How to tighten a loose door handle?

Question

I have a door handle where the circular base is loose

It has a hole on the bottom of the handle - do i need to tighten this and is it a allen key?

There is also a small indent on the side of circular base (see below) - what is this for?

Thank you

Nicholas Price

EricL · Answer

Hello @sera2775

The flange is generally held in place with an O ring. If the O ring is too dry it will push the flange back out. I propose wiping the O ring with

https://www.bunnings.com.au/kinetic-15g-tap-lubricant_p4920449

and giving it another try. If it fails to stay in place, it may be necessary to replace the O ring. I suggest looking at the

https://www.bunnings.com.au/kinetic-assorted-sizes-o-ring-kit-43-pack_p4920305

and see which one is compatible.

Eric

sera2775 · Answer

Hi Mitchell

It is the cover flange that is loose, i press it back in place, but it won't stay in place. I imagine i will need to replace the handle.

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @sera2775,

Is it only the chrome cover flange (the round plate) that’s loose, or is the whole door handle assembly moving?

If the whole handle is loose, the fixings behind that cover flange will need tightening. The cover flange is usually just a clip-on piece, so you should be able to gently pry it off to reveal the screws underneath. The small indent you mentioned is there for exactly that purpose. You can use a flathead screwdriver to carefully pop the cover off. Once removed, you’ll see the screws that pull the two halves of the handle together and clamp onto the door. Tightening those should firm everything back up.

If it’s only the cover flange that’s loose, that’s a bit different. Those covers are typically just decorative and clip into place, and if they’ve lost tension they don’t always stay tight again. Does it feel like it’s about to fall off, or just slightly wobbly? In some cases, you can gently press it back on, but if it won’t stay secure, there may not be a perfect fix without replacing the handle.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell