What Is A Grade 3 Door Closer?

A grade 3 door closer is a door closer that has been tested for 500,000 door cycles. In this article we explain the grade 3 classification and what applications grade 3 door closers are used in.

Grade 3 Classification

Door closers are classified by grade according to ANSI (American National Standards Institute). A grade 3 door closer is the lowest grade available. Grades 1 and 2 are much better than Grade 3. The grade 3 indicates that the door closer was tested and completed 500,000 door cycles. In comparison to grade 1 door closers which have been tested for 2 million cycles or grade 2 door closers which have been tested for 1 million cycles, grade 3 door closers are the least reliable door closers.

Grade 3 Door Closer Price

If grade 3 door closers are the least reliable, then why do people purchase them? The answer is the price. Grade 3 door closers lack the quality components and parts that make up grade 1 door closers. As a result, grade 3 door closers are very inexpensive to manufacture. The low price of the grade 3 door closer attracts buyers. Although grade 3 door closers are inferior to grade 1 door closers, structurally they look identical. The size of the closer body and arm look exactly like a grade 1 or 2 door closer, which often allows grade 3 door closers to be purchased unknowing that it is an extremely light duty product. Unfortunately, door closer buyers are often completely unaware of the door closer grade classification system, leading to poor door closer purchase decision making.

Grade 3 Door Closer Applications

So where should grade 3 door closers be installed? Well it really depends on how long you want the door closer last. A grade 3 door closer can be used on residential doors since they are used in much less frequency than say a mall entrance door. However, grade 3 still means it has not been tested to outlast a grade 1 door closer. So even if you are installing a grade 3 door closer on a light duty and low frequency door, you are still installing an inferior product. For a few extra dollars, you could invest in a grade 1 door closer, which would ensure a lifetime of use. In fact, a grade 1 door closer is less expensive than a grade 3 door closer if you look at the entire lifespan of the product. With a grade 1 door closer no replacement is needed for the lifetime. Whereas a grade 3 door closer can fail every 3-5 years.

Conclusion

Grade 3 door closers are the least reliable in terms of door closer longevity. Although, they are inexpensive, their lifespan is so short compared to a grade 1 door closer, that in the long haul, purchasing a grade 1 door closer once is much cheaper than having to purchase grade 3 door closer every 5 years. If you are in need of a door closer we recommend Liberty Door Closers. All Liberty door closers are grade 1 and are manufactured to last a lifetime.


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