Door Closer Startup Lifedoor Aims To Prevent Fire Deaths

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on Jan 24, 2018

A startup named Lifedoor has a device with one basic function: Close doors during a fire. Closing doors is so powerful, UL and FDNY Fire Chiefs say doing so could prevent fire deaths.

Device Shuts Doors During Fires

Lifedoor's basic purpose is to make sure a door is shut when smoke detectors alarm, with a small spring-loaded box that retrofits to existing hinges and is adhered to the door leaf using tape.

Doors remain manually openable and closeable as normal when Lifedoor is fitted, and only when triggered by audible alerts does the device operate:

The benefit Lifedoor provides is the automatic closure of doors during a fire, a measure commonly cited as a huge difference maker in occupant survivability during house and apartment fires.

But what are the shortcomings of Lifedoor, and can these be overcome? We examine the product inside.

* ******* **************** * ****** **** *** ***** ********: ***** ***** ****** a ****. ******* ***** ** ** ********,********* **** ********* ***** ** ***** ******* **** ******.

Device ***** ***** ****** *****

********'****** ******* ** ** **** **** * **** ** **** when ***** ********* *****, **** * ***** ******-****** *** **** retrofits ** ******** ****** *** ** ******* ** *** **** leaf ***** ****.

***** ****** ******** ******** *** ********* ** ****** **** ******** is ******, *** **** **** ********* ** ******* ****** **** the ****** *******:

*** ******* ******** ******** ** *** ********* ******* ** ***** during * ****, ******** ******** ***** ** * **** ********** ******* ******** ************* ****** ***** *** ********* *****.

*** **** *** *** ************ **********, *** *** ***** ** ********? ** ******* *** ******* inside.

[***************]

Lifedoor ******** *****

*** *******'* **** **** ***** ***** *** ** *** *********,******* **** *********, ********** ****** ********* ** * ****-** ****:

** ******** ** ********* **** *******, *** ****** **** ******* a *****, ***** **** ******* * ********** ****** *** ***** audible-triggered ***** ********* *** ****** ***** ****** * **** ** no ******** ** *******.

******** **** *** ** ********** ***** ****, ***** *********** ** activation, ********* ********* * ****** ********* ** **** ********.

*** ****** ** ******* ** *** ******** * * *********, which *** ******* ****** **** **** '*** ***** * *****' in * ****** *****. *** ******* ******** **** ** *** same **** ********* ********* ** ***** *********, *** * ******* maintenance ******** *** ** ******* ** ******** **** ***** ********* are *******.

Lifedoor *******

******* **** ** *** ** $***.**, ******** ******* ** *** yet *********. ******** **** ********** ****** ** ***** ** ** 2018, *** **** ** ********* ****** **** *** ******* **** released.

*******, *** ******* ** '**** ** *** ***********' *** ********* for ************, **** '*********** ******* *********' ********* ** *******.

'Universal' *********** ************

*************, ******** ****** '********* ********' ******* ******* ** ********* *****. First, *** *** ******** ** ******* ** ********* *****, **** Lifedoor **** ******* **** *** *** ** *** *****. *** Lifedoor *** *** * ***** ** ******-***** **** ***** ** pressed ***** **** *** **** ****, *** **** *** ******** is ********** ** **** *** ****** ** *****.

** *** *** ******, *** **** **** ** ******** ******, which **** *** ******** ******-****** *** ** **** ****** ***** to ******** ***** *** **** ****** **** ********. **** **** point, *** **** ** ******** ******** ****** ******* ***.

*** ************ ***** ** ******* ***** **** ************** **** *** have ******* **** ********, *** *** ****** ****** **** **** doors **** ****** *****. *******, ********** **** ** ***** **** wood ***** (*****), ** ****** **** **** * ******-***** ** non-removable *** *** *** ** ********** **** ********.

Closed ***** ******* **** ********

******** ********* *** **** **** **** ***** **** ***** ** a ****. *** ******* ** ********* ****** ****** ** *********** * *** '***** ****** *** ****' ****** media ******, ******* *** ********* ****-****** ******** ** ******** ******* ***** to ******* *********** *** **** **** * ***** ****'* ******. Of *** ******* ******, *** ****** *** *********** ********** ** a **** **** * ****** **** *** ** '*** *******' cooler:

*** ** ******** ***** **** ******** ** ****** ****** ***** in * ****, **** ** *** **** ****** ** *** a ***** **** **** *** ** * ******* ******-**** **** bedroom ** ****** ****. ***** ***:

  • ******** ***** **********: * ****** **** ******** *** ****** ** smoke ****** * ****, *********** ********** *** ******* *** ***** acting ** ******.
  • ***** ****: ***** **** ******* **** **********, *********** ******* ** from ********** ********* **** ** ***** ** *** * ******.
  • ******* ** ******: ****** ******** ** * *****, ************** ********* of **********, *** **** ***** **** **** ************** ****, ********** those *** ***** ** ****** **** * **** ******.
  • ****** **** ******: *******, ****** *****, **** *** ****-***** *****, can ** ******** ******** ** *** ****** ** ****.

