Some locksmiths prefer to not use electromagnetic locks. They prefer conventional latching hardware, preferably without any wires. This philosophy puts them at a severe disadvantage with the rest of the industry, and with clients who know about electromagnetic locks, and demand them.
Part of this reluctance can be attributed to the locksmith industry’s legendary adherence to traditions of quality, reliability and safety. These are all excellent concepts which contribute to the professionalism of locksmiths.
But some of the reluctance to electromagnetic locks is based on old habits and perhaps ignorance.
Those old school locksmiths who are reluctant to tune in and turn onto electromagnetic locks (and anything with wires for that matter) may have been at some point in past times somewhat justified due to the red tape and confusion surrounding the attributes and legalities surrounding maglocks and security electronics in general.
I have used maglocks since I first entered the security industry, and even then, electromagnets were not exactly new technology.
The industry was, and continues to go through a learning curve with respect to safe and proper electromagnetic lock deployment and safe electromagnetic system design. At the same time, the locking technologies available to us continue to evolve and improve.
Please do not get me wrong. I too determine the best locking solution for every opening and every application. Electromagnetic locks definitely have their place, as do positive latching locking solutions. But I must confess: I’m wired and increasingly wireless too. It’s time to get with the program.
Until very recently, maglocks were simply that: magnetic locks. The armature mounted on the door, the electrically energized portion of the lock mounted on the frame, and you applied power to lock it, and disconnected power to unlock it. There was no integral circuitry to control or monitor the lock, and no integral means to release it.
The maglock was relatively simple to install, but installing it in conjunction within a life safety oriented system was hardly intuitive, frequently misunderstood, and all too often not done.
A Brief History of Electomagnetic Locks:
Irv Saperstein, (the founder of Locknetics) built the first magnetic lock in 1969. Mag locks were marketed through locksmith and specialty systems distribution. They were used by the military and on commercial and industrial applications by door control professionals.
Curiously the electromagnetic lock was not patented until 1989, (by Arthur, Richard and David Geringer of Security Door Controls) Editor’s Note: The patent expired on May 2, 2009.
Once maglocks started to become more widely known and were being installed by less qualified persons such as electricians and burglar alarm dealers, the problems started. Maglocks were consequently being unsafely installed in all sorts of inappropriate applications. This resulted in people getting trapped in burning buildings; people getting sued, and authorities becoming upset and turning against electromagnetic locks.
Being electrically operated; a security device; and also inherently affecting the safety of the occupants of building upon which they were installed; electromagnet locks were subject to inspection and approval by local authority having jurisdiction (LAHJ).
TESTING & CERTIFICATIONS
Approval by the LAHJ should not be confused with “UL Approval.” The AHJ is a local authority (such as the Fire Marshal, Building Department Inspector, etc) having jurisdiction over buildings within a defined area.
Underwriters Laboratory (UL) is a national testing lab which does not approve anything: (There is no such thing as “UL Approved.” UL tests things, rather than approves things.)
A product that has passed UL tests will get one of three titles: “UL Listed,” “UL Recognized” or “UL Certified.”
A magnetic lock might be a “Listed Auxiliary Lock.” A maglock may be listed as a “burglary resistant electric lock.” Some maglocks are recognized as a component of a delayed exit system, listed as part of a delayed exit system and as part of a free exit system; and listed for use on fire doors. The listing needs to be consistent with how a product is used in order for it to make any sense...
A ridiculous but true example of deceptive labeling was a security device I knew of (which will remain unnamed), that was advertised as “UL Listed.” Unfortunately, the only part of the product that was ever tested by UL was its line cord.
“Recognized” is the status UL grants to a component. A “Listed” device is complete in some sense but a “Recognized” component needs to be combined with other components to create a finished product.
“Certified” means a product that has been successfully tested by UL to a non UL standard. This is most often an ANSI standard. The ANSI magnetic lock standard was published around 1991 and it included some performance grades. Although LAHJ’s don’t demand that an ANSI locks be supplied, they’re interested in UL safety testing. Manufacturers use ANSI compliance to compete with each other since it is a recognized and respected performance-oriented standard.
With all the fine print, it is easy to understand the confusion. But the answer is clear. Use equipment from established manufacturers, stay up to date with local building codes and preferred practices, and design your systems with safety foremost in your mind.
RCI DELAYED EGRESS SYSTEM
Rutherford Controls (RCI) offers a complete delayed egress system that includes the EW8310 Early Warning Lock; DE8310 Delayed Egress Lock & 10-5 / 10-5-PDD-FT Power Supply.
This power supply and extensive selection of option modules offers all the features and options required to form the backbone of just about any electric door control system, especially those incorporating electromagnetic locks.
The Delayed Egress Electromagnetic Lock is an All-in-One delayed egress system with a built-in sensor that detects pressure applied to outward swinging doors. Built-in sounder, voice and CCTV monitoring combinations make this ideal for applications requiring Loss Prevention, Life Safety and Traffic Control. The DE8310 is unique in that there is no need to replace existing door hardware making this an easy and affordable delayed egress solution.
The system has the following certifications:
10-5 – [UL Listed] (Power Supply Only)
10-5-PDD-FT – [ UL Listed] (Power Distribution Device - Fire Trigger)
Standard features include:
The panel door is a drop down lid designed with the installer in mind. It provides a usable work surface, along with a 110 VAC receptacle for installation and maintenance convenience.
