The handle on the front door is broken: how to fix the handle on the interior door

A broken door handle is not uncommon. This can be caused by improper operation or installation, manufacturing defects, or strong physical impact on the mechanism. You can repair interior door handles yourself, or you can contact a service center. Undoubtedly, repairing the door handles of entrance and interior doors with your own hands will save your budget a little, and some people will find this activity very interesting. Here you can find out what to do if the handle on your front door is broken and how to fix it.

Why disassemble the handle

Door handles, if they are well made, can last for years without external intervention, and are often not required to be disassembled or repaired.

However, the more complex the device, the more care it requires. What reasons may lead to the need to disassemble the door handle on an interior door?

Door handles, if they are well made, can last for years without external intervention, and are often not required to be disassembled or repaired
Breaking. Due to daily use, cheap and low-quality types of fittings most often break. The mechanism can also break due to careless handling. In any case, broken handles will have to be repaired or replaced.
Read also: Correct design of a kitchen-living room 16 sq. m. with zoning
Replacement with new models. Not only breakdowns can lead to the removal of handles. Usually they are changed during the renovation of a room, or by changing interior doors, installing more modern models.
Repair and wear. Various turning handles may stop locking the door, the lock tongue may become stuck, and it will need to be repaired. Also, the handles wear out and lose their original appearance. In both cases, you will need to disassemble the handle.
Prevention. The internal mechanisms must be periodically cleaned of contamination and lubricated, for which it will need to be disassembled and dismantled.

And if replacing simple handles without locks is simple, then complex rotary or push types of them need to be disassembled.

Components

The following types of locking devices are used for interior doors:

– latches with lock;

– latches without locking;

– latches with both a key and a lock.

Door handles are mounted at such a height that the hand of the person who grasps it bends at the elbow at an angle of 90 degrees. The distance from the edge of the door to the handle is determined by the locking mechanism, but must be at least 70 mm.

For the uninitiated, inserting a lock into an interior door seems like a complicated process.

How to disassemble the handle on an interior door

Handles are an indispensable attribute of an interior door. When you need to disassemble a fastening element, you first need to know how to properly remove the device for subsequent repairs. Timely repairs will extend the life of the entire mechanism and allow problems to be quickly resolved.

First you need to determine the type of handles, their technical characteristics and design features. The practicality and aesthetics of the door structure depend on the appearance, type and functionality. It is worth noting that with frequent use, these hardware parts are more likely to fail than others.

If the handle becomes loose, the first thing you can try is to unscrew, remove and tighten them. These steps can be done independently, but they require an understanding of technical issues and consistency.

Failure options

Most often, the metal cannot withstand the load and breaks (bursts). In this case, the system for returning the handle to its original position stops working. It can be used, but the door no longer locks as it should.

Sometimes, due to loads or poor quality, the stops to which the spring is attached break. Because of this, the ability to retain the energy reserve underlying the principle of operation is lost.

A wire that is not properly hardened can bend at the ends at the stops, causing the product to slip and the mechanism to lose its ability to operate normally.

There are 2 types of reasons why the “snail” broke.

The lever does not return after pressing

The reason for this may be hardware failure when:

the spring itself burst;
the stubborn ends of the “snail” straightened;
the latches are broken.

The mechanism jams

This breakdown manifests itself in the fact that when the handle is pressed, its return to its original position is slower than usual. In such cases, the latch slips and the door does not close properly.

The reason is the weakening of the steel rod and its loss of springy qualities. The accumulated energy is not enough to quickly return to the place.

Types of Door Handles

Push - when you press on the handle, the latch is activated and the tongue moves inside the canvas
Stationary handles are used for interior doors and play a decorative role. They resemble a bracket or bar with no moving parts. They are attached to the door with screws and have a basic locking device or there is no lock.
Push - when you press on the handle, the latch is activated and the tongue moves inside the canvas. The door in this case opens easily.
Rotary - have a beautiful ball shape, with a well in the middle. Often used for interior doors or bathrooms. Another name for such fastenings is knob handles.

What tools are needed to disassemble the handle?

The list of required tools will depend on the type of handle. The basic set includes: Phillips and flathead screwdrivers, hexagons, pliers. You can speed up the unscrewing process by using a screwdriver with a set of bits.

To make it easier to unscrew bolts and screws, you can use silicone lubricant in the form of a spray (WD-40). It can also be used to remove rust and restore door handle mechanisms to working order.

