Door will not unlock? We fix the chain from card to lock.
The reader beeps green but the door stays shut, the strike will not release, or the maglock stays engaged. We test every layer in order and repair the one that broke.
The reader accepts the card, but nothing happens at the lock. The panel is not firing the output, the strike has died, or the wiring between them is broken. Most of these are a dead strike.
Green light, door stays shut
The reader accepts the card, but nothing happens at the lock. The panel is not firing the output, the strike has died, or the wiring between them is broken. Most of these are a dead strike.
Reader does nothing
No beep, no light. The reader lost power, lost its link to the panel, or died. A separate repair from the lock side.
Red light, access denied
The card is being rejected. It was removed from the system, its dates expired, a schedule blocks it, or it has no permission for this door. A fast check in the software.
One door only
One door stopped responding while the rest of the system works. A door-level repair: the strike, the panel output for that door, or the wiring back to the panel.
Every door at once
Nothing opens anywhere. The panel is offline, the server lost contact, or power to the access control system was cut. A priority call.
Opens, then relocks too fast
The strike fires, then locks again before you can push the door. The unlock time is set too short, or the release signal pulses instead of holding. A settings fix in most cases.
The six common culprits, in the order we check them.
The path from card to open door has six places it can break. We work through them from most common to rare.
Dead electric strike or maglock
The lock hardware failed. A burned-out strike coil, a maglock that lost its hold, or a broken mount. The most common cause of a green light with no open door. A clean part swap in most cases.
Lock power supply failure
The access control power supply died or is browning out. Groups of doors fail together, because multi-door panels often share a supply. We confirm it with a meter at the panel.
Bad output on the panel
One output on the panel board failed. The reader is fine and the lock is fine, but the panel does not send the signal. Sometimes repairable at the board, more often a board replacement for that door.
Stuck exit sensor
The motion sensor or push button that lets people out is stuck on. The panel sees the door as held open and stops working normally. We replace or recalibrate the sensor.
Card or permission problem
The card is not in the system, was removed, expired, or has no permission for this door. A fix in the software. We can handle card administration if you do not have the staff.
Wiring fault between reader and panel
The run between the reader and the panel corroded, broke or shorted. It causes intermittent or complete loss of contact. We trace it and repair it at the fault.
Door stuck locked, or stuck open?
Both are priority calls. A door stuck locked keeps people out. A door that will not latch leaves the building open. Call and we tell you how to keep it safe until we arrive.
You do not need the original installer.
Most door calls are on systems installed by companies long gone. We identify the panel, recover admin access, and repair both the panel side and the lock side.
The panel and reader side
Every common access control brand across NYC. Plus proprietary panels and Wiegand-era readers from installers who are no longer around.
The lock side
The strike, maglock or exit device that holds the door is what most of these calls turn out to be. We carry the common strikes and maglocks and fix the lock side in the same visit as the panel side.
We repair the part that failed, not the whole system.
When we repair
A dead strike is a strike replacement. A bad panel output is often a board swap. A card problem is a settings fix. Each failure gets a targeted repair, and we do not replace the whole system when one piece broke.
When we recommend replacing
The panel is a dead model with no parts, the lock hardware is at end of life with no parts left, or you were already planning an upgrade. Then we lay out the upgrade path with honest trade-offs.
Explore access control installation →How a door call goes.
Four steps, and we test the path from card to open door before we leave.
Phone triage
One door or several, green light or red or nothing, how many people are affected, and when it started. Five minutes on the phone narrows the failure.
On-site chain test
We present a card and watch each layer: reader light, signal to the panel, panel output, lock response, door swing. The first 15 minutes finds the layer that broke.
Fix, or part on order
Common strikes, maglocks, exit devices and boards for popular brands are same-visit. Specialty parts get a firm order date, and we leave the door in a safe state while we wait.
Test every scenario
The card reads, the panel fires, the door opens and locks again, the exit works, and the software shows the event. Written summary for your records.
Door will not unlock FAQ.
Door stuck? Pick the fastest way to reach us.
Talk to a technician and get an honest arrival window.
SEND A PHOTOText 646-838-2300A photo of the door hardware and the reader speeds up the fix.
NOT URGENTRequest a quoteDescribe the system and we will come back with a clear plan.