The Class 2 Rated Power Limited low voltage output is determined to be safe for use by installers where permitted by local code
The output is field selectable (12VDC@5AMP, 24VDC@3AMP)
The Auto-Sensing AC Input will accept an input of 90 - 250VAC. This means the 10-5 remains very stable during fluctuations in local power
The built-In 110VAC receptacle can be used to power drills or soldering irons for installation purposes or for service assistance. The drop down lid becomes a convenient surface for test equipment .
The AC Fail Monitoring Relay can be used to send a signal to an external monitoring panel or guard station to indicate that the AC power to the panel has been interrupted. It can also be used to signal fire panel distribution board of AC fail to meet NFPA-101 Life Safety standards.
The Battery Monitoring Relay can be used to send a signal to an external monitoring panel or guard station to indicate that the backup battery is not connected or is no longer holding a charge
The Listed Subassembly Modular Output Board means that the zone output and fire disconnect boards can be added or removed from the 10-5 as required without affecting the UL listing.
The Fire Panel Disconnect Board is connected to the local fire alarm panel to drop power to all electromagnetic locks as required by most local building and NFPA-101 Standards.
The Power Distribution Board with Supervised Interface is used to convert a DC power source into eight class II power limited outputs (that can be controlled by a fire alarm control panel.) Each output can be selectively set to turn ON, OFF or remain unchanged when the fire alarm control panel triggers the board, allowing the installer to power multiple devices with the same power supply.
The EOL (“End of the Line”) resistor is located at the fire panel. This enables the PDD-FT & PDD-8PCI to detect a short or open in the wire between the fire panel and the power supply.
The Field Selectable Ground Fault Detection on the PDD-FT will detect if a wire in the fire disconnect circuit is touching ground. A wire that is grounded may prevent the proper and safe disconnection of power to the electromagnetic locks.
When more than one 10-5 PDD-FT is used within a building, a common Multi Panel Interconnect circuit complete with EOL can be run from unit to unit and then to the fire panel. This will ensure that all power supplies are monitored and drop out during a fire as required by code.
Most jurisdictions require that a power supply used to power electromagnetic locks be manually reset. The PDD-FT Auto or Manual Fire Reset is jumper selectable and can be set to manual reset, or if allowed by your LAHJ, auto reset modes.
The enclosure cover tamper switch can send a signal to an external monitoring panel or guard station to indicate that the 10-5 has been opened. This is a requirement of UL603 applications.
The system comes with a limited lifetime warranty. Visit www.rutherfordcontrols.com for further details pertaining to the policies of the Limited Lifetime Warranty.
The following options and accessories are available:
• Power Distribution Device 8-Output
• Power Distribution Modules 4 & 8-Output (Fused or PTC-Auto Reset Breaker)
• Available without Fire Trigger (10-5)
DE8310 ALL-IN-ONE
DELAYED EGRESS SYSTEM
This maglock with integral delayed egress for single outswinging doors offers unique visual signaling and optional video surveillance functions.
Product features include:
• All-in-one delayed egress system
• Built in “sensor” detects when pressure is applied to outward swinging doors – no need to replace existing door hardware.
• Field selectable 15- or 30-second release delay with field selectable 0 to three-second nuisance delay
• Provision for IBC, SBC, NFPA101, UBC, BOCA or NBC of Canada compliance
• Unique highly visible “Red/Green” light panel indicates status of door (local)
• Available with built-in sounder, voice and CCTV monitoring combinations
• Camera comes with BNC and RCA video outputs
• Includes 960 Keyswitch for reset and override, 15 second Building Code Sign; base unit includes external sounder
• Built-in Security Condition Sensor (SCS) feature indicates that the door is closed and bonded
• Dry contact relay switching (SPDT and DPDT) provided for local and/or remote monitoring
• Auto sensing voltage from 12 to 30 VDC
• Up to 1200lbs (540kg) holding force
• Standard MultiMag® features included
• Spanish and French voice modules available
• Field selectable to meet a variety of building codes
• Five-year warranty on electromagnetic lock, one-year warranty on camera and built-in voice/sounder components
EW8310 EARLY
WARNING SYSTEM
This RCI system is designed for single outswinging interior or perimeter doors. RCI Says: “It’s an extra layer of security – like having a security guard at every door.”
Thus system can sense when an intruder is attempting to gain access into a building through a locked door. The patented built-in sensor detects attempted forced entry and activates a local and/or remote alarm prior to the integrity of the door being compromised. An alarm in the immediate location will scare would-be thieves before they have a chance to gain access.
The light panel provides highly visible information related to the status of changes of the door. For example, it works as a status indicator when the door is secure or notifies in the event of an attempted break-in.
Product features include:
• Built-in sensor will activate a local and/or remote alarm upon attempted forced entry – before the door has been compromised
• Unique highly visible “Red/Green” light panel indicates status of door (local)
• Built-in Security Condition Sensor (SCS) feature indicates that the door is closed, bonded and that the Electromagnetic Lock is functioning normally
• Dry contact relay switching (SPDT and DPDT) provided for local and/or remote alarm monitoring
• Auto sensing voltage from 12 to 30 VDC
• Up to 1200lbs (540kg) holding force
• Low voltage detection
• Nuisance delay feature accommodates accidental triggering
• MOV surge protection
• Standard 8310 MultiMag® features
• Brushed Anodized Aluminum finish
• cULus Listed
For more information, contact your local locksmith distributor or Rutherford Controls, www.rutherfordcontrols.com
Tim O'Leary
Tim O'Leary is a security consultant, trainer and technician who has also been writing articles on all areas of locksmithing & physical security for many years.