A more detailed list of what may be needed for the job can be clarified after inspecting the fittings. For example, some types of locks may require a non-standard torx or hex screwdriver. Also, for the round rotary handles in the package, you need to find a key to unlock the fastening stopper. Basic:

Screwdriver;
Key (or a thin and sharp object).

The order of analysis by type of handles

Stationary handle

Types:

fastened with self-tapping screws on both sides;
there is a rod that passes through the entire door leaf.

As a rule, this type of handle does not have a tongue, but there may be decorative overlays. They can be located on one side or on both sides of the door. They rarely fail, but if dismantling is necessary, this can be done quite quickly. If possible, the new door trim should be identical to the previously installed one.

The location of the fastenings of the old overlays should coincide with the place of fastening the new decorative elements. In this case, the door has an aesthetic appearance and unnecessary holes are not visible.

Unscrew the fasteners with a screwdriver;
Remove all trims and handle;
Inspect it for damage.

When the handle is held on self-tapping screws or self-tapping screws, you can unscrew them using a screwdriver. After this, use a wrench to remove the main part of the handle. Afterwards you can find out what exactly is broken and whether it can be repaired.

When there are two fasteners, it is worth making sure that there is a common rod. You need to fix one handle motionless with your hand and, on the other side of the canvas, turn the second counterclockwise. If the handle spins, it means it is a rod handle. You need to unscrew it on one side, and on the other side take out the entire structure and pick up exactly the same one.

Swivel mechanism

This device consists of a round handle - knob. It must be turned to open/close the lock. In this design there is no lever and the locking mechanism is represented by a tongue and groove. Handles with such a mechanism are disassembled using a special key, which is used to clamp the springs. First of all, remove the decorative trim from the side where there is no hole. When the structure does not have a locking pin, you should perform the following actions:

Handles with such a mechanism are disassembled using a special key, which is used to clamp the springs
Using the included wrench, press down on the spring-loaded pin;
Remove the top ball;
Remove the flat trim around the handle;
Unscrew the bar at the end of the canvas;
Remove the screws that hold the latch in place;
Pry up the bar and carefully pull out the latch.

As a rule, handles of this type break more often than push handles. It turns out that fixing it is much easier. There is one caveat with cheap handles: after installation, they can stick a little. The reason is that they are made of soft metal and can jam when deformed. If such a defect is detected, it is necessary to loosen the fastenings holding the two halves of the handle.

Also, the cause of door handle breakage is loose fittings. This can lead to the fact that the door handle ceases to perform its function and the interior door begins to open involuntarily. To eliminate the damage, you must remove the door handle from the door leaf and repair the damage yourself. If the handle cannot be repaired, you will have to replace it with a new one. Replacing door handles is a simple and rather short-term process that you can try to cope with yourself. To do this, you need to have certain skills and experience when working with door fittings. If you do not know the handle mechanism and installation rules, the risk of breakage and jamming of a new mechanism that was installed independently increases significantly.

Lever handle

Installed on interior and entrance doors. The internal structure of the push handles is slightly different from other mounts. Mechanisms of this type are installed by cutting into the canvas and making a hole in the box. When you press the handle, the tongue moves back using a spring. In the normal position of the handle, the latch is extended and the door leaf can be closed. Push handles can provide a tight connection between the leaf and the door frame and high sound insulation of the room. Such handles are often found on doors where a mortise lock is located. There are two types of linings for such handles:

wicker (solid);
separate (supplied with a lock included).

When disassembling the lever handles, you need to remember the place where the latch was located.

The screws of the main part are unscrewed;
The cover is removed;
The screws that are hidden under the cover are unscrewed;
The first part of the handle is removed (the second is held in a stationary position);
The second part of the handle with the axial part is removed.

It is necessary to ensure that the overlay matches the previous type. At the mounting location there are previously made holes for screws that will be difficult to hide. It is recommended to first dismantle the old handle and, if necessary, buy a new one.

Handles of this type can be equipped with a common core. This can be determined by holding the handle on one side and turning the other clockwise. If a single rod is installed, the second handle will unscrew. After which the handle must be carefully pulled out of the door.

Components of the mechanism

When the question arises of how to repair a door handle, the first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with its structure. For those who have experienced installing a lock on a wooden door, this will not be difficult. Push and rotary handles consist of the following elements:

Lever.
Locking mechanism with bolt. Its operating principle is simple - when you turn the handle, the tongue (bolt) enters the counter hole on the door frame and blocks the door.
Square (pin with a square section). Connects the handle and the lock.
Decorative strip that masks fasteners.
Return spring. Responsible for returning the handle to its original position.
Handle travel limiter.
Retaining ring.
Plastic ring.

