Access control systems rarely fail with a bang. They fail quietly: a maglock that holds with half its rated force, a backup battery that died months ago, an exit button that sticks on the third press. Nobody notices until the day it matters. The fix is a short, repeatable test routine, and ten minutes a month per door is genuinely all it takes. Here is the checklist we recommend to facilities managers and installers alike.
The ten-minute monthly checklist
- Check the door closes and locks fully. Let the door swing shut from halfway open under its closer alone. It should close completely and lock without a push. A door that needs helping home will eventually be left ajar, and no access control system can secure an open door.
- Test every entry method. Enter a valid code, present a fob or card, and try each reader if there is more than one. Test a known-invalid credential too; a reader that accepts anything is a worse failure than one that accepts nothing. If fobs are becoming unreliable across the board, the reader itself may be due for replacement from our fob and card entry range.
- Press the exit button and confirm a clean release. The lock should release instantly, hold released long enough to open the door comfortably, then re-secure once the door closes. Sticking, delayed or intermittent release means the button is wearing out; swapping in a new unit from our exit buttons range is a five-minute job.
- Test the emergency release where fitted. Resettable break glass call points are designed to be tested: operate the unit, confirm the lock releases immediately, then reset it with the tool provided. Never skip this one; it is the device that matters most and gets tested least.
- Inspect the maglock and armature faces. Contact surfaces should be clean, dry and free of grit, paint or corrosion, and the armature should meet the magnet flat and square. Wipe both faces and check the armature still has a little float on its fixing so it can self-align. A magnet that hums, or a door that pulls open with modest force, points to contamination, misalignment or low voltage; if the lock itself has degraded, see our maglocks and door magnets range for a like-for-like replacement.
- Check the power supply. Open the PSU enclosure and confirm the indicator lights show normal mains and charge status. If it is safe to do so and the door is attended, briefly isolate the mains and confirm the system carries on running on battery, then restore power and check the charge light returns. Batteries are consumables; a unit that drops the lock the moment mains disappears needs a new battery or, if the charger circuit has failed, a replacement from our power supplies range.
What each symptom points to
- Door secure but weak hold: dirty or misaligned contact faces, or supply voltage sagging under load.
- Entry works, exit does not: failing exit button or a broken run of cable on the secure side.
- Everything dead: PSU failure, tripped supply or blown fuse; start at the power supply and work outwards.
- Intermittent faults after rain: water ingress into an external device or junction; find and reseal before it corrodes further.
- Random lockouts or ghost releases: chafed cable, loose terminal or a failing controller; do not ignore these, they get worse.
Log it, every time
Write down the date, the door, what you tested and what you found, even when everything passes. A simple log turns your ten minutes into evidence: it demonstrates the emergency release has been tested regularly, supports the review process for your premises (your fire risk assessment governs escape routes and will expect exit provisions to work), and gives an installer a fault history instead of a shrug when something does need attention. A ring binder by the PSU or a shared spreadsheet both work; the habit matters more than the format.
Found a weak link during your test? Replace it this week, not after it fails on a Friday night. Our complete locking kits and keypads ship with free next-day UK delivery when ordered before 4pm. Email hello@securemydoor.co.uk for free advice, 7 days a week.