Magnetic Fire Door Retainers

[flameport]

My understanding is that there are a lot of regulations relating to gate closers, garage doors etc. because of a similar hazard,

Those are closed with motors and can be moved with substantial force.

Fire doors with magnetic holders use standard spring closers which by design must be able to be easily opened against the spring by a normal person.
When properly installed and adjusted, such things close the door at a controlled speed even when released from fully open.

 

[John D v2.0]

When properly installed and adjusted, such things close the door at a controlled speed even when released from fully open.

You'd hope so! I lost count of t number of my colleagues at my old company who nearly dislocated a shoulder during the fires tests. The doors were double leaf, one half the size of the other. If you were close to the smaller leaf you were in for a right belt as they closed.

 

[333rocky333]

What about my point about the potential hazards of closing the doors by remote action? I've seen people in hotels going around at night manually closing the fire doors, and I've always assumed this was being done by humans so they could ensure that no-one was at risk of being injured.

My understanding is that there are a lot of regulations relating to gate closers, garage doors etc. because of a similar hazard, so I would be a little surprised if the same were not true of automated/remote closing internal doors.

Kind Regards, John

Your likely right john and likely why all the units now appear to have a button on the actual unit to release them.
This year a lot of the regs changed especially regarding automatic doors.
I think the main reason for these locks is not really for permanent door opening but more to stop people jamming doors open for deliveries etc, im sure they have to be physically closed nightly and there are extra rules for doors on stairwells.
Nowadays you can get battery door openers that release just on the sound of the alarm but still with a manual release

 

[JohnW2]

Those are closed with motors and can be moved with substantial force.

They are, but the other side of that coin is that, since they are closed by motors, it is possible (and I believe required) to have 'resistance sensors' which can cut off the motor instantly if the closing gate/door encounters resistance. With a magnetic release, nothing can stop the spring completing it's job once it has started.

Fire doors with magnetic holders use standard spring closers which by design must be able to be easily opened against the spring by a normal person.

Your experiences are obviously different from mine. Like JohnD, I have experienced many of those "standard door closers", particularly in hotels, which are pretty evil, and anything but "easy to open against the spring", particularly if one is trying to manage a couple of suitcases or children (or both!) at the time.

When properly installed and adjusted, such things close the door at a controlled speed even when released from fully open.

Maybe I've met a lot which have not been "properly installed and adjusted"!

Kind Regards, John

 

[333rocky333]

Some of them door magnets have a spring loaded pin that shoots out to give the door a shove, combine that with a heavy fire rated door

 

[JohnW2]

Some of them door magnets have a spring loaded pin that shoots out to give the door a shove, combine that with a heavy fire rated door

Quite so. Like JohnD, I have acquires some quite significant bruises in my time to prove it!

Kind Regards, John

 

[Lectrician]

Some of them door magnets have a spring loaded pin that shoots out to give the door a shove, combine that with a heavy fire rated door

It doesn’t shove it. It’s just to overcome any residual magnetism due to a door not wanting to let go, due to being so light!

 

[SimonH2]

Maybe I've met a lot which have not been "properly installed and adjusted"!

Me too
In my experience, the installers CBA to adjust them when they fit them. And the occupants generally have no idea that they can even be adjusted - and of those that do know, few of those know how to.
At my last job (which was in rented office space in a multi-tenant block), almost all the office doors would just slam shut uncontrollably - and had been like that for something like 25 years since the place was built.
The kitchen door (clearly marked, FIRE DOOR KEEP CLOSED) was always propped open because otherwise it was impossible to exit if you had something in both hands. Only took a few minutes to adjust the closers on all our doors - and the kitchen.

Amusingly, one time I got back after a short break to find the kitchen door was back to slamming shut. During an inspection it had been observed that it didn't shut properly and the slow closing was blamed. The "handyman" who did all those day to day maintenance jobs had no idea, and his next attempt at fixing it was to remove the brush/intumescent strips as clearly they were stopping it closing. I looked at it, looked at the closer arm as it got nearly shut, and then showed him how to adjust the length of the closer arm so it didn't stop pushing before the door was shut - he never realised that there was even such an adjustment

For good measure, on our floor the corridor fire doors were routinely propped open - especially in summer as it was the only way to get enough air through the place to make the offices bearable. The owners refused to fit magnetic holdbacks because "it costs a fortune to do anything to the alarm system"

So I'd suggest that there are "rather few" properly installed and adjusted closers.

 

[John D v2.0]

Agreed with you Simon! We had a new door at my first work fitted and adjusted, you basically had to be Hercules to open it. Before long we were all pretty strong since it was the only way out and apparently that was the only way to have it adjusted.
Then one day we had a meeting on the ground floor which went in the equivalent door on that floor. Everything looked the same as upstairs until I automatically applied a massive force to the door and nearly smashed it off it's hinges!
After I told the maintenance guy that, suddenly he managed to adjust the upstairs door properly.