Door mag is not working

[Rather be Fishing]

Hello guys only me with another question.

Ive just had a job come through that says the door mag is not engaging the door.

On the door is a metal plate and on the door frame is another.

When they connect they are supposed to magnetically stick them selves shut and you use a fob on the fob panel or press the exit button.

I know there's power because the fob plate is lighting up.


Any ideas on what I need to do to solve the problem

When I press the door exit button the fob pad goes from red to free but not sure if you can see that from the pics

 

[Darkwood]

Several things to look for...

Establish power at the door, be careful as this can very given these magnets are often bought for the control voltage so could be 12v ac/dc, 24v ac/dc 110v and 230v.

Check the emergency door release (breakglass) hasn't been operated and needs resetting or if it has been that it has fully reset into the correct position, many of these now use plastic resettable lenses that can look like they are in normal state.

See if another primary system hasn't overridden the door entry, sometimes fire alarms can release doors for fire service access.

Find and test the control panel if it has one, usually the lower voltage ones have a control panel with transformers etc and possible small fuses to check.

Check if the supply to the circuit hasn't been lost, sometimes these systems are simply spurred off a local ring main or similar radial so check circuits haven't tripped.

 

[Rather be Fishing]

Thankyou @Darkwood I will work through that list and come back with pics if I hit a hurdle.

Genuinely humbled by all the decent folk on here answering all my bloody questions so quickly

I will deffo be giving back to the industry once I can

 

[Rather be Fishing]

Well @Darkwood I spent some time looking at this yesterday going through your kindly constructed list.

I confirmed that the break glass hadn't been reset skuwiff

But I couldn't confirm power at the door as everything I was opening up just seemed to have a load of telephone cables in side.

The key fob thing deffo had power as it was all light up and then when you put your fob on it it went from red to green as if it thought it was releasing the mag even though the mag wasn't holding shut

I tried to find a control panel to check the step down transformer and any fuses but I couldn't find it and it certainly wasn't in a containment above the ceiling tiles above the door. I will keep looking for it tho

I confirmed the fire panel was reset and wasn't the course

Ironically I let a bubble bee out of the warehouse and noticed that the main door was also not holding on the mag

I wasn't aware of this but concluded it must be a problem that is effecting them both as all other door mags on site and they are a few were working fine.

Ironically I bumped into a chap who had been called out by the warehouse to tend to the main doors so I passed it on to him because I was needed somewhere else.

It would have been nice to have solved it but I will give the company a call next week to ask what they did to fix it

Thanks again for you help @Darkwood ?

 

[Darkwood]

?Thx for the feedback, all I want to know really is what is a bubble bee?

 

[Rather be Fishing]

?Thx for the feedback, all I want to know really is what is a bubble bee?

? I meant to say bumble bee but my spelling is admittbly attrocious and this auto text is forever thinking it knows what I'm trying to say and putting words in my mouth.

On a side note is anyone else thinking the bumble bees are massive this year.

Ive seen three and it's like they've been working out pumping iron during lockdown.

Big up the bumble bees

Ps thanks again @Darkwood I relayed everything in your message to my boss and came across like I had half an idea what I was looking for.

 

[Darkwood]

It sounds like its all supplied from a common source and/or control, would be nice if you can find out the problem even if it's popping in and asking the other sparks, it's the best way to learn when you understand the outcome, then next time you use that knowledge to refine your fault diagnosis in similar setups, if you don't find out it isn't logged into the experience bank of your grey matter and thus a wasted opportunity to add to that learning curve.

 

[James]

If there are multiple doors with a similar fault, I would definitely be looking into a failsafe unlock system possibly from the fire alarm. many fire alarms have auxiliary outputs but they are often NPN supplies out to an external relay.

Alternatively it is possible that the relays in the door controllers have worn out.

 

[Darkwood]

I suspect a key switch has been operated somewhere or a common control fuse in a power unit has popped.

 

[Rather be Fishing]

It sounds like its all supplied from a common source and/or control, would be nice if you can find out the problem even if it's popping in and asking the other sparks, it's the best way to learn when you understand the outcome, then next time you use that knowledge to refine your fault diagnosis in similar setups, if you don't find out it isn't logged into the experience bank of your grey matter and thus a wasted opportunity to add to that learning curve.

I know mate. My plan was to ring the guys that came out to fix it and ask what they did but even they could solve it. However they are due to return on Friday to sort the issue so hopefully I'll be able to speak to them on Monday.


I completely agree with your post and thats exactly what I was hoping to do/achieve

Thanks again @dark wood