DORMA RTS88 Series Overhead Concealed Door Closer
The RTS88 is designed to give lasting, dependable service where surface applied units and other types of closers are not suitable, or would interfere with the architectural design. It can be easily installed in wood, aluminum, or hollow metal doors and frames, for single and double-acting doors.
- Concealed installation
- For single and double-acting doors
- Dependable and easy to Install
Aesthetic advantages
Architects are often challenged to design buildings that are both beautiful and functional, down to the last detail. The DORMA RTS88 overhead concealed door closer offers the perfect solution for those who prefer the aesthetic advantages of a concealed door closer.
Vandalism protection
The RTS88 is an excellent replacement closer for problem entrances encountering vandalism of surface applied closers.
Benefits for the contractor
Contractors appreciate the RTS88 closer, because the majority of door and frame preparation is done prior to installation of the unit, resulting in less on-site machining.
Resources:
RTS88 Series Catalog
Manufacturer Resources
Product Specs
- Product Group:
- Door Controls
- Series:
- RTS Series
- Product Subgroup:
- Door Closers - Overhead Concealed
- Product Type:
- Overhead Concealed Door Closers
- Subcategory:
- Concealed Door Closers
- Door Weight:
- 250 lbs
- Door Swing:
- Single Acting
- Commercial/Residential:
- Commercial
- Package Features:
- Hinge or 3/4" Offset ; Steel Door and Frame
- Product Model:
- RTS27
- Door Hand Direction:
- Non-Handed
- Product Category:
- Door Controls
- Department:
- Door Hardware
Dormakaba RTS27 105 NHO SZ3 600 – Frequently Asked Questions
1) Can the Dorma RTS27 be used on a double acting door that swings both ways?
No. The RTS27 is a single acting closer, so it only controls a door swinging one direction. For a door that swings both ways, look at a double acting overhead concealed unit such as the Norton Rixson 73 Series, which is center hung and double acting.
2) Which spring size do I order for a 3'-0" exterior entrance door?
SZ3 is the standard closing force covering 2'-6" to 3'-0" exterior doors and 3'-0" to 3'-6" interior doors, so a 3'-0" exterior leaf lands squarely on SZ3. Go to SZ4, the strongest, for 3'-0" to 3'-6" exterior or 3'-6" to 4'-0" interior doors. SZ2 is a light opening force option. If you need reduced opening force, BFE is the barrier free spring for a 3'-0" exterior door and BFI is the interior equivalent.
3) Does the RTS27 come in a low opening force version for an ADA accessible door?
Two barrier free spring sizes are offered on the RTS27: BFE, light opening force for exterior doors at 3'-0" door width, and BFI, the same for interior doors at 3'-0". Pick BFE or BFI where the opening has to open with reduced force, and BFI for the interior side of a vestibule. There is also an SZ2 light opening force spring if the door falls outside the barrier free sizing.
4) Can I get an overhead concealed closer that holds the door open?
Yes, hold open is an ordering option on the RTS27, offered as hold open or non hold open. Specify it up front, since it is a build option on the unit rather than a field accessory. If you are cross shopping, the CRL Jackson regular duty and heavy duty concealed closer bodies are catalogued as non hold open, so they won't cover that requirement.
5) What is the "less mounting channel" option on the RTS27 and when would I order it?
Three package options are offered: Standard, Less Mounting Channel, and With 5mm Extended Spindle. Less Mounting Channel is the replacement scenario, where the existing header already has the channel in it and you are only swapping the closer body. Order Standard for new construction or a new frame that has no channel. The 5mm extended spindle option covers a top rail or shoe that sits deeper than the normal spindle reach.
6) Is the RTS27 the right closer for a steel door and frame, or is it only for aluminum storefront?
This RTS27 configuration is packaged for steel door and frame with hinge or 3/4 inch offset pivot hanging. The RTS88 line more broadly installs in wood, aluminum, or hollow metal doors and frames, but order to the door material you have, because the frame prep differs.
7) I need a closer that lets the door open a full 180 degrees. Will the RTS27 do that?
No. The RTS27 is cushioned at either 90 or 105 degrees, so it is not the unit for a full 180 degree swing. The Sargent 269 is an overhead concealed closer with 180 degree opening capability and is the one to look at when the door has to lay back flat against the wall.
8) Which overhead concealed closer should I use if my door is center hung instead of offset pivot?
The RTS27 is built for hinge or 3/4 inch offset pivot hung doors, so a center hung leaf needs a different body. Three center hung overhead concealed closers cover that: the Norton Rixson 608 Series for 200 lb doors, the Norton Rixson 700 Series with 200 lbs capacity, and the Norton Rixson 73 Series rated to 250 lbs. The 608 and 700 are standard duty; the 73 Series is heavy duty, Grade 1, double acting, and supplied with a cover plate. Confirm the pivot layout in the door before ordering, since a center hung closer will not land on an offset prep.
9) What is the closest equivalent to a Dorma RTS27 overhead concealed closer for a 250 lb door?
The Norton Rixson 73 Series is the nearest peer on weight capacity: it is an overhead concealed closer rated to 250 lbs, the same door weight the RTS27 carries. The difference is the hanging method and swing. The RTS27 is single acting and mounts on hinge or 3/4 inch offset pivot hung steel doors and frames, while the 73 Series is center hung and double acting, and it comes with a cover plate. So the 73 Series suits a center pivot door that swings both ways; the RTS27 suits an offset or hinge hung door swinging one way. The Rixson 73 is heavy duty and Grade 1.
10) I need an overhead concealed closer that opens past 105 degrees. What are my options?
