Door Controls
171 products
Door controls are the sensors and switches that open automatic doors and keep people safe in the doorway. Protec Controls carries BEA, Seco-Larm, EMX, Hotron, Optex, Miller Edge and Bircher products, including microwave motion sensors, infrared presence sensors, dual tech sensors, touchless switches, wireless push plates, laser scanners for industrial doors, logic modules and electromagnetic locks.
How to Choose an Automatic Door Sensor
Motion vs. Presence Sensing
A motion sensor, usually microwave, detects someone walking toward the door and sends the open signal. A presence sensor, usually active infrared, sees a person standing still in the door path and holds the door open. Dual tech sensors like the BEA IXIO-DT1 and IS40 do both from one header-mounted unit.
Match the Door Type
- Sliding doors: a dual tech sensor over each side of the opening.
- Swing doors: door-mounted presence sensors, such as the BEA LZR-FLATSCAN, watch the swing path.
- Industrial and high-speed doors: high-mount microwave sensors or laser scanners like the BEA LZR-WIDESCAN.
- Low headers: pick a model listed for low mounting, like the BEA Falcon XL.
Know the Standards
Full-power automatic pedestrian doors in the US fall under ANSI/BHMA A156.10, which calls for activation and safety sensing. Low-energy swing doors, opened by a push plate or wave switch, fall under ANSI/BHMA A156.19. When you replace a sensor, keep the door in line with the standard it was installed under.
Push Plates and Touchless Switches
Wireless push plates save cutting walls for wire. Touchless wave-to-open switches from BEA and Seco-Larm sense a hand a few inches away, and some include a manual override button. For locked doors, pair the operator with magnetic locks and access control.
Common Questions
Why does my automatic door open by itself?
Most often the motion sensor field is too large or picks up traffic passing the door. Narrow the field or lower the sensitivity. On outdoor sensors, rain can also cause false opens, and a rain cover helps.
Can these sensors be used on gates?
Some can. Vehicle presence sensors like the Optex OVS-01GT and the BEA EVOLOOP detect vehicles at gates and barriers. Loop-based options are in vehicle detection.
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