Electric Strikes And Magnetic Locks

Many are weatherproof or Weather resistant




What are the things to consider when choosing an electric strike or magnetic lock?



Magnetic locks:
All magnetic locks will work only with DC current, usually 12 to 24 volts. Never connect a magnetic lock to AC current of any voltage. You may come across a mag lock that comes with an AC power supply but here the AC voltage is being converted to DC in the lock. All magnetic locks are fail safe. This means that they need a constant source of current to remained locked. If power is removed the lock will open. If this is a concern use a back-up power supply. All magnetic locks are silent even when powered and locked. 300 pound pull magnetic locks work well in light duty installations such as cabinetry. In our opinion, mag locks pulling at less than 300 or so are pretty much useless. 1200 pound pull magnetic locks are great for serious locking and controlled traffic flow on normal sized doors. Good quality American made Magnetic locks are just about indestructible. Since there are no moving parts very little can go wrong. We have installed magnetic locks 30 years ago that are still working perfectly today.
Important: Magnetic locks can be dangerous with respect to fire and smoke safety if not installed properly. Before planning an installation it's very important to always check with the "Local Authority Having Jurisdiction" (LAHJ) before progressing.

Electric strikes:
Electric strikes are often used for "buzz in" type of systems. Electric strikes come in many varieties. They can be 12 or 24 or even higher voltage and they may take AC or DC current and some even take both. They may be fail safe or fail secure. A fail safe electric strike needs power to keep it locked. A fail secure electric strike stays locked even without power. The most common by far is a fail secure. When using a fail secure electric strike even without power it stays locked from the outside coming in. For egress or getting out, a door knob or lever on the lock allows for safe exit. If you must use a fail safe electric strike don't forget to back it up. When you need that buzzing sound you may have heard when being buzzed into an office that's the sound of AC current going through the electric strike. If you need this sound as a signal to push on the door when unlocking the strike then choose an AC electric strike and an AC power source or transformer. If you do not want or need this buzzing sound then choose a DC power source or transformer. The DC strike is almost completely silent when it releases except for a slight click sound. On average a DC electric strike will last longer than an AC electric strike. If you want to use a DC electric strike or magnetic lock but still want a signaling sound then see the electronic buzzer we sell towards the bottom of this page. This tiny buzzer is connected in parallel between the power supply and the electric strike or magnetic lock and makes a buzzing type of sound when the lock releases. Choosing the correct mag lock or electric strike for your installation can sometimes be complicated so please call or email us if your not sure. we'll be happy to help.






An example of a typical installation using either a magnetic lock or electric strike. Please note that we usually use either an electric strike or magnetic lock but not both. Also, often but not always an additional power supply is used so one power supply powers the lock and another powers the keypad or card reader. Some keypads are designed to power the strike or mag lock directly so only one power supply is needed