Falcon MEL1790EO Narrow Stile ...
IN STOCK (leaves warehouse same day if ordered before 3pm ET)
$1,590.00
$713.93
Falcon MEL1790EO Narrow Stile Rim Pushpad Exit Device, Electric Motorized Latch Retraction- Exit Only

Falcon MEL1790EO Narrow Stile Rim Pushpad Exit Device, Electric Motorized Latch Retraction- Exit Only

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Model: MEL1790EO 36IN 628
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$1,590.00
$713.93
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OVERVIEW

The 1690/1790 Series narrow stile touch bar exit devices provide safe and reliable egress that is ideal for aluminum doors. Both series are certified ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1 products and boast a 10-year limited warranty.

The 1690 Series design is ideal for demanding, moderate-traffic applications. The vertical rods and latch mechanisms are concealed in the vertical door stile, ensuring ideal operation. Cast metal cover plates and end caps hold up to rigorous use. A quick, single-point dogging feature in the housing deactivates the device, permitting unrestricted traffic flow. The 1690 Series may also be used to retrofit a 1990 Series crossbar device.

The 1790 Series rim device is typically used in applications where maintenance is a concern, since the rim device has fewer parts and pieces than other exit devices. This results in less maintenance and adjustment. The streamlined design has no openings for chains, reducing code infringements risks and offers increased building security by eliminating tampering and forced entry via coat hangers and other tools. The 1790 Series may also be used to retrofit a 2090 Series crossbar device.

Features

  • Cast metal cover plates and end caps provide durability in demanding applications
  • Various options, functions, trims and finishes allow for tailoring to any facility needs
  • Designed for medium to high use and abuse in institutional applications like schools, hospitals and government facilities

The 1690/1790 Series have various trim solutions. For additional detail on available trims for specific models, view the Falcon Exits catalog.

  • Exit only (EO): no trim, exit device only
  • Dummy trim (DT): 9970 pull only
  • Cylinder only options:
    • Night latch, cylinder only (NL-OP): key retracts latch but does not unlock exit device, no pull
    • Hold back, cylinder only (HB-OP): key retracts latch and holds latch back, no pull
  • Pulls with cylinders:
    • Night latch with pull (NL-P): key retracts latch but does not unlock exit device with pull
    • Hold back with pull (HB-P): key retracts latch and holds latch back
  • Lever trim (1790 Series only):
    • Lever (L): key locks and unlocks the trim
    • Night latch (L-NL): key retracts latch but does not unlock trim
    • Blank escutcheon (L-BE): no cylinder or lever

Manufacturer Resources

Falcon Exit Devices Catalog

Product Specs

Product Group:
Exit Devices and Trim
Series:
1790 Series
Fasteners:
All mounting screws are concealed
ANSI/BHMA:
ANSI A156.3-2001
Product Subgroup:
Exit Devices - Rim
Subcategory:
Rim Exit Devices
Latch Throw:
3/4"
Commercial/Residential:
Commercial
Grade:
Grade 1
Product Type:
Exit Devices - Rim
Stile Type:
Narrow Stile
Lock Function:
Exit Only
Wood Door Compatible:
No
Product Model:
MEL1790EO
Product Function:
Exit Only
Door Hand Direction:
Non-Handed
Door Thickness Range:
1-3/4"
Fire Rating:
No
Product Projection:
3-3/8"
Trim Hardware:
Less Trim
Door Strike:
TD35 Strike supplied standard
Product Category:
Exit Devices and Trim
Department:
Door Hardware
Electrical Configuration:
Motorized Electric Latch Retraction
Dogging Configuration:
Less Dogging

