Coverage across Somerset
Not every part of Somerset is easy to reach, and some sites need planning around access, parking or opening hours. We take that into account when arranging fire door hold-open devices, and the engineer, working under our management, arrives with what the job is likely to need. The towns below, 11 in all, each have their own page, but any address in the area can be covered.
Towns listed in Somerset: Bath, Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Yeovil, Bridgwater, Portishead, Frome, Burnham-on-Sea, Clevedon, Nailsea, Keynsham.
What to think about for fire door hold-open devices in Somerset
- Background noise matters for acoustic units. Kitchens, plant areas and busy receptions may be too loud for a unit that listens for the alarm, so a wired or radio device is often better there.
- Residential blocks often have communal corridor doors that residents prop open. Hold-open devices give the same convenience while letting the doors close when the alarm sounds.
- Listed buildings and conservation areas can make new cable runs difficult. Radio-triggered battery units avoid most wiring, although the transmitter still needs a connection at the alarm panel.
- Hard-wired magnets need a power supply near each door. In buildings in Somerset where that is awkward, battery units avoid running new cables along finished corridors.
- Schools and colleges in Somerset may want hold-open devices fitted during the holidays so corridors are not disrupted in term time. Fitting can be planned around term dates.
Fire door hold-open devices in Somerset: guide prices
The site survey is free, including the measured drawing and a fixed, itemised written quote. Guide price: from £145 ex VAT.
| Item | Guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Battery acoustic hold-open unit | £145 – £295 | per door, fitted, ex VAT |
| Hard-wired hold-open magnet linked to the fire alarm | £245 – £595 | per door, ex VAT; alarm panel work extra |
| Free-swing door closer linked to the fire alarm | £395 – £895 | per door, fitted, ex VAT |
Which hold-open device is suitable depends on your fire risk assessment. Linking to the fire alarm may need work by your alarm engineer.
Standards and rules in England
Fire doors that are held open must close automatically when the fire alarm operates. Where hold-open devices can be used is decided by the fire risk assessment, which is the job of the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Hold-open devices and door release units linked to the fire alarm need regular testing as part of the building’s fire safety checks, and the results should be recorded.
Workplace law (the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992) expects powered doors to have suitable and effective features to stop them trapping anyone and, where needed for safety, to open by hand unless they open automatically if the power fails. Doors at work must also be kept in efficient working order under a suitable system of maintenance.
How it works
- Start with a short enquiry. Use the form, phone or email. Tell us whether the work is a new door, an upgrade or an opener for a home, and we arrange the next step for your site in Somerset.
- Measured survey. The free survey confirms what will fit and what the entrance needs: opening width, door type, activation, safety sensors and behaviour on power loss or fire alarm, matched to how the building is used.
- Written price, no surprises. A fixed, itemised quote sets out the specification, the work involved, the expected lead time and the warranty terms. You can ask questions or change the specification before accepting it.
- Installed and commissioned. The door is installed with as little disruption as possible, then set up and tested for its hazard zones. Before leaving, the engineer explains the controls and hands over the documents for your records.
Tell us about the fire doors that cause problems in Somerset. We will survey them free of charge and explain which hold-open options your alarm can support.
Fire door hold-open devices in Somerset: questions
Do care homes in Somerset use free-swing closers?
Many do. A free-swing closer lets residents open their bedroom door without pushing against a closer, and it still shuts the door when the fire alarm operates. Whether it suits each room depends on the home's fire risk assessment and evacuation strategy, which we read before recommending any device.
Can you give me a price for fire door hold-open devices in Somerset?
Our guide starts from £145 excluding VAT (per door), the same guide price we use across the UK. The free site survey in Somerset confirms the price as a fixed, itemised written quote, and the guide price tool gives you a range before anyone visits.
Are battery hold-open units a good choice for older buildings in Somerset?
Often they are. Radio and acoustic battery units avoid long cable runs, which helps in older or listed buildings and finished corridors. Acoustic units are only suitable where the fire risk assessment allows them and the alarm can be heard clearly at the door. Batteries need replacing at the interval the maker states.
Which doors in my building in Somerset can be held open?
That is decided by the fire risk assessment for the building, not by the installer. Many corridor, lounge and office doors can be held open on a device that releases on the alarm, while some stair and escape route doors cannot. If the assessment is unclear, check with your assessor before we finalise the quote.
Can automatic doors be fitted to a listed building in Somerset?
Often, yes, but listed building consent is normally needed for changes that affect the character of the building, inside or out. Slim operators, concealed fixings and automating the existing door can all reduce the visual impact. Speak to the conservation officer at the local planning authority early; we can provide drawings and specifications to help.
Do I need permission from a landlord or the council before work in Somerset?
It depends on the building. Tenants usually need the landlord's written consent before changing an entrance, and some changes to a shopfront or external door need planning permission. The survey notes anything that may need consent. We can supply drawings and product details to support an application, but the owner or tenant makes it.
Do businesses in Somerset have to fit automatic doors?
No law says every building must have automatic doors. Under the Equality Act 2010, service providers and employers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and building regulations guidance in England calls for a powered door where an entrance door would otherwise be too heavy to open. An automatic door is often the simplest way to meet both.