Electric strikes equip side gates, building doors and intercom-controlled entrances: on a pulse, they release the latch and the door opens. When one jams, the whole entrance is paralysed.
Diagnose with three tests
- The strike buzzes but does not release: the latch is pressing too hard on the keeper — a warped, swollen or misadjusted door. Push the door closed during the pulse: if it opens, the problem is mechanical.
- The strike stays silent: check the power supply (usually a 12 V transformer) and the release button; a multimeter across the terminals during the pulse settles whether it is an electrical or strike fault.
- The strike releases but the door will not open: keeper plate misaligned after the door or post has dropped.
The solutions case by case
- Adjusting the keeper and faceplate (a few millimetres of play to restore)
- Cleaning and dry-lubricating the mechanism, weather-exposed on an outdoor gate
- Replacing the transformer or oxidised wiring
- Replacing the strike: choose a hold-open or fail-secure model to suit the use, and a weatherproof version outdoors
Our technicians' advice
A strike that has been "forcing" for months also wears the lock and latch. Fixing the door's alignment together with the strike prevents recurrence. Our teams repair strikes, intercoms and access control throughout Île-de-France, 24/7 for blocked entrances.