The Dorma RTS27 is built around a cushion stop and is offered with a 90 degree or 105 degree cushion. If the opening has to swing further than that, the Sargent 269 is an overhead concealed closer with 180 degree opening capability, heavy duty and Grade 1. Check wall and adjacent door clearance at full swing before committing, since a 180 degree leaf needs the return space the cushioned unit does not.
11) What overhead concealed closer works for an aluminum offset hung entrance rather than a steel door and frame?
The Dorma RTS27 package is specified for hinge or 3/4 inch offset pivot hung steel doors and frames. For an offset hung aluminum entrance, the Norton Rixson 0608 Series is an offset hung overhead concealed door closer for aluminum doors up to 200 lbs, standard duty. Both are offset hung, so the pivot geometry is familiar; the difference is the door material the package is prepped for and the 200 lb ceiling on the 0608 against the 250 lb door weight the RTS27 handles.
12) Do I have to specify a hand when ordering a Dorma RTS27 closer?
No handing to call out. The RTS27 is non-handed, so one part number covers left and right hand single acting openings. That is useful for a property manager stocking a spare for a building full of matched entrances, since one unit fits either side.
13) What is the difference between the 90 degree and 105 degree cushion on the RTS27?
The cushion sets where the closer takes up the swing at the end of opening, and the RTS27 is offered with either a 90 degree or a 105 degree cushion. Choose based on how far the leaf can actually travel before it hits a wall, a return, or adjacent hardware. If the opening allows a wider swing and you want the door to open past square, order the 105 degree. Where a sidelite, a corner, or a projecting pull limits travel, the 90 degree cushion is the one to spec.
14) Why use a concealed closer instead of a surface mounted closer on a problem entrance?
A concealed closer sits inside the head frame, so there is no body or arm on the door face to be pried, hung on, or knocked loose. Dorma positions the RTS88 as a replacement for problem entrances where surface applied closers have been vandalized, and as the option where a surface unit would interfere with the architectural design. For contractors, most of the door and frame prep happens before the unit goes in, which cuts on-site machining. The trade off is that servicing a concealed closer means getting back into the header.
15) For a heavy traffic commercial entrance, which overhead concealed closers are heavy duty?
The heavy duty overhead concealed closers in this class are the Sargent 268 with a cast iron body, the Sargent 269 with 180 degree opening capability, the Sargent 278 with an exposed arm, and the Norton Rixson 73 Series rated to 250 lbs, all Grade 1. The standard duty units are the Norton Rixson 608 Series center hung for 200 lb doors, the Norton Rixson 700 Series at 200 lbs capacity, and the Norton Rixson 0608 Series for aluminum doors up to 200 lbs. The Dorma RTS27 is a commercial unit carrying a 250 lb door and is offered in seven finishes including 689 Aluminum, 693 Black, 690 Statuary Bronze and 695 Dark Duradonic Bronze, so it can be matched to what is already at the entrance.
16) Is a CRL Jackson overhead concealed closer body a drop in replacement for a Dorma RTS27?
Treat it as a different unit rather than a swap. The CRL Jackson regular duty overhead concealed closers are sold as a body only in brown, in 105 degree no hold-open and 90 degree no hold-open versions, and there is a heavy duty body only at 105 degree no hold-open plus an adjustable spring power body only at 105 degree no hold-open. Body only means the closer body without the balance of the assembly. The Dorma RTS27 is ordered as a complete unit and its Package Option choices are Standard, Less Mounting Channel, or With 5mm Extended Spindle, with hold open available as Yes or No. The CRL Jackson bodies listed are all non hold open, so an opening that has to stand open needs the hold open version of the Dorma.
17) Which overhead concealed closer keeps the arm hidden, and which one shows it?
The Dorma RTS27 is a concealed installation unit, chosen where surface applied closers would interfere with the architectural design and as a replacement where surface applied closers have been vandalized. Among the peers, the Sargent 278 is an overhead concealed closer with an exposed arm, heavy duty and Grade 1, so the arm remains visible at the head. The Norton Rixson 73 Series ships with a cover plate. Pick based on whether the head detail has to read clean or whether an exposed arm is acceptable at the opening.
18) Do I need a handed closer, and how do the alternatives compare on spring power selection?
The Dorma RTS27 is non-handed, so one unit covers either hand of an opening, and closing force is chosen at order time by spring size: SZ2 for light opening force, SZ3 for standard closing force on 3 foot 0 to 3 foot 6 interior doors and 2 foot 6 to 3 foot 0 exterior doors, SZ4 as the strongest closing force for 3 foot 6 to 4 foot 0 interior and 3 foot 0 to 3 foot 6 exterior doors, plus the BFE and BFI barrier free options. Among the peers, the CRL Jackson adjustable spring power overhead concealed closer body only at 105 degree no hold-open sets power at the unit instead of at the order. Either approach lands the same result; the difference is whether the force is fixed by the model ordered or dialed in on site.
19) What finishes does the Dorma RTS27 concealed closer come in?
Seven finishes on the RTS27: 600 prime coat, 689 aluminum, 690 statuary bronze, 691 dull bronze, 693 black, 695 dark duradonic bronze, and 696 gold. On a concealed closer the finish shows on the exposed cover and spindle hardware, so match it to the door and frame rather than to the lockset. 600 prime coat is the one to order when the frame is getting painted on site.
20) Is the Dorma RTS27 rated for a commercial entrance or is it a residential closer?
Commercial. The RTS27 is a commercial rated overhead concealed closer carrying a 250 lb door capacity, which is the range for institutional entrances, multi-family common doors, and storefront style openings rather than a house door.
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