Door Closer Grades Explained

So you are in the market for a door closer, but you realize they are classified by grades. You see some door closers are grade 1, or 2, or even 3. You also see other door closers with no grade listed. In this article we will go over everything you need to know about door closer grades, so that you can make an educated decision in ordering the right door closer for your door.

The first thing to understand is that door closer grades were created as part of the ANSI/BHMA 156.4 standards as a universal way of categorizing the performance of commercial door closers. ANSI, or the American National Standards Institute creates guidelines and testing standards for products, systems, and more in the United States. BHMA, or Builder's Hardware Manufacturers Association, is an organization which is accredited by ANSI to develop performance standards for builder's hardware including door closers. Both organizations are driven by safety. The ANSI/BHMA standards that apply to door closers is known as ANSI/BHMA 156.4 Door Controls - Closers. These guidelines are followed by manufacturers to provide quality and safe products.

 

ANSI/BHMA 156.4 Door Controls - Door Closers

The ANSI BHMA 156.4 applies to surface mounted door closers, overhead concealed door closers, and concealed floor closers. Testing includes the number of door cycles, door operation, door closing force, and finish tests all performed in under a neutral air pressure laboratory between 60 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Door closer product grades are categorized as grade 1, 2, or 3. Grade 1 is considered the highest grade or most heavy duty, while grade 3 is the lowest grade or lighter duty.

The door closer grade is determined by the number of door cycles it has been tested for and has completed. One door cycle is defined as the door being pushed to full open position and then closing.

Grade 1 Door Closers: Tested for 2 million cycles at 60% efficiency
Grade 2 Door Closers: Tested for 1 million cycles at 50% efficiency
Grade 3 Door Closers: Tested for 500,000 cycles at 50% efficiency