Falcon MEL1790EO 36IN 628 – Frequently Asked Questions

1) Will the Falcon MEL1790EO rim exit device work on an aluminum storefront door?
Aluminum storefront is exactly what the 1790 Series narrow stile touch bar device is built for. It's a narrow stile rim device that latches into a strike on the frame head or jamb rather than needing rod pockets in the stile, and it fits a 1-3/4 inch door. It is not for wood doors. Projection off the door face is 3-3/8 inches, so check your door swing clearance against any adjacent wall or return.
2) What does motorized electric latch retraction do on the Falcon MEL1790EO, and what happens when the power drops?
MEL means a motor pulls the latch back and holds it retracted on an electrical signal, so the door can be released remotely from an access control system, a card reader, or a timeclock that unlatches the entrance during business hours. It's also how you get electric dogging on a device ordered less mechanical dogging. Cut power and the motor releases: the latch drops back out and the door secures again. Push the touch bar and you always get out mechanically, powered or not, because this is a panic device with free egress from the inside.
3) What does the EO in Falcon MEL1790EO mean, and can I add a lever or key cylinder outside later?
EO is exit only: the device ships less trim, no outside pull, lever, or cylinder, so the door is exit-only from the inside and has no mechanical way in from the outside. The 1790 Series does offer outside trim as separate ordered models, including a 9970 dummy pull (DT), night latch or hold back cylinder-only (NL-OP, HB-OP), the same functions with a pull (NL-P, HB-P), and lever trim available on the 1790 Series specifically as keyed lever (L), night latch lever (L-NL), or blank escutcheon (L-BE). If you want outside access, order the trimmed model rather than the EO.
4) Is the Falcon MEL1790EO handed, and which door width do I order?
Non-handed, so one device covers a left or right hand swing and you don't have to specify hand on the order. What you do specify is length: 36 inch or 42 inch, in US28 aluminum anodized. Match the bar to the door leaf width so the pad runs the required portion of the door.
5) I have an old Falcon 2090 crossbar panic device on an aluminum door. Can I put a 1790 in its place?
Yes, the 1790 Series is specified as a retrofit for a 2090 Series crossbar device, so you can swap a crossbar for the touch bar on that opening. If the device you're replacing is a 1990 Series crossbar instead, that one retrofits with the 1690 concealed vertical rod series, not the 1790.
6) Will the Falcon 1790 narrow stile device fit a thicker than standard door?
No. The 1790 is a single-thickness device at 1-3/4 inches, which is the standard commercial leaf. If your door measures thicker, look at a device with a range: the Adams Rite 8800 Series covers 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 inches, the Dormakaba 9300 Series covers the same range in wide stile, and the SDC S6000 Series covers 1-3/4 to 2 inches.
7) My opening is a fire rated door. Can I use a Falcon MEL1790EO there?
No. The Falcon MEL1790EO is not fire rated. For a fire rated narrow stile opening the Adams Rite 3700 is a fire rated Grade 1 narrow stile rim device with starwheel interlocking. Fire rated rim devices on wider stiles include the Dexter ED1000-R-F-EO in Grade 1, the Marks USA M9900F in 36 and 48 inch exit only, the Orca OED85 in 36 inch exit only, and the Arrow FS1250 at 32 inch for 1-3/4 inch doors. Fire rated devices do not carry dogging, so the free-swing behavior you get from a dogged device is not part of that package.
8) What is the closest narrow stile rim exit device to the Falcon MEL1790EO if I need motorized latch retraction on an aluminum door?
The Falcon MEL1790EO is a narrow stile rim device with motorized electric latch retraction, Grade 1, exit only. If you need latch retraction driven electrically from a different maker, the Sargent 12-8810-LTRIM is a Grade 1 rim device with RX and MELR, though it is a wide stile device and fire rated. On a narrow aluminum stile with a wide stile device off the table, the Dormakaba Electrified Rim 36 inch device with 4908A trim is the electrified rim option in the TS Series, set up as an 08-Classroom function rather than exit only. Match the stile width to your door first: the MEL1790EO and the Sargent differ on that point before any electrical detail matters.
9) I do not need the electric latch retraction. What plain mechanical narrow stile rim device covers the same opening?
For the same narrow stile aluminum opening without any electrical feed, the Corbin Russwin ED4200 is a Grade 1 narrow stile rim device for 1-3/4 inch doors, exit only or accepts trim. The TownSteel ED3700 and ED8900 are both Grade 1 heavy duty narrow stile rim devices in 36 inch. The BEST Precision 2401 is a narrow stile rim device, exit only and non-handed, which matches the Falcon MEL1790EO's non-handed exit only setup. Dropping the motorized retraction also drops the power supply and the wiring transfer from the job.
10) I need the exit device to be dogged down during business hours. What should I look at instead of the Falcon MEL1790EO?
The Falcon MEL1790EO is supplied less dogging, so it will not hold the pushpad depressed mechanically. For hex key dogging the Design Hardware 1000R at 33 inch is a heavy duty rim device with hex key dogging, and the 2000R at 33 inch is the standard duty wide stile version of the same. The Stanley Security QED200 is a Grade 1 heavy duty narrow stile rim device with hex key dogging, which keeps you on a narrow stile if the aluminum door demands it