Working door handle won't open the door?!?

xboxdad

Hi everyone,

We have a side gate (door) and the door handle on the inner side won't open the door, but it's not floppy or anything. It springs back up just as good as before.

The handle on the outer side does open the door as usual.

I'm puzzled.

Can someone please shed some light on how's this possible? I though it's one piece of metal bar / rod that goes through the door with two handles on the two ends.
This challenges my understanding of the whole thing
I'd love to fix it myself it at all possible.

Regards,
Sandor

FishOnABike

The square section metal bar that connects the handles on either side is probably worn at one end and not connecting properly to both handles.

When you turn the handle on one side of the gate does the handle on the other side turn too? If not the end of the bar (or square socket it fits into on the handle) might have worn a bit and are no longer a tight fit.

xboxdad

FishOnABike wrote: »

The square section metal bar that connects the handles on either side is probably worn at one end and not connecting properly to both handles.

When you turn the handle on one side of the gate does the handle on the other side turn too? If not the end of the bar (or square socket it fits into on the handle) might have worn a bit and are no longer a tight fit.

Thank you, I'll do this test.

...but how does the non-working one still spring back up as normal? Isn't it the metal bar itself that does the springing action? - which is common between the two handles?

CoBo55

xboxdad wrote: »

Thank you, I'll do this test.

...but how does the non-working one still spring back up as normal? Isn't it the metal bar itself that does the springing action? - which is common between the two handles?

There's a spring around the handle shaft, in the handle part if you get me. The square shaft could be too short and has worked its way back into the other handle.

xboxdad

CoBo55 wrote: »

There's a spring around the handle shaft, in the handle part if you get me. The square shaft could be too short and has worked its way back into the other handle.

Ahhh... So it's the individual handles that do the springing for themselves and not the bar.
That'd make a lot of sense based on how it all behaves currently.
Thanks guys.

antiskeptic

xboxdad wrote: »

Ahhh... So it's the individual handles that do the springing for themselves and not the bar.
That'd make a lot of sense based on how it all behaves currently.
Thanks guys.

It's both. Both the lock and each of the handles have springs.

Most likely the bar has slipped back into one handle rather than it's worn. The handle might have a grub screw to lock the bar to the handle once centred between the handles.

If not, some paper rammed down each handle hole to stop the bar working left or right will do the trick. Just don't overstuff cos you won't get the paper back out easily

xboxdad

antiskeptic wrote: »

It's both. Both the lock and each of the handles have springs.

Most likely the bar has slipped back into one handle rather than it's worn. The handle might have a grub screw to lock the bar to the handle once centred between the handles.

If not, some paper rammed down each handle hole to stop the bar working left or right will do the trick. Just don't overstuff cos you won't get the paper back out easily

Interesting, never knew this.
Nice idea with the paper! That's exactly what I'm going to do if this turns out to be the problem! (hopefully)

antiskeptic

xboxdad wrote: »

Interesting, never knew this.

The weight of two handles sat on the lock spring means saggy handles as the lock spring get tired.

By having own spring, each handle is kept perky and upright.

There's a pre #metoo analogy in there but these days...

xboxdad

My wife just came home furious that the gate didn't work for her when she left and she had to bring her bike through the house.
...that wasn't an option for my motorbike at 6:30AM...that's how I discovered it does open from the outside. Out of sheer despair

...and yes, the outside handle does not operate the inside handle. Just tested. Will take it apart to apply the paper trick ASAP