ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Voice - Data - Video Discussion LV wire through door jamb

I have to wire a 12V electric door strike. It is being installed on a double door where one of the doors is stationary, but by flipping two levers, it will open as well. So I'm wondering how do I get my wire up to the strike?

The stationary side of the door will not be used often, but I don't want to install with a method that will fail because they do decide to open it one day to get something big out. Any ideas?? Is there a flexible sleeve designed for this?

What you're looking for is on page 24: http://www.vonduprin.com/pdf/Security.pdf

I had to get one once, a real pain to find and order....

Actually two ways to do this. First and most expensive is an "electric hinge". (I'm not seeing them in the Von Duprin link). This is a regular usually 4"x4" mortise hinge that has been drilled and wires fished through it from leaf to leaf. No slip rings. (When you see one you are going to say "how the h*** did they do that?)

Cheaper way is to use a door cord to go between the jamb or buck to the door. This is just a short piece of flexible cord (like SOT) with blocks on each end that you screw to the door and jamb.

Either way, and the tricky thing is that you will have to cross drill the door for the wire from the strike location on one side to the door cord or hinge location on the other. If it is a fire rated door filled with plaster it may not be too much of a problem but with a solid wood door you better make sure your insurance is paid up. It's real easy for the bit to wander and go through the face of the door. Ouch!

Edit- For some reason I didn't see that page 24 thing first time- never used one but there is a third alternative.

-Hal

[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited 02-02-2005).]

Ah ha Hal,
The Electric Hinge! Only heard about them, never seen one used. http://www.nokey.com/electrichinge.html

And the armored cable loop: (The cheapest method.) http://store.yahoo.com/853111/allocardoorc.html
Had a job where somebody attmpted a break-in by slipping a wire in and yanking the door cord until it severed. It did nothing but have me out there re-doing the thing all day.

The one from my first post comes in a 2-wire, and 10-wire. Very hip for access card readers or other devices. It is also the coolest one I have done to date in a wood door. No visible cord, or mis-match on hinges. The one I did was a non-rated Residential front door. It was custom made and I had the guy making it route a path in it. From what I remember was about $150, and had to call to find distributor, etc.

As for getting the wire there. Like Hal said, A steel door is easy. Wood door - make a carpenter do it! But if forced to: Stand the door on end. (hinge up strike down and plumb) Take a 48"X3/8" drill bit rigid, not flexible, and aim for the mortise! Here's the key! Stand a lazer level on the hinge side as a guide to remain centered in the door to reduce drift. DO NOT force the drill, the bit will flex! 3" pull out and clean, and repeat.

Wish you luck..............

Hey guys, great input. Thanks. The door is a glass door with a metal frame, so I'm pretty sure one of those methods should do.

Thanks again!!

Glass door? Metal frame is part of the door? (Not talking about a netal buck or jamb are you?)

How are you going to get the wire inside the door? With some doors it's impossible so an electric strike is not the way to go.

One way to do this then is with a magnetic lock. This is an DC electromagnet attached to the jamb usually at the top. You attach a steel plate to the door so that when the magnet is energized it holds the door closed.

This requires a fair amount of "other stuff" to make it work and be friendly to people trying to exit through the doors and be safe in case of fire. It's usually done in commercial settings.

-Hal

Glass door and metal frame don't sound easy now.

What kind of situation is the door in? Resi / Comm, Security / Panic egress

The door is the front entrance to a small warehouse. It's in a mixed use office/industrial area, so when they built the building, all the front doors were put in so it could be an office or showroom, but they are using for warehouse. It is so they can leave it locked and unattended. Then I will put a buzzer in too. The active side has a manual latch that can be activated from the inside for egress.

The door has an upper glass panel and lower glass panel with a frame member across the middle with a hand bar. I figured I'd fish right down the center (I hope it's a clean shot).

I'm kind of leaning toward the armored cable loop, but undecided right now. Thank you both again for the helpful input.

I think I would go with the door cord too in this instance. Don't need to be fancy here. That's a commercial "storefront" door and there are a million variations. Aluminum right? I would think that the center divider is hollow and you should be able to get through it easy enough with maybe a little drilling. Good luck!

-Hal

If this is industrial and looks are not a problem an armored door cord is your best and most cost effective option, Securitron makes a nice one and not too expensive. For running the cable you usually can not run thru the middle of the door without some drilling, your best bet is to go up and over, there should not be a top to the piece running on the top so you can just run right across and drop down into the two sides. If looks are important than the only way to go is a transfer hinge. I just finished up a job for Polo Ralph Lauren at their main building in Manhatten and I put in a bunch of them going to electrified leversets. If you do use a hinge good luck stripping the wire, I think it is 26 ga stranded.