How to fix loose door handles?

Question

Hi All.

A few years ago I replaced all our interior gold doorknobs with door handles. I'm experience frustration with the mechanisms regularly coming loose and I'm having to pull off the escutcheon and tighten.

Is there a method to tighten once and only once instead of twice or three times a year? Photos of a door handle that was loose and about to reinstalled and tightened. Again :P

Photo of the underside of the mechanism

Photo of all components excepting the bar in the door

Example of door handle that comes loose regularly

Internal bar

mblewis · Answer

Thanks @MitchellMc for heads up on that product.

I'll give the Loctite 243 ago as the bolts screw into a receiving shaft on the opposite handle, similar to a nut.

I'll let you know, in a few months, how it all panned out!

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @mblewis,

Once those fixing screws (the ones that pull both sides of the handle together through the door) are properly tightened, they generally shouldn’t keep working themselves loose.

If you’re finding they need tightening a few times a year, it sounds like that set may be prone to backing off with use and vibration.

A simple fix is to apply a small amount of threadlocker to the screw threads before tightening. Something like

https://www.bunnings.com.au/loctite-222-10ml-threadlocker-adhesive_p1210575

works well. Apply it to the end of the screw where it screws into the receiving stud.

That helps keep the screws secure while still allowing you to remove them later if needed.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell