Last week I posted a photo of a double egress pair I saw on a recent site visit, and asked “What’s Wrong With This Picture?” regarding the photo on the bottom right. I received quite a few correct answers and some good guesses.
- The plastic on the armor plates, while distracting and ugly, is not what I was going for.
- Several readers noted the height of the armor plates. While they may be an issue since they are over 16″ above the bottom of the door, this door manufacturer’s listings may allow armor plates of this height.
- A few people mentioned the alignment of the doors. Since this is a double-egress pair with surface-mounted vertical rod fire exit hardware, the devices are on opposite sides of the door opening and that’s why the strikes are offset. The devices do latch properly.
The answer I was looking for was that the bottom rods and latches have been installed on the fire exit hardware AND the LBR fire pin has also been installed. When exit devices are installed “less bottom rod” (LBR), some door and hardware configurations require an auxiliary fire pin. When the pin reaches a certain temperature during a fire, it projects into the hole on the other door leaf (covered by the black plastic cap in the photo) to hold the doors aligned to help compartmentalize the building.
I didn’t want to make it TOO easy, so I showed the photo of the black cap, but I have now added a photo below of the fire pin in the other leaf. Since this pin is installed, the exit devices should not have bottom rods, latches, or floor strikes.
The lucky winner of a little something from the Ingersoll Rand Prize Closet is Mike Driscoll of O’Connor Door / Kamco.
Other correct answers include:
Bill Lawliss, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies
Eyal Bedrik, Entry Systems Ltd.
Bob Caron, Kelley Brothers
Jeff, Virginia
Brendan Daley, Horner Commercial Sales
Glenn Sundbeck, FBH Architectural Security
Danny Estryk, Entry Systems Ltd.
James Caron, Kamco Supply Corp of Boston
Roger Musser
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You state: “Since this pin is installed, the exit devices should not have bottom rods, latches, or floor strikes.”
Is it a case of SHOULD NOT be installed, or NEED NOT be installed? In day-to-day security use it seems the bottom latch may be useful. What code states that they should not be installed?
Hi George –
You make a good point…for doors where security is an issue, bottom latches do provide an added measure of security if installed correctly. We don’t specify LBR devices for exterior doors or where a higher level of security is required. Since the doors in the photo are double egress doors, security isn’t an issue, so if LBR devices were specified and supplied and the auxiliary fire pin was installed, the bottom rods and latches should not / need not have been installed. It’s not a code issue…the codes don’t say that you can’t install both the bottom rods and the fire pin. It’s more of a product application/installation issue.
Thank you for your comment!
– Lori
Am I to understand that on doors indicating “to be equipped with fire exit hardware” that either svr/cvr or fire pin shall be installed??
Hi Adam –
If the door has that label, it is supposed to have fire exit hardware (any type – rim, mortise, v-rod). If LBR fire exit hardware is used, usually you need the auxiliary pin but it depends on the door manufacturer. Some of them have tested with LBR without the pin.
– Lori
Armor plates on the same side of a pair of double egress doors. Wouldn’t it be more functionally appropriate to have them on the push side of each door?
I usually put armor plates on both sides of both leaves on a double egress pair.
In the case of Sargent LP8600 series LBR device Auxillary fire pins would not be required?
This system employs a latch the projects into the other door whenever they are closed
Where exactly is the 6″ from the bottom of the door specified for mounting height? how flexible is this number? what if the the aux pin is 12″ from bottom of door?
Hi Keith –
The Von Duprin installation instructions show the pin installed at 6 inches above the bottom of the door: https://us.allegion.com/content/dam/allegion-us-2/web-documents-2/InstallInstructions/Von_Duprin_Auxiliary_Fire_Latch_for_LBR_LBL_Vertical_Exit_Devices_Installation_Instructions__103800.pdf. Other manufacturers may have a different location for the pin.
– Lori
Can this fire pin be a point of latching
Hi Frank –
The auxiliary fire pin does not project until there is a fire – it does not latch under normal operation. There are other products available that have multiple latches that are retracted by one releasing motion.
– Lori