Steve Kew, Sales Manager at Geofire, introduces the Agrippa Wire-Free Door Closer, a battery powered fire-safety solution which is proving to be a popular choice for residential care homes.
The Geofire Agrippa wire-free firedoor closer is proving very popular in the market as installers and end users are discovering the significant benefits that come with the product’s next generation technology.
The acoustic door closer uniquely ‘listens and learns’ the sound of a building’s specific fire alarm, closing the door in the event of a fire evacuation. This ensures the trigger only reacts to the precise sound of the fire alarm rather than an extraneous loud noise, so false activations are virtually eliminated.
“The Agrippa door closers are ideal as they make heavy fire doors feel light and easy to move and so residents can have their door held open at any position.”
Unlike traditional hard wired closers, the Agrippa closer is battery powered and wire-free so there is no need for any major disruption to a building or its occupants during installation.
Mike Hinton at Ideal Home said: “The residents were trying to wedge open the doors at the home as they prefer to have their doors half open. The Agrippa door closers are ideal as they make heavy fire doors feel light and easy to move and so residents can have their door held open at any position.”
The closer complies with the Building Regulations Approved Document M Section 3.10 Parts K & L which state that all doors with electromagnetic devices installed should self-close when activated by the fire alarm, when the power supply fails or by a hand operated switch.
A property manager at one of the UK’s leading independent providers of specialist support and education for young people and adults with learning disabilities was having trouble when an alternative solution was damaging the home’s doors and flooring. The Agrippa fire door closer provided the perfect solution as it is easily retro-fitted to the top of any fire door.
Nick Miles, a building contractor who was contacted to install the Agrippa fire door closers said: “We have installed over 60 Agrippa fire door closers into three sites so far. The closers make the door light and easy to handle and the fact that they are wire-free means we can complete the installation with minimal disruption to the homes or residents. Additionally, the ‘learning’ of the specific fire alarm means that they work perfectly with the alarm bells and there have been no false closures due to loud noises.”
Easy install
Acoustic fire door closers and holders are seen as a very cost effective solution where more complex systems are not required. The devices are hygienically positioned at the top of the door which also prevents damage to the floor. The ‘plug and play’ type solutions eliminate the serious threat of doors being wedged open, a persistent problem that provides no protection in the event of a fire.
The Agrippa closer is swing-free, making the door light and easy to handle, has an adjustable closing speed, a holding angle of 65-105 degrees and can be programmed for daily release. It only requires two C cell batteries (which last for 12 months). Approved to EN1155, EN1154 and CE marked, other features include a seven segment LED display, manual release button and a low battery warning display.
The Agrippa door closer has been designed to meet the needs of sectors including care homes, schools, hospitals and hotels, where being able to hold open fire doors at certain times of the day is necessary, whilst ensuring they are closed in the event of a fire alarm sounding.
The closer is part of the Agrippa suite of products, which also includes an acoustically triggered fire door holder and pillow fire alarm. Geofire specialises in the manufacture of a wide range of electromagnetic door holders and other activation devices used widely as part of fire, security or ventilation systems.