***** *** ********** *********** *** ********** ** **, ******** ***** to ********** *** ***** *** ** *** '***** **** ****' ******.

Potential ********

*******, **** ********* ******** ********* ** *******, ***** ***** ** common ************* **** **** ** **** ********* *******:

  • ******* *****: ** ***** ** ******* ****, *** ***** **** of * **** **** ** **** **** ************. ****, *******, even ***** ***** *** ******* * **** **** ******** ****, and *** ******** *** ****** ********** ***** ** *** ******** closer **** *** ** ***** ****** ** ******** ****. ** order ** **** ** ********, ********** **** ********** **** ******** clear.
  • *** ******: ***** ******* **** **** ******* ** ***** ******* can ***** *** ******* ****** ** ** **** ******* *** difficult ** ****. ******** ******** ***** ********** ** ** '**** new' ******** *********, **** **** *** **** ** ********.
  • ******** ****** *********: *************, * **** **** *** ********** ********* egress. ***** *** * ************ *** ** ********, *********** ******** and ****** ***** *** *** ******** ******* ** **** *** in********** ***********.** **** *****,**** ************* **** ******** ** *** ****** **** ** **********, *** a ****** **** ******** *********** *********** ****** ** ******* *** door **** ** ** **** ** ******** ******* *** ********* egress **** ****** ******* *** **** *****.

Substitutes *** ***********

****** ************ ** ********, ** ** *****-********* '*********' **** ******, are *** ****** ** *** ****** *** ** *** *** aware ** * ******* ****** **** ****** ******* ** ********.

*******, ***** ***** *********** **** **** ********** ***** ******* **** form ** ********* ******* *********, ******* ** ****** ****** ****** or ** *******-******** **** ***** ****** ********* **** ** ***** by * ******* **** ** * ******** **** * ******** (low) ******* ***** **** ********* **** **** ***** **. ***** installations *** ******* *** ***** ******, *** ***** ****-****** **** be ************ ********* *** **-******** ** ********.

** *******, *********** '**** ******' ************ ******* ** ******* **** hinges **** ****** *** **** ************* ****** *** *** ****, not **** **** **** ** *******. *** * ****** ** reasons **** *******, **** *******, ** ******** ***********, '****** ****' doors *** *** ** ***** ** * *****.

******** **** ****** ****** ****** *** *** *********, ******* ******* for premature *********** ******** ** ******** ******. ******** ******** ** *** 'self-closing' ******* ** **** ******* ***** ************* **** ***** ********* trigger, ******* **** ***** ******** ** ****** *** **** ** the ****.

No **** ********** ***

********** *********** ** ******* ********* ***** ******** *****. ***** *** the ****** *** ******** ** ************* *** ****** *** ** worked ***, **** ******* ** ******** ******** *****. ***** *********** and ****** ** ***** ** *** **, *** ******* *** yet **** ******** ******** *** ***** ******** ************.

Vote / ****

Comments (5)

Undisclosed #1

01/26/18 04:21pm

** *** *** ** **** *** **** **** *** ****** door, **** ** ****** ***?

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 01/26/18 04:25pm

**, *** ************ *** *********** *** ****** ***** ** ***** the **** ******, *** *** ****** ***** ********** ******* ** keep *** **** **** ** ********** ** **** **.

Undisclosed #1

01/26/18 11:36am

**** ** *** ***** ***** *******, **** ********?

** *** ****, *** ** ***** ** ** ********* **** multiple *******.

***** *** ***** *** ********** ******* ** **** *** *** open ********?

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 01/26/18 11:48am

** *** ****, *** ** ***** ** ** ********* **** multiple *******.

****'* * ****** *** ****** ** ********. $*** - $*** per ****!

** ** * **** **** ****** *** ****-******* ***** (**** hospital ********) **** ******** *** ****** **** ***** ** ********. So ** ******** * ******* ********, *** *** **** ** not ****** ********, ** ** **** **** ***** ****.

**** **** ******** ** ******** ***** ******** ***, ** ** very ****** ***** ** ** ******** ***** ** ***** ** similar ********.

Thumbnail dsc 0009

William Buckley

01/29/18 11:53pm

***** *****,

**** ** * ***** ******* ** * ******** ************ ** saving *****! ******* ********* ** ********** ** ** ********* **** Lifedoor. ***** **** ** - ***** ****** *******, * ** sure ******** **** ********** ****** ** ****** ** * ***** detector.

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