Maintaining your fire exit hardware: 6 checks you carry out today

Fire exit hardware saves lives when it works, but only regular maintenance keeps it ready. Fred Duncombe walks you through the checks that keep panic bars, closers and electromagnetic holders in working order, explains what to look for during each inspection and shows you how to spot failure before an emergency arrives.

Understanding what counts as fire exit hardware

Fire exit hardware covers every mechanical component that controls how your emergency door opens, closes and stays shut. Panic bars and crash bars let people leave without a key or handle. Door closers pull the door back into its frame after someone passes through. Electromagnetic holders keep doors open until a fire alarm releases them. Intumescent strips and smoke seals block fire and smoke at the door edges.

Each piece plays a role in containing fire within a compartment or clearing a route to safety. When one component fails, the entire assembly loses its certification. A panic bar that sticks or a closer that no longer shuts the door fully creates a gap in your building's fire defence.

Building your inspection routine around how you use the door

High-traffic exits wear faster than doors that open once a week. A staff entrance that serves twenty people every morning needs checking more often than a secondary fire door in a storage corridor. Set your inspection frequency to match the door's role and the number of people who rely on it.

Check every panic bar and electromagnetic holder at least once each month. Inspect door closers and hinges every three months. Test intumescent strips and smoke seals twice a year, unless you notice visible damage earlier. Write each check in a logbook with the date, the door location and what you found.

Adjusting your schedule after a repair

Any component you replace or adjust needs a follow-up inspection within two weeks. The new part may settle differently or reveal wear in adjacent hardware. A closer you've adjusted for sweep speed might need a second tweak after the door has cycled a hundred times under real use.

Testing panic bars and crash bars for instant release

Push the bar from a standing position with normal force. The latch should release immediately, without sticking or requiring a second push. Open the door fully and let it close on its own. The latch must engage cleanly without bouncing or catching on the strike plate.

Inspect the bar mechanism for loose screws, cracked housings and worn pivot points. Check that the bar sits parallel to the door face along its entire length. A bar that sags at one end or rattles when you shake it needs tightening or replacement before it jams under pressure.

Listen for grinding or clicking when you press the bar. Metal-on-metal noise signals worn bearings or misaligned components. Lubricate moving parts with a dry PTFE spray—never oil, which attracts dust and gums up the mechanism. If lubrication doesn't silence the noise, the internal parts have worn past their service life.

Inspecting door closers for controlled movement

A door closer manages two speeds: the sweep, which brings the door most of the way shut, and the latch, which pulls it into the frame. Open the door to its full travel and release it. The sweep should close the door smoothly without slamming. The latch phase should have enough force to overcome the resistance of the seal and engage the lock, but not so much that the door bangs.

Check the closer body for oil leaks. Even a small drip indicates a failing seal, and the closer will lose hydraulic pressure over time. Examine the mounting screws and brackets. Loose fixings let the closer shift during operation, which throws off your adjustments and damages the door frame.

Test the backcheck if your closer has one. Push the door open quickly, as if someone were rushing through in a hurry. The backcheck should slow the door before it hits the wall or door stop. Without it, the door can damage its own hinges or crack the frame.

When to adjust and when to replace

If the door slams or fails to latch after you've adjusted the speed valves, the closer has lost too much fluid or the piston seal has degraded. Replacement is the only reliable fix. For guidance on setting the right closer force and speed from the start, read our article on choosing the right door closer.

Checking electromagnetic holders and their release triggers

Electromagnetic holders keep fire doors open during normal use and release them when the fire alarm sounds. Press the manual release button or trigger a test signal from the fire panel. The magnet should release instantly, and the door closer should pull the door fully shut within seconds.

Inspect the magnet face and the steel plate on the door. Dirt, paint or corrosion between the two surfaces reduces holding strength. Clean both with a dry cloth. Never paint over the magnet or the plate—even a thin coating weakens the bond enough that the door might drift open.

