The Need 4 Self-Closing Doors

The Need 4 Self-Closing Doors | #ESC_LLC #FireCode #Fire #Smoke | Low-voltage door closers (LVDCs) and operators (LVDOs) are designed to automatically close critical fire doors when undo heat or smoke are detected either by a building fire alarm system or smoke detectors (listed for ‘door release service’) on either side of the door. The issue at hand involves the fact that fire doors are commonly installed in fire-rated walls. Together a properly closed, latched and sealed fire door and a compliant firewall will contain both smoke and the fire itself for a specific period of time, such as three hours.

Why not use a listed mechanical door closer, which would assure owners and managers that the integrity of the fire barrier will always be intact? Good question. Let’s take an indepth look at why this is not a practical approach in many instances, especially in healthcare-related applications. A common error made by many employees that work in healthcare involves the propping open of critical fire doors. In a fire situation, the result can be catastrophic as deadly smoke and heat are permitted to freely pass from the affected area into other smoke compartments.

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