How to Troubleshoot Electric Door Strike Problems

Troubleshooting an electric door strike issueAs a high-tech take on the age-old technology of door locks and the cooler cousin of fixed strike systems, electric strikes certainly have their fair share of conveniences. They are highly reliable, and can even keep your doors locked or unlocked as needed if the power goes out. But while electric strikes can be fail-secure, and they can be fail-safe, like any mechanism, they are not fail-proof. And while it’s clear what conveniences they bring to your building, it’s not always so clear what to do when they start misbehaving.

Electric door strike problems can be massive headaches—mechanical failures, electrical failures, and other issues can make it difficult or impossible to unlock a door or keep it locked. In this article, we’ll dive into common issues with electric strikes and provide tips on troubleshooting these issues so you know what to do and how to keep cool when your electric door strikes throw you a curveball.

Electric Door Strike Troubleshooting: First Things First

We get it. It’s frustrating to have a misbehaving door. It could even put your building’s security at risk. When you’ve got electric door strike problems to deal with, your first impulse will be to get them fixed as soon as possible, even if you’re not sure what the problem is or how to fix it yet. But instead, we recommend stepping back, taking a deep breath, and taking the time to study the issue.

Think of it this way: When you’re untangling a knot in something, the more you struggle aimlessly, the harder the knot becomes to untie. Electric door strike troubleshooting works the same way. If you put yourself under the pressure of a real or self-imposed deadline to fix the problem, or just get frustrated, you might be compelled to start fussing over various aspects of the problem at random—but just like you can accidentally pull a stubborn knot tighter, you risk compounding the problem.

Figuring Out Your Electric Door Strike Problem

Electric strikes are a bit more daunting to repair than fixed strikes because there are more variables in the equation than for their counterparts. On the bright side, though, because of this, locating the problem is 90% of the battle!

So, step back, take a deep breath or two or three, and resist the urge to rush in and get to work right away. The first thing you’ll want to do is carefully inspect the faulty door and gather clues about what the problem might be. The clues you gather will help you figure out what the problem is, what tools you need to solve it, and what you should avoid doing. If you still have the owner’s manual, get it—it’ll be a helpful reference for electric door strike troubleshooting.

Make sure the door and strike have been installed correctly. If they were, check for any wear and tear around the area. Excessive wear on the door or frame might indicate mechanical issues such as loose hinges. Start with the simplest and most likely causes of failure and use the process of elimination to rule them out—there’s no sense in locating a transformer, for example, when the issue only requires a hand tool.

Now that we’ve got you started on your first steps, let’s look at two of the most common culprits behind electric door strike problems:

Culprit 1: It’s Electric

Electric strikes are, as the name suggests, electric, which means that electrical problems are a very likely culprit. In particular, your door strike might not actually be receiving the electricity it needs to properly function. In other words, the root of your electric door strike problems is the voltage.

The first thing to do in electrical door strike troubleshooting, then, is to make sure that there is voltage running to the strike in the first place.

Unfortunately, you can’t see or feel voltage. You’ll need a multimeter or voltmeter to get a read on what—if anything—is happening with your lock.

If your voltmeter picks up the presence of voltage, here’s what you do next: check if that voltage (AC or DC) is compatible with your strike. Electric door strikes have specific voltage and amperage requirements, and if the transformer or power supply sending electricity to them doesn’t match, the strike may not function properly—or at all.

Check to make sure the voltage and the strike match—whether the strike requires 12, 16, or 24 volts, for example. The next step in electric door strike troubleshooting is to confirm that the current matches. If your strike takes alternating current (AC), it won’t function properly if it’s receiving DC (direct current).

Make the voltage and current match, and your electric door strike problems could simply vanish just like that.

Fun fact: AC transformers buzz when they get the voltage to open, while DC strikes do not. Be wary of assuming your strike isn’t working just because you don’t hear the buzz!

Culprit 2: Under Pressure

Many times, an electric strike is malfunctioning because of a pressure excess. Too much pressure on the strike can damage it and prevent it from functioning properly. Like electrical problems, these issues are difficult to diagnose because you can’t see them. Fortunately, there are ways to diagnose and troubleshoot these electric door strike problems as well.

The first thing to check is whether the door is preloading the strike. Preloading is a problem caused by pressure excess that causes the latch and the strike keeper to stick, preventing the door from opening.

To check for preloading, try turning the knobset without putting pressure on the door to open. If the door pops open slightly, then you know it is preloaded. This is the easiest thing to check first—it means that there’s pressure on the keeper of the electric strike that is forcing it to bind to the latch. If this is the case, adjusting the relationship between the lockset and strike should fix the issue once binding no longer occurs.

The Problem with Preloading

The most common causes of a preloaded strike are:

  • Warped or swollen wood door from moisture
  • Door frame was mounted incorrectly (not plumb or square)
  • Pressure from a heavy commercial AC system
  • Thick insulation or door weather stripping
  • Sagging hinges
  • Improperly mounted electric strike

If you’ve just fixed a preloaded electric strike, fixing whichever of the above issues caused it and keeping an eye out for them in the future should prevent the problem from occurring again.

What if the problem isn’t preloading, though? If the door is not preloading, your next step is to remove the strike from the door frame—without disconnecting its wires. If the strike starts functioning properly again once you’ve removed it, well, there’s your problem—the frame cutout was squeezing too tightly on the strike hardware. This is a much rarer issue than preloading, but it is a possible culprit for pressure issues.

Removing the strike from the frame also gives you a clear view of the manufacturer and model number, which helps if the strike ends up needing to be replaced.

Tips for Testing an Electric Strike

In electric door strike troubleshooting, you might end up needing to test the strike keeper. When removing the strikeout, make sure not to put any pressure on the strike keeper—doing so will keep it from working the same as preloaded door pressure will. Make sure to wait until the electric strike gains power before putting pressure on the keeper to test it.

To test, briefly connect both ends of the power source directly to the strike. Be careful with an AC strike because most are intermittent duty and the electric coil is not designed to withstand the heat generated by constant electric current. Be careful not energize the strike for periods longer than one minute, or you could end up damaging the strike!

Get Your Electric Door Strike Problems Fixed with Card Lock

Electric door strike troubleshooting can be a daunting task, but if you approach it calmly and deliberately and keep a level head, you’ll likely find the issue—and the solution—sooner than you think. If you’re having trouble fixing it on your own, though, don’t worry—Card Lock’s experts are here to help.

We’ve supplied next-generation door lock and access control solutions to businesses and organizations since the 1940s. We know electric strikes inside and out. If you have any questions about solving issues with your electric door strikes, get in touch with us.

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