Elements that make up a door handle

How to fix an interior door handle

We find out the cause of the malfunction.

It is necessary to disassemble the product, depending on its type.

1. To disassemble the round structure, you need to prepare flat and Phillips screwdrivers. You also need to remove the decorative trim. Simply press the stopper and pull the product out. Finally, unscrew the screws and remove the unscrewed halves. 2. Screwed handles must be disassembled using a screwdriver.

Use a wrench to remove the main part of the key, and use a screwdriver to unscrew 2 screws. The turning mechanism is pulled out. At the end, it is necessary to inspect the mechanism and find out the cause of the breakdown.

The main structure consists of a rod, a tongue movement mechanism and a tetrahedral rod. There is no need to completely disassemble the product. It is enough to remove the upper elements and inspect the parts. Now you can proceed directly to the repair.

If your hidden screw is loose, you just need to tighten it. To do this, follow these steps:

Unscrew the locking ring, loosen it, and remove it with your fingers.
Disconnect the torsion spring and washer.
Remove the washer that is on top, the retaining ring, pull out the washer.
Very often the washer is the cause of the problem, so it should be carefully inspected.

Simple repair of interior door handles

Interior door handles also tend to break. And, as a rule, at the most inopportune moment for this. But there is no need to worry too much about this. Everything is completely solvable.

To remove the handle of interior doors for repairs, it is often enough to use a screwdriver

So, the main problems with handles may look like this:

The handle sticks (sometimes along with the latch);
The part along with the lock simply became loose;
The handle is jammed and does not return to its original position.

What to do if the handle breaks? It all depends on the cause of its breakdown. By the way, the mechanism can jam due to lack of lubrication. To do this, you just need to disassemble the part and thoroughly lubricate all its elements. You can simply drop the oil onto the bolt and turn the handle several times to distribute the product throughout the device.

If the handle becomes loose, simply twist the fastening screws and adjust the position of the handle on the door leaf.

The reason for the fittings getting stuck and its “reluctance” to return to its place may be a slipped spring. In this case, it needs to be adjusted.

Sometimes it happens that the handle is really difficult to repair and it is much easier, and also cheaper in terms of nerves, to replace it than to repair it. However, it is worth keeping in mind that you will have to fork out for a good quality product.

Types and causes of damage

Types of damage:

Door handle jamming. When a person tries to open the door, it doesn’t work. You have to make an effort, push the door so that it opens.
Door lock malfunction. The mechanism itself may be incorrectly designed and then installed. Difficulty occurs when opening or closing.
Play in the door fittings is due to a loose fit to the base. The structure has become loose. The mechanism becomes unusable.
It is impossible to turn the handle so that it takes its original position. When in good condition, springing is instantaneous, but if the design has flaws, then the handle or valve begins to jam.
Tongue jamming. The problem is visible when the door opens and the latch tongue does not return to its original position. If he accepts his original position, it is with a longer time interval.

Before repairs, determine the specific causes of handle failure:

The door handle falls out. The lock is subject to increased stress during operation. The retaining ring moves, bursts, or becomes significantly deformed.
Sticking of the handle is a result of the accumulation of foreign parts or simply debris inside it. A characteristic jamming of the mechanism occurs. It becomes difficult to open the door.
The bar with four edges is damaged. The reason is poor quality workmanship, for example, defective materials used in production.
Cheap products are made from second-class raw materials, so their use is not recommended.
The tongue may be in the wrong position. This happens as a result of the inner square being too short. Over time, it moves towards the latch. Strong pressure prevents normal operation of the element.
Wear of fasteners. A very common cause of stuck handles on interior doors. In this case, they need to be pulled up to the required level to cope with the problem.

What to do if the interior door handle is loose

One of the most common pen breakdowns is that the pen becomes loose.

One of the most common breakdowns of a pen is its loosening. If this happens and it seems that it is about to fall off, you should try to repair it.

If the door handle has an unattractive appearance and is loose, then it is easier to replace it

There are three main ways to do this:

If the handle is fixed with a latch, then to strengthen the first, you should wind a strong thread or a piece of tape between the door and the latch itself. True, this will have a short-term effect and the handle will still have to be changed.
If the handle goes like a semicircle, then it is attached with just a couple of bolts. To solve the problem you just need to tighten them and that’s it.
If door fittings are installed using threads, then in order to tighten the handle, you need to hold it well with one hand and tighten the product clockwise with the other.

Looseness of the handle is almost always associated with loosening of the bolts. You need to disassemble the handle and tighten these fasteners thoroughly. This will solve the problem.