Dorgard Fire Door Retainers

The Dorgard does not detect smoke or the fire; it works by reacting to the fire alarm that goes off on detection of a fire. The unit will lift the plunger on the sound of the alarm, and a warning tone is emitted when the door is closing.

The Dorgard has several safety features built in; the unit will detect when the battery voltage is dropping, and will then emit a warning sound and release the plunger. The device will not allow the plunger to hold the door open until the batteries have been replaced. Dorgard will also not allow the plunger to be used should the batteries be removed from the unit.

Within the risk assessment for the building there should be an instruction that in the event of a failure in the fire alarm system, all door hold-open devices should be manually deactivated. However, this should be a rare event as the majority of systems have to have emergency backup power supplies which means they should continue to work in the event of power failure.

Yes, Dorgard can be used on double door applications. However, as the Dorgard does not control the speed of the door closing, some adjustments will need to be made to the closer on each door. To ensure that the doors close in the correct sequence, the leaf that needs to close first must be set to close at a faster speed than the other.

Safelincs is the only Dorgard retailer who offers a 5-year warranty on the Dorgard. This warranty is not described in the generic manual etc of the product, as this refers only to the standard manufacturer warranty of two years. Safelincs covers the additional warranty of the Dorgard, while the statement on our website is proof of our warranty. You can print out our Dorgard pages if you want to have proof of the 5-year warranty in the future, however, proof of purchase from us is enough.

Dorgard can be fitted where there is a need to hold open a fire door to enable the movement and circulation of people around a building. Dorgard is intended for use on self-closing fire doors, but could be installed on any door. Please note that the building must have a fire alarm, and a risk assessment carried out by the employer to check the suitability of using a Dorgard; some high-risk areas e.g., kitchens, boiler rooms, and doors protecting a single staircase building may not be appropriate.

Within the risk assessment for the building there should be an instruction that in the event of a failure in the fire alarm system all door hold-open devices should be deactivated, though this should be a rare event as the majority of systems have to have emergency backup power supplies which means they should continue to work in the event of of power failure.

Yes, the Dorgard can hold a fire door open to maintain the functionality of the building by allowing an uninterrupted flow of people through the building during the day, and release the fire door to close in the evening. In a building where people live or sleep, you can set the Dorgard to automatically close at night.

No, the Dorgard reacts to sound levels above 65 dB. All sounds in excess of 65 dB, continuing for at least 14 seconds will activate the Dorgard to close the door. This complies with BS5839 which gives 65 dB as the minimum sound level for fire alarms.

Unfortunately, in areas where the ambient noise volume is consistently 65 dB or over, the unit will close automatically to all noise, and is therefore not suitable. Alternatively, the Dorgard Pro, which takes its release signal from the central fire alarm panel, can be used in noisy environments.

Dorgard listens for the sound of the alarm system every 4 seconds. The sound has to continue for 10 seconds to activate the closing action of Dorgard. This ensures that the closing of the door will not be delayed any longer than 14 seconds. This compares with hard wired units that have a delay built in to the system.

Dorgard complies with the standard for low voltage hold open devices, BS EN 1155. It also conforms to British Standards EN 1634, covering fire resistance and smoke control tests for door assemblies, and BS 7273-4 for the actuation of release mechanisms for doors.

No, given that the sound level stated in BS5839 must be adhered to throughout the building, a Dorgard’s ability to ‘hear’ the fire alarm should not be affected. Dorgards can be adjusted if the sound level does drop slightly within performance limits.

A self-test routine is run every seven days by the Dorgard. The plunger is released, closing the door and the unit will emit a continuous warning alarm if a fault is detected.

Regular testing of the building’s fire alarm system is a legal requirement, and can be utilised to manually test Dorgards around any premises. Ask staff to engage all hold-open devices before starting the alarm test, and have them report any units that don’t release. This is the tried and tested method that we use in our offices at Safelincs!

As Dorgard is an audio sensing device that can be adjusted within certain limits, it is not necessary to carry out a test before the installation. If the Dorgard cannot detect the alarm, it is likely that the alarm is not sounding at the minimum 65 dB level required by BS 5839, which should alert the user to a problem with the alarm system that will require remedial action.

Employees should be informed about Dorgard and instructed on its use and operation and include it in the workplace fire routine.

Yes, if set to do so. There are three timed setting options for night time release which the installer can select prior to installation. Batteries to activate the internal clock in the Dorgard must be inserted at 12.00hrs (midday) and the night time settings can then be selected and set accordingly. The Dorgard will then release each night at the pre-determined time.

Yes, but only with an approved fire door retainer like Dorgard. Propping open a fire door with another object, like a chair or a fire extinguisher, is unsafe because the door will not be able to prevent the spread of flames and smoke throughout the building in the event of a fire. Holding a fire door open like this is therefore a criminal offence.