Magnetic Lock (Maglock) Installation & Repair

Yes — with conditions, and the conditions are the whole job. Because a maglock has no mechanical release, NYC code allows it on egress doors only when free egress is guaranteed: a sensor or exit device on the inside that releases the lock, and a tie-in that drops the magnet automatically when the fire alarm activates. A maglock wired to a keypad with no REX sensor and no fire alarm release is the kind of install that fails an FDNY inspection and creates real liability. We install to the code-compliant configuration by default and we retrofit plenty of maglocks that someone else installed bare.

The magnet releases and the door is unlocked — every maglock is fail-safe, that's inherent to the technology. That's why we install battery-backed power supplies on every job: normal utility blips and brief outages won't unlock your building. The batteries carry the lock for hours, not days, so for a door that must stay secured through extended outages we'll either add a mechanical deadlatch or storefront lock as a nighttime backstop, or recommend fail-secure hardware like an electric strike instead. What we will never do is defeat the fire-alarm release to keep a door locked — that part stays fail-safe no matter what.

It depends on the door and on what you need during a power failure. A maglock is fail-safe (power loss = unlocked), works on almost any door regardless of alignment, and is the practical choice for glass and aluminum storefront doors. An electric strike works with your existing latch, can be fail-secure (power loss = still locked), and leaves the door usable with a key like a normal door. Rough rule for NYC buildings: strikes on interior doors and doors with good latching hardware, maglocks on storefronts, gates, and problem doors. We install both daily and will tell you on-site which one your specific door wants.

Yes — that tie-in is a standard part of our maglock installs, not an extra. If your building has a fire alarm panel, we land a relay so alarm activation cuts power to the magnet instantly, which is what NYC code requires for maglocks on egress doors. Where the panel is maintained by an alarm company under contract, we coordinate with them so the relay is added cleanly and their monitoring isn't disturbed. If the building has no alarm panel at all, we'll tell you honestly what your code-compliant options are for that door rather than installing something that can't pass inspection.

A straightforward single door — magnet, brackets, REX sensor, exit button, power supply, and clean wire runs — is typically done in one visit. Add a fire alarm tie-in, a card reader or intercom release, or a double-door pair and it can extend, mostly on the wiring paths: fishing low-voltage through a finished lobby ceiling takes longer than running it through a back-of-house wall. We give you a realistic window after the site survey instead of quoting a fantasy number over the phone, and because we're open 24/7 we can schedule installs outside your business hours so the entrance is never blocked during the day.

The usual suspects, roughly in order: a power supply whose backup battery has died and can no longer smooth out voltage dips; a REX motion sensor aimed too wide so lobby foot traffic or even HVAC-blown signage trips it; corrosion or grime on the armature plate breaking full-face contact and gutting the holding force; or a loose low-voltage splice that opens intermittently. All of these are diagnosable in one service visit with a meter and a pull test. What you shouldn't do is let a flaky maglock ride — a door that's randomly unlocked is worse than no lock, because everyone believes it's secured.