To prevent warping, Dorgard self-tests every seven days which helps to ensure reliability and alleviate stress to the door, which on doors that are wedged open for long periods of time, would cause warping. This self-testing also helps to prevent seizure of the overhead door closer by allowing it to cycle itself. BS EN 1634-1:2008 Fire resistance and smoke control tests for door, shutter and, openable window assemblies and elements of building hardware. Fire resistance tests for doors, shutters and openable windows a) Smoke detectors should be provided in the section of corridor that forms the route to the stairway.

The operation of the Dorgard, or the ability to hear the fire alarm, should not be affected provided the sound level stated in BS5839 is adhered to throughout the building. Dorgards can be adjusted if the sound level does drop slightly within performance limits. The operation of the Dorgard, or the ability to hear the fire alarm, should not be affected provided the sound level stated in BS 5839 is adhered to throughout the building. So why do fire officers / assessors constantly offer and accept watered down compromises on the basis that "something is better than nothing" when "something" - as in detectors either side of the door in this case is clearly non compliant and in practical terms does nothing for the safety of the end user and is therefore a waste of money??The Dorgard can be foot operated should the door need to be closed manually, they have a 24 month warranty with the manufacturer and they are a reliable and discreet product. Look the point I was trying to make - clearly unsuccessfully- was that on one side of the door there is a corridor and on the other side of the door there is a staircase. Currently there are no smoke detectors anywhere. If a dorgard is to be used then there needs to be smoke detectors covering either side of the door. However I did not set out to offer design guidance for the OP and did not suggest that the detectors should be part of a system installed in accordance with BS7273-4 or BS5839 Lx or point detectors within xmetres of the door for that matter as per the original or modified CFOA guidance. When the batteries are running low, an audible warning will be sounded every 17 minutes in the form of a series of beeps and a red LED will flash to warn of the depleting batteries until they are fully exhausted, removed or replaced. BS EN 1155:1997 Building hardware. Electrically powered hold-open devices for swing doors. Requirements and test methods.

A self-test routine is run every seven days by the Dorgard. The plunger is released, closing the door and the unit will emit a warning alarm if a fault is detected. In situations where the ambient noise level is above 80dB, the Dorgard has a safety feature that allows it to release automatically to all sounds above 65dB as you would probably not hear a 65dB fire alarm over the noise level in this situation. The Dorgard is also capable of being adjusted to operate to the sound of an individual fire alarm making it adaptable to any particular environment.Instead of installing additional components to fire doors, there are door closers available which have retainer features built-in for convenience, such as Freedor They may have the ability to hold a door open at certain angles (Hold Open models) or to temporarily disengage their mechanical components so that fire doors feel as light as normal doors (Free Swing models). Both models require power to work, either wired into a power supply or fitted with batteries, and will "fail safe" during a power failure – meaning that electricity is used to disengage the closing force and by default they will try to keep the door closed when no power is supplied. In the event of the fire alarms sounding, the integral audio-electronic device inside the Dorgard signals the plunger to retract, allowing the self-closing fire door to close normally. The Dorgard is battery operated and can be installed and operated alongside existing fire alarm systems. Operations Procedure Fire doors are an important part of any building's fire safety strategy as they enable movement throughout a building while stopping the spread of fire to allow occupants enough time to evacuate safely. However, fire doors can only function if they are closed or close automatically if a fire occurs. This is the reason why it is dangerous and illegal to hold fire doors open with a wedge or extinguisher.

In the event that you discover a Dorgard that did not automatically release after a fire alarm activation of a minimum of 30 seconds, the issue should be reported to the maintenance helpdesk. Fire doors are typically designed to be kept closed at all times so that fire and heat are contained and their spread minimised. This is achieved through use of well-engineered fire doors. However, on occasion they may be held open to facilitate convenience and/or accessibility around a building and in this situation mechanisms to hold them open, should follow BS 7273-4. No. Dorgard listens for a continuous sound and will verify the alarm over a 20 second period and then release the fire door. School bells generally last for a couple of seconds so this shouldn’t affect your Dorgard. - Should I use a particular type of battery and can I use rechargeable ones? Employees should be informed about Dorgard and instructed on its use and operation and include it in the workplace fire routine.Fire door retainers (also called fire door holders) allow occupants to hold fire doors open in a legal and safe manner, removing the temptation to wedge the doors open. These devices hold the doors open in the day-to-day running of the building but will release the fire doors if there is a fire, allowing the fire door closers to do their job. Text has been shortened and simplified to make the standard more straightforward to use. Some of the commentary has been moved to new informative annexes and some of the previous text has been tabulated. Therefore in some circumstances fire doors fail to satisfy enforcers that recommendations of BS 7273-4 are being met. BS 7273-4:2015 will help to clarify the expectations of users and match it to the technology available to the fire safety industry. During normal operation, the Dorgard continuously monitors all functions. If at any time it detects a possible fault or maintenance issue, it will revert to Fail to Safe in which the Dorgard will no longer operate as a hold open device. The device will also emit a series of beeps serving as a continuous warning. Staff should report any issues to the helpdesk at extension 2001 to arrange for maintenance.

BSI, the business standards company has revised BS 7273-4:2015 Code of Practice for the operation of fire protection measures – Part 4: Actuation of release mechanisms for doors. The new document has been developed with the FIA and other bodies. Our Dorgard reacts to a sound level adjustable between 65 dB and 85 dB, so all sounds in excess of 65 dB will activate the Dorgard. This complies with BS 5839 which gives 65 dB as the minimum sound level for fire alarms. To prevent warping Dorgard self-tests every seven days which helps to ensure the reliability and alleviate stress to the door which on doors that are wedged open for long periods of time, would cause warping. This self-testing also helps to prevent seizure of the overhead door closer by allowing it to cycle itself.For all the reasons stated above detectors installed either side of the door is no longer acceptable and basically has been proven to be worthless in many circumstances (otherwise the recommendation would still be in place). Rechargeable batteries are not to be used. Seton recommends the continued use of Duracell Pro-cell batteries which are supplied with the unit. - Residents in my care home want to keep their bedroom doors open, is it OK to install Dorgards on these doors? Other operation of The Dorgard will retract its plunger and automatically release every 7 days as part of its preset self-testing routine. One weekly release of the Dorgard to no apparent noise should be accounted as normal routine function of the device.