Fire Door Closers Fail to Meet Code Requirements

Jason M L Priest DipFD makes an interesting observation in his post of a few months ago. Having recently completed a large inspection of doors featuring similar issues, attention should also be drawn to the routine use of cylinder rim night latches with single and, on some occasions, multiple mortice deadlocks – I have yet to see any credible fire test certification for this combination.

Moreover, Jason’s comments on the closers resonated with those I mentioned recently in response to a post by Elliott Brown: I’ve also always been puzzled by the illustrations included in the Regulation 10 guidelines of the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022. Specifically, the inclusion of single-chain uncontrolled self-closers.

Having inspected hundreds of doors featuring these devices, I have yet to see a latched, single-acting door satisfy the requirements of BS 8214:2016 (Section 11.4, para a), namely, to “close the door leaf reliably from any angle to which it has been opened.” On a latched door, these uncontrolled closers rarely have the power to overcome the friction of the latch bolt, especially when the door is only open at a shallow angle (e.g., 5 degrees). While an unlatched door with no combined smoke seals might swing/slam shut (and often rebound open), the moment you add the resistance of a modern smoke seal, these devices almost inevitably fail to reach the fully closed position.

Perhaps most tellingly, the manufacturers of one of these products (such as the Perko R-1) specifically state that these "uncontrolled" closers are not suitable for use on fire doors in the UK or EU whether for “new installations or as replacements on notional doors”. https://lnkd.in/eAjvAJyd

If the manufacturer says they aren't suitable and the Code of Practice requirements can't be met in the field, it strikes me as odd that a Government guidance document is including them as an acceptable "check" for building owners?