Free-swing door closer

A door closer is a hydraulic device that is used to automatically close a door. For more information, see Door closer for more information.

Free-swing door closers are a type of door closer which can be used to increase fire safety of a building. They can be specified and installed as a means of easing access and in buildings where heavy traffic will be experienced through the doors, such as an office, school, hotel or commercial space.

The closers are installed at the top of a fire door, allowing the door to swing freely with little force required to open it, or to be held open in any position. The door closers will close the fire door automatically when a fire alarm sounds, providing a barrier to help reduce the fire’s ability to spread through the building.

The closers can be hard-wired to the alarm system, or can be battery-operated and wireless. In the latter case, the release trigger may react to the particular sound of the alarm, usually requiring that it exceeds a certain decibel level over a period of several seconds before releasing the door. This helps prevent false activations from occurring.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Automatic fire detection and alarm systems, an introductory guide to components and systems BR 510.
• Automatic release mechanism.
• Door closer.
• Door restrictors.
• Fire detection and alarm systems.
• Fire door.
• Fire Door Inspection Scheme.
• Fire safety design.
• Fire stopping.
• Hold-open device.
• How fire doors can save lives
• Installing fire doors and doorsets (GG 86).
• The causes of false fire alarms in buildings.