Check the cable run from the holder to the control box. Look for damage, exposed wires or loose connections. A severed cable or poor contact can leave the holder powered during a fire or drop the door unexpectedly during the day. To understand how the settings govern release behaviour, see our guide to electromagnetic door holders.

Examining seals and strips for gaps and damage

Intumescent strips expand in heat to seal the gap between door and frame. Smoke seals block smoke at normal temperature. Both sit in grooves routed into the door edge or the frame. Run your finger along each strip to check it sits firmly in its groove. A strip that lifts out easily or shows gaps has lost its adhesive backing and must be replaced.

Look for charring, splitting or compression damage. Even minor damage compromises the seal's performance in a fire. Check the corners where two strips meet—this is where gaps most often appear. A gap wider than the thickness of a credit card is too large.

Measure the gap between the door and the frame when the door is closed. Hold a coin or a thin metal rule against the frame and see if it slips through. The gap should be consistent around the entire perimeter. If it varies, the door has dropped on its hinges or the frame has shifted, and you need to adjust or shim before the seals can do their job. For step-by-step instructions, read our article on fitting intumescent strips.

Watching for signs of misalignment and binding

A door that scrapes the frame, sticks halfway through its swing or needs force to latch has moved out of alignment. This happens when hinges wear, screws loosen or the building settles. Misalignment stresses every component—closers work harder, panic bars may not release cleanly and seals compress unevenly.

Open the door halfway and let go. It should stay in position or drift slowly in one direction. A door that swings open or closed on its own is out of plumb. Close the door and check the reveal—the gap between door edge and frame—at the top, middle and bottom. If the gap narrows or widens as you move down the door, the hinges need packing or the frame needs adjustment.

Inspect hinge pins for wear. A loose or grooved pin lets the door shift during operation. Tighten hinge screws and replace any that spin without gripping. If screws pull out of the frame, the timber has failed and you need to fit longer screws into fresh wood or relocate the hinge slightly.

Following a six-step monthly check

Regular inspections catch problems before they compromise safety. Work through these checks in order, and record your findings each time.

1. Push the panic bar or turn the handle to confirm the latch releases instantly without resistance.
2. Open the door fully and let it close on its own, watching that it shuts completely and the latch engages without bouncing.
3. Trigger the electromagnetic holder release if fitted, and verify the door closes within the time the system allows.
4. Run your hand along every intumescent strip and smoke seal, checking they sit firmly in their grooves with no lifting or damage.
5. Look for oil leaks around the door closer body and check all mounting screws are tight.
6. Test the door for binding or scraping, and check the reveal is even around the frame perimeter.

Address anything unusual straight away. A small adjustment now prevents a failure later.

Comparing maintenance approaches for different hardware types

Knowing when a repair needs a specialist

Simple adjustments—tightening screws, cleaning magnet faces, lubricating hinges—are within reach of most property owners. Replacing worn intumescent strips or adjusting closer speed valves requires care but no special certification. You can tackle these tasks if you follow the manufacturer's instructions and work methodically.

Other work must go to a competent person. Replacing a panic bar, relocating an electromagnetic holder or adjusting a fire door that has dropped in its frame can affect the door's certification. Any repair that involves cutting, drilling or altering the door structure invalidates the rating unless the person doing the work understands the certification requirements and can document the repair properly.

When you're unsure whether a component has failed or can be adjusted, call in someone with fire door experience. The cost of an inspection is small compared to the risk of a door that won't close when it matters.

Recording your maintenance and building an audit trail

A written record proves you've maintained your fire exit hardware and helps you spot patterns. Note the date, the door location, what you checked and what you found. If you adjusted or replaced anything, write down which component and why.

Keep maintenance records with the building's fire safety documentation. If an inspector or surveyor asks to see evidence of upkeep, your logbook demonstrates you've met your duty. Over time, the record shows which doors wear fastest and which components reach the end of their service life, so you can plan replacements before failure.

Mark each entry with your name or initials. If more than one person shares responsibility for the building, everyone knows who carried out the last check and when the next one falls due.

#Fire exit #Door closer