Common Problems With Electric Strike vs Magnetic Lock
Electric strikes and magnetic locks are the two most common electrically operated access control devices found on commercial and residential doors across the US and Canada, and understanding how each system fails is essential for building managers, security integrators, and property owners who depend on them daily. Both technologies serve the same broad purpose — controlling who passes through a door — but their operating principles, failure modes, and maintenance requirements differ in ways that directly affect security, life safety, and service costs. This article examines how each device works, the problems that occur most frequently in the field, the risks those problems create, and when professional locksmith service is the right call.
Common Problems With Electric Strike vs Magnetic Lock Overview
An electric strike replaces a standard door strike plate and contains a pivoting or retracting keeper that releases when voltage is applied, allowing a spring-latch or deadlatch to pass freely. In the default unpowered state, most electric strikes are fail-secure — the keeper locks the latch in place and the door cannot be opened from outside without a credential. Some models are wired fail-safe, meaning they release when power is cut, which is required on egress paths in many jurisdictions. The mechanical interaction between latch and keeper means electric strikes depend heavily on door alignment, gap tolerances, and latch condition.
A magnetic lock, often called a maglock, is a surface-mounted electromagnet paired with a steel armature plate on the door. When energized, the magnet holds the door closed with a rated holding force typically between 600 lb and 1,200 lb for single doors. Maglocks are inherently fail-safe — power loss equals door release — which makes them common on fire egress doors but requires an uninterruptible power supply or battery backup if continuous security is needed during outages. Because there are no moving mechanical parts, maglocks avoid several categories of wear-related failure but introduce a distinct set of electrical and alignment problems.
Field technicians consistently report that the two devices fail in fundamentally different ways. Electric strike problems tend to be mechanical or related to door hardware misalignment, while magnetic lock issues lean toward electrical supply, surface contact, and firmware or controller faults. Recognizing which category a problem falls into narrows diagnosis time and reduces unnecessary part replacement.
Key Factors
Door alignment is the single largest contributor to electric strike problems. When a door sags, shifts seasonally, or was hung improperly, the latch stops presenting squarely to the strike keeper. The keeper may fail to release cleanly even when the solenoid fires, leaving users pulling on a door that has technically unlocked but will not open. Conversely, a misaligned door can cause the latch to ride on top of the keeper, preventing re-latching and leaving the door unsecured. Strike manufacturers allow only a few millimeters of latch-to-keeper misalignment before reliable operation degrades.
Voltage and current supply affect both device types but in different ways. Electric strikes draw a brief inrush current at actuation — typically 0.5 A to 1.5 A at 12 VDC or 24 VDC — and then drop to a holding current if they are designed to remain energized. Undersized wire runs, corroded terminals, or shared circuits that drop voltage under load can prevent the solenoid from generating enough force to move the keeper. Maglocks require steady, clean DC power throughout the hold cycle. Voltage fluctuations, ripple from an unfiltered power supply, or a failing rectifier reduce holding force in proportion to the voltage drop, sometimes to the point where a firm pull opens a door that should withstand hundreds of pounds of force.
Moisture and temperature cycling affect the two technologies differently. Electric strikes have a solenoid coil and a mechanical keeper, both of which can corrode or seize in humid or coastal environments. Magnetic locks develop an insulating film of oxidation or debris on the armature surface, which dramatically reduces the effective contact area and holding force even when the coil is fully energized. Outdoor maglocks require weatherproof housings and armature plates with corrosion-resistant finishes; installations that lack these components often degrade within one to two years in wet climates.
Access control system compatibility is another key factor. Electric strikes can often be driven directly from a basic two-wire relay output, making them compatible with a wide range of older controllers. Maglocks typically require a suppression diode in the circuit to protect the controller from the voltage spike generated when the electromagnetic field collapses on power removal. Missing or failed suppression components can damage controller boards over time, causing intermittent or complete system failures that appear unrelated to the lock itself. When a maglock installation loses reliable communication with its controller, the suppression circuit should be among the first things inspected.
Costs and Risks
The financial exposure from electric strike failures generally comes from two directions: emergency service calls and unauthorized access liability. A strike that fails in the locked position during business hours forces staff to manually manage access or prop the door open — both of which create operational disruption and potential security gaps. A strike that fails open leaves a facility unsecured until a technician arrives. After-hours emergency locksmith response for access control hardware in most US and Canadian markets carries a service call fee in addition to parts and labor.
Average: $150 · Range: $95–$275 · Travel: free in service area. These figures cover a standard electric strike diagnostic visit and minor adjustment or solenoid replacement. More complex repairs involving door frame modification, new mortise strike installation, or access controller reprogramming carry higher labor costs. Parts for name-brand electric strikes from manufacturers such as HES locks, Folger Adam, and SDC typically range from $40 to $180 depending on the model and fail-safe or fail-secure designation.
Magnetic lock failures introduce a different risk profile. Because a maglock failure almost always means the door releases — the fail-safe default — the immediate security consequence is an unsecured opening. In a data center, pharmacy, or multi-tenant building, even a brief unsecured period can have legal and insurance implications. Power supply replacement or battery backup installation runs higher than a basic electric strike repair: Average: $200 · Range: $120–$400 · Travel: free in service area. Lock-side armature realignment or surface cleaning is less expensive but often overlooked until holding force has dropped enough to cause an incident.
