Door Holders

[Alwayslearningelec]

When shown on the fire alarm drawings what does the FA vendor provide for this? I know there is fire alarm wiring that releases the door holder when there is a fire but I wan not sure about equipment the fire alarm guy may provide for this to work? Thanks.

 

[iwire]

When shown on the fire alarm drawings what does the FA vendor provide for this? I know there is fire alarm wiring that releases the door holder when there is a fire but I wan not sure about equipment the fire alarm guy may provide for this to work? Thanks.

Typically they will need to provide relay modules to control the power to the door holders.

 

[augie47]

I thought you had been offered a Wal-Mart job

 

[jumper]

Trying to learn here.

Door holders for what doors?

I thought all commercial exit doors had panic/push bars for exit doors.:?

 

[iwire]

Trying to learn here.

Door holders for what doors?

I thought all commercial exit doors had panic/push bars for exit doors.:?

Often fire doors are required to be installed in busy hallways etc.

Often the tenants of the building find these to be a pain to deal with and want to pin them open with a door stop, that is a violation as the doors will not do what they are there for in a fire.

A solution is to install electric door holders that hold the door in the open position unless the fire alarm is activated and at that point the door holders release and let the doors shut. Some holders are just electric magnets that mount on the wall and stick to a metal piece you screw to the door.

Other door holders are actually integral with the door closer itself for a very clean look.


OR, I misread the OPs question and he may be asking about the signal from the fire panel that is used to unlock doors that are normally locked and opened with a swipe card or code.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

I thought you had been offered a Wal-Mart job

LMAO

 

[Strathead]

Typically they will need to provide relay modules to control the power to the door holders.

I also, normally expect that the FA contractor will provide the door holders also. iWire assumes an addressable system, which I tend to agree with, which means the control module. However, you must determine much more. If addressable, is the power for the door holders, 24VDC from the FA system, or 120VAC from conventional system. If 24VDC, then you will probably have a single module near the power supply and send 24VDC wiring from there to all devices. If 120V it could mean local at each door location with a control module at each location. If it is conventional, then you will likely have relay base smoke detectors and 120VAC locally.


Nothing is ever simple.

 

[iwire]

I also, normally expect that the FA contractor will provide the door holders also. iWire assumes an addressable system, which I tend to agree with, which means the control module. However, you must determine much more. If addressable, is the power for the door holders, 24VDC from the FA system, or 120VAC from conventional system. If 24VDC, then you will probably have a single module near the power supply and send 24VDC wiring from there to all devices. If 120V it could mean local at each door location with a control module at each location. If it is conventional, then you will likely have relay base smoke detectors and 120VAC locally.

I would hope most of that is on the drawings.

In my area the contractor providing the door hardware often provides the door holders.


But I fully agree, nothing is simple and assuming things often cost money and /or time.

 

[Alwayslearningelec]

I also, normally expect that the FA contractor will provide the door holders also. iWire assumes an addressable system, which I tend to agree with, which means the control module. However, you must determine much more. If addressable, is the power for the door holders, 24VDC from the FA system, or 120VAC from conventional system. If 24VDC, then you will probably have a single module near the power supply and send 24VDC wiring from there to all devices. If 120V it could mean local at each door location with a control module at each location. If it is conventional, then you will likely have relay base smoke detectors and 120VAC locally.


Nothing is ever simple.

FA contractor to provide door holders??? That's not the norm.

 

[gadfly56]

FA contractor to provide door holders??? That's not the norm.

Ahhh, when in Rome...

We are frequently asked to provide the door holders on our fire alarm jobs. Your mileage may differ.

 

[Strathead]

FA contractor to provide door holders??? That's not the norm.

More often than not, the FA contractor has provided them on jobs I have done. That makes it the norm for me. If I were designing a system with multiple door holders, I would use 24VDC from the fire alarm power supply common throughout. In my mind that makes the devices "part" of the fire alarm system. And the doors would not close upon power failure.

The drawings should have much of this information, but I would always prefer to assume on the side of caution, when I am estimating.