Over the last few weeks I have spent a lot of time in airports, and I saw several family restroom applications “in the wild.” In the Minneapolis airport I was very excited to find family restroom doors equipped with automatic operators and an electrified locking system for privacy (I wrote about this type of system a few years back).
From the outside it is evident whether the restroom is in use or not:
On the inside, there are instructions on the wall – including braille, for locking and unlocking/opening the door. The electric strike prevents access from the outside when the “push to lock” button is pushed, and allows the automatic operator to open the door when the “push to exit” button is pushed. The door can also be opened manually for egress by turning the lever, and in that case, the system will reset to unlocked with the lights returning to green.
Here’s a short video of the system in action:
The same type of system is used on the airport’s lactation rooms (I wrote about lactation rooms here and here):
And while passing through the DFW airport, I saw this family restroom with an indicator lock. This is a good reminder that beginning with the 2021 edition of the International Building Code (IBC), indicators will be required by code for family and assisted use toilet and bathing rooms (more on that change here).
If you see an interesting application in the wild, send it along! The photo submission page is on the Tools menu above^.
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Lori, I thought you may have been in Canada prior to reading that they were two US cities. Great news that we are catching up with the times. I see hundreds of doors that have a handicap indication at the entrance and have no way to enter the door. I also appreciate the ramps that are built only to lead to a door that can’t be opened. It is time to add auto-operators on all entrances to buildings and restrooms
Hi Steve –
We’re making a little progress, at least. The 2021 IBC requires accessible public entrances for certain types of buildings to have automatic operators on at least one door or one set of doors (exterior and vestibule). There’s more info on that change here: https://idighardware.com/2021/09/decoded-automatic-operators-on-accessible-public-entrances/.
– Lori
Lori,
We just completed a conversion to a portable building restroom that was changed from a multi-stall to a single-user restroom. The existing door had a typically keyed lockset that we needed to add access to for a teacher using a wheelchair with limited mobility. We started by using an auto operator with an electric strike and wireless keyfob for that teacher and an exterior keypad for others. We then needed to provide a means of locking the access to the keyfob or keypad once someone was in the restroom. Using a similar push-to lock button on the interior that, once pushed, would light an exterior in use light and lock out all electronic exterior access but still have a limited use emergency key to operate the lockset in emergencies. Then to provide egress from the inside, we install a wave to exit, a non-contact type switch to activate the operator, or, if able, one could manually use the panic device to exit. It was all done as a retro to this existing restroom, so it was not as fancy as the one in your photos, but it did make all the parties it was done for very pleased with how it all worked. I am sure we will be seeing more and more of this type of controlled access and electronic locking in the near future.
Hi James –
It sounds like you figured out all of the parts and pieces – great job! 🙂
Did you use a restroom kit or other type of controller to make everything work together?
– Lori
I have several similar configurations except I use an electrified lock and electric strike. The e-lock is unlocked so that the door can be used normally without the A/O. The e-lock and strike are locked while occupied.
Hi Lori,
We are looking at a job like this and wanted to know a little more about the manual operation side of this automatic operator bathroom system. If the door is opened manually from the inside, what deactivates the interior locked button and puts the room in an unlocked state? Also, with a storeroom lock in this situation, is there any way to get in manually from the outside unless you use the actuator?
Hi Elizabeth –
If the room is not occupied, the electric strike would allow someone to push the door into the restroom without turning the (always locked) lever handle. Once inside, pushing the button the wall will secure the electric strike keeper, so no one else can enter. A switch that breaks contact when the door is opened from the inside will reset the system.
– Lori
Hi Lori,
The idea of this system is great! I was wondering what is being used to reset the system to unlocked, with the lights returning to green, when the door is manually opened from the inside?
Hi Elizabeth –
I’m not sure which type of switch they are using but it could be a door position switch, a request-to-exit switch in the lever, or a monitor switch in the strike.
– Lori