Beyond direct repair costs, both device types carry code compliance risks when maintained improperly. Electric strikes on fire-rated door assemblies must be listed for use with that assembly and must not compromise the fire rating. Maglocks on egress paths in most US jurisdictions must comply with NFPA 101 and local amendments, typically requiring a push-to-exit button, motion sensor, or door position switch to release the lock independently of the access control system. An installation that lacks these components is non-compliant regardless of how reliably the hardware functions, and correcting it after the fact involves both hardware and programming costs.
When to Call a Locksmith
Several conditions in electric strike systems warrant a professional service call rather than an in-house adjustment attempt. If the solenoid clicks audibly but the door does not release, the problem is almost certainly mechanical — keeper misalignment, a worn latch face, or a bent strike housing — and forcing the door risks damaging the latch bolt, the strike, or the door frame. A qualified locksmith can measure latch projection and strike depth, identify whether the door needs shimming or the strike needs repositioning, and carry out the work without voiding the product warranty or compromising the fire rating of the assembly.
Intermittent electric strike operation is another clear signal for professional diagnosis. Intermittent faults are difficult to reproduce and can stem from loose wire terminations, a failing solenoid coil with an internal short that appears only when hot, or a controller relay that is beginning to fail. Without the right test equipment — a multimeter, a DC clamp meter, and a controller diagnostic port — chasing an intermittent fault can consume hours without resolution. Locksmiths who specialize in access control carry the tools and reference wiring diagrams to isolate the fault systematically.
For magnetic locks, a professional call is appropriate when the door opens with noticeably less force than it did during commissioning, when the power supply LED indicators show abnormal states, or when the door fails to lock reliably after closing. These symptoms often point to armature surface contamination, a dropping power supply, or a door gap that has grown beyond the lock’s working tolerance. Each of these conditions has a defined corrective procedure, but performing it correctly — especially calibrating the door gap to manufacturer specification — requires experience with the specific product line.
Any situation involving life safety compliance should always involve a licensed professional. If a maglock on an egress door is releasing slowly, not releasing at all during a fire alarm test, or the request-to-exit sensor is not functioning, the building may be out of compliance with local fire code. A locksmith with access control certification can audit the installation against applicable code, document the findings, and perform the corrections in a way that produces a record for the authority having jurisdiction.
Recommended Next Steps
For facilities currently experiencing electric strike problems, the first practical step is to document the failure pattern before calling for service. Note whether the failure is consistent or intermittent, whether it affects the strike in one direction only — failing locked versus failing open — and whether it correlates with temperature, time of day, or specific credential types. This information shortens the diagnostic visit and reduces labor costs. If the facility has access to controller event logs, exporting the log covering the period when failures occurred gives the technician a significant head start.
For magnetic lock issues, checking the power supply output voltage with a multimeter is a low-skill preliminary step that any facilities manager can perform safely. A 12 VDC supply reading below 11 V under load, or a 24 VDC supply below 22 V, suggests the supply is marginal and may be the root cause of reduced holding force. Recording that measurement and sharing it with the locksmith allows them to arrive with a replacement supply of the correct output and amperage rating, avoiding a second trip. Armature surface cleaning with isopropyl alcohol is also a safe first-party step that sometimes restores holding force when contamination is the cause.
Building owners planning new access control installations should specify fail-safe versus fail-secure behavior in writing before procurement, verify that the selected hardware is listed for the door assembly type, and confirm that egress compliance requirements for maglocks are addressed in the system design rather than as an afterthought during installation. Retrofitting an egress-compliant request-to-exit solution onto an existing maglock installation is always more expensive than specifying it correctly at the outset.
Scheduled preventive maintenance on both electric strike and magnetic lock systems reduces emergency call frequency and extends hardware life. A basic annual inspection covering latch condition, strike alignment, power supply output, armature surface condition, and controller event log review catches the majority of developing problems before they produce a failure. Many commercial locksmiths offer service agreements that include this inspection along with priority response for emergency calls, which can be a cost-effective arrangement for multi-door facilities that depend on electronic access control for daily operations.
More to explore: Cost Factors for Electric Strike vs Magnetic Lock, Multimeter for Locks, Electric Strike vs Magnetic Lock, Electric Strikes, What Homeowners Should Know About Office Access Control Fix.
Call Low Rate Locksmith
Low Rate Locksmith provides 24/7 mobile service for electric strike repairs, magnetic lock service, access control diagnostics, and egress compliance corrections across the US and Canada. Whether a door is refusing to release, a maglock is holding with reduced force, or an access control system is producing unexplained faults, a technician can respond the same day. Call (833) 439-8636 any time to speak with a dispatch representative, confirm service availability in your area, and get a clear estimate before any work begins. Travel is free within the service area, and all work is performed by trained professionals who carry the test equipment and replacement parts needed to resolve electric strike and magnetic lock problems in a single visit whenever possible.