it's open or closed. If the main door is closed, there will be an "air cushion" between the doors which will slow or stop a storm from latching.
Set the closing rate with the main door open. If need be, when you leave, push the storm closed. Or raise the bottom sweep so the air can have an escape route.
Ron


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

There is a bracket on the door that the cylinder attaches to. it probably has two sets of holes in it, (your cyclinder is held in with a pin in one of these currently). One of these holes is for the door with the screen in, the other for when the glass is in. Pull the pin and put the cylinder in the other hole, see if that makes a difference.


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## timlynne (Dec 3, 2010)

*Thanks*

but it didn't work


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

timlynne said:


> but it didn't work


did you re-adjust the cylinder screw after you moved it?


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## timlynne (Dec 3, 2010)

Yes I did and one was just turning loosely and lo and behold it is broke in two and just fell out. The other is turned all the way clockwise which according to Larson is the way to turn it for a slower closing door


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

timlynne said:


> The other is turned all the way clockwise which according to Larson is the way to turn it for a slower closing door


stupid question i realize, but did you try turning counter clockwise to see if it makes a diff?


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## timlynne (Dec 3, 2010)

Not a stupid question but yes I did


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

only other thing I can think of is that you could have your door jamb brackets on backward. Some of them are made to go either direction. it's all i can think of, hard to believe you would have got two bad cylinders


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## old duffo (Jul 16, 2011)

*storm door closer*

The trouble I am having with my SD closer is that it starts to close real nice and then the last 3 or 4 inches, the closers (there are 2--top and bottom), seem to release and the door slams. I live in a town house and I am sure my neighboors don't appreciate the loud "bang" when it releases or whatever the closers do. I read somewhere that that action, the last few inches, is to insure the door closing and the latch engaging. Maybe that's true, but I'd like to be able to adjust something; ie the mounting brackets or something. The adjusting screws do their job OK, but I''d like the door to not slam so loud.......brevity is not my forte, sorry.


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## Mr Chips (Mar 23, 2008)

It sounds like you have it set for glass, but have the screen in it instead. It would close harder in the glass setting to make up for the resistance since the air can't pass through it. See post #3 above.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

In order to make them close the same speed, you have to make sure the pistons are on the right hole for season of use, and when you set the screws, you have to turn them until against the body of the closer, then turn each at the same number of turns, until you get them were the door closes properly. If slamming, then the closer may need a couple of drops of oil in them, or they are shot.


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## old duffo (Jul 16, 2011)

*door closer*

Thanks Gregzoll, I'll try the oil thingy.....if I can find the oil hole, if there is such a place. I have already done the adjustments you instructed.


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## gregzoll (Dec 25, 2006)

Old Duffo, you have to remove the screws, or coat the piston arms with a few drops of machine oil.


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## old duffo (Jul 16, 2011)

*Door closer*

Thanks, again, gregzoll ! I'll give that a try.


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## jw1 (Jun 11, 2008)

You can forget about adjustments! I tried every thing available at least 15 different times 15 different ways. 
Talked to the company but they say thats the way the door was designed. The only way to get this door to close normally (soft) is go to Lows and purchase an LGR replacement closer or a Wright closer. I purchased the door from Lowes so they gave them to me for free. The door now closes like a dream! 
You only need to replace one and I elected to replace the top strut and this did the trick! 
I love the Larson storm door I think it's the best on the market but this shock/strut/closer has got to be from china and is worthless! 
P.S. I recommended one today!


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## Willie T (Jan 29, 2009)

Ron6519 said:


> The door can need seasonal adjustments, but if it's more then this, contact Larson. The door is under warranty.
> How a door closes depends a lot on how tight the main door is and whether it's open or closed. If the main door is closed, there will be an "air cushion" between the doors which will slow or stop a storm from latching.
> Set the closing rate with the main door open. If need be, when you leave, push the storm closed. Or raise the bottom sweep so the air can have an escape route.
> Ron


I have a Larson with the slider top. It reacts exactly this same way. I keep it a little tight, and just tap it with my fingers as I leave when the solid door is shut.


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## stormdoorguy (Apr 16, 2012)

It's a known manufacturer defect. I install larson storm doors every day and have done so for the last 10 years. There was a period of time from 2009 to late 2010 when the had a bad run of closers because they changed their manufacturing plant/country of origin. The tell tale sign is that no matter how tight or loose you set the closers, it will SLAM shut at the very end. I mean HARD! As in it can take an arm off! I must have replaced a hundred or so closers.

Anyway, one of the ways to tell is if the bracket that hold the closer the door is plastic. When they fixed the problem, they changed the door brackets back to metal ones.


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## ascott (Jul 23, 2017)

Our Larson Storm Door slammed loudly (we bought the house with it this way and may have been intentional since the owners had pets and they didn't want them a chance to escape). After fiddling with the closers, the door now closes quietly and latches. Some of the answers in this thread helped lead to a fix, so I am reciprocating.

We have a closer on the top of the door and at the bottom. The bottom closer has a stay open lock, but they are the same other than that. Everything is metal. There is no plastic.

The end that attaches to the door (as opposed to the frame) has a pin that goes through one of 4 holes that keeps it attached to the door.

I just pulled the pin out, and reattached the closer with the pin the next hole (the other two are on the other side used for mounting if the closer is put on a different way). 

The details to do this follows if you would like more, but for many people I expect the above is enough.

To pull the pin on the bottom closer, the door was closed. Then push the pin up from the bottom. There are no locks or washers that keep it in place, so you might be able to do this with just your finger. If it is in tight, you might trying using some kind of tool, maybe a butterknife. Once the head of the pin is out enough, I used pliers to get a good grip and gently pull it out completely (only needed to do this for one of the closers, other was done by hand).

Depending on how much room you have between the closer and the top or bottom of the door frame, you may need to do this with the door open. I had to for the top closer. That's fine too.

To put the pin back on, you will need to pull on the closer tube to make it stretch out just as the door would do if it were attached. This can take some arm strength which might be the most difficult part of the task for some people, if that's the case maybe get a friend to help.

If you are nervous about breaking something, I think the biggest risk is you won't be able to reattach the closer to the door and will need someone to help. Also note, we did not need to adjust the tension on the closers which requires a phillips screwdriver to rotate the screw on the end.

I hope this helps increasing peace for someone.

:biggrin2:


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## jeffmattero76 (Jan 4, 2016)

To make it easier to insert or remove the pin, simply pull the arm of the closer out a few inches, and move the "hold open washer" towards the piston. Then move the door until the hole on the bracket lines up with the hole on the closer.

If trying to remove the pin, open the door, slide the hold open washer towards the piston and let the door go. When it stops it will be easy to remove yhe pin.

Sent from my LG-D415 using Tapatalk


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