There have been quite a few advancements in electromechanical locks in the last decade, namely in wireless locks.  Wireless locks are a hot commodity these days as they cut down on one of the major hassles of installing an access control system – wiring.

Why Do People Want Wireless Locks on Exterior Doors?

Most access control systems are installed on existing buildings.  This presents a unique set of challenges when it comes to running the wiring from the locks to the control room.  The control room is often located floors (if not buildings) away, creating the need to run wires through walls, ceilings, or underground.  This cost adds up quickly.  While a wireless lock can sometimes be almost twice the cost of a hardwired lock, the overall cost once you take wiring into account is far less.

Another reason people like wireless locks is because the card reader is built into the lock, negating the need to have a separate card reader affixed to the building.  This gives a cleaner look to the opening.

What Issues Do Wireless Locks on Exterior Doors Present?

With all of the benefits of wireless locks come a few drawbacks.

Battery Life

Wireless locks are not powered by the grid; they run off of batteries.  As such, they are set to “talk back” to the host at an interval set by you.  The more often it checks back, the faster the battery will drain meaning you will be spending a lot of time replacing batteries.  Also, if you have a lot of card reads per day, the battery will drain very quickly.

Inability to Lock Down

Because the lock is not always communicating with the host, it is not always possible to immediately go into lockdown.  The lockdown capabilities will vary depending on the type of wireless locks you have installed.

Hard to Meet Life-Safety Requirements

Due to the fact that there are very few wireless exit devices, it can be difficult to meet life safety requirements.  In order to electrify exit devices, many people end up using electrified trim.

Moreover, installing electrified trim, specifically on fire-rated doors, presents a unique set of challenges in maintaining the door’s fire rating.  Check out this post where we discuss the differences between electric strikes and electric locks on fire-rated doors.

Installation – Distance Requirements & Chatter

There are two types of wireless locks: one kind talks to hubs that are hardwired back to the host, and the other uses a wireless signal to talk directly back to the host.

The kind of wireless locks that talk back to hubs require hubs to be installed within a certain proximity of the lock.  Depending on the layout of the building, this can present challenges.

The kind of wireless locks that talk back directly to the host are more susceptible to both wireless chatter and security breaches.

What Are The Recommendations?

Despite these drawbacks, wireless locks are an excellent product when installed for the proper application.  It is not our recommendation to install them on exterior doors, but rather, to install hardwired locks on exterior doors and wireless locks on interior doors.  There are a number of different product lines that will aesthetically blend together making everything look uniform.

If you have any questions or need assistance selecting the product that is best for you, let us know.  We’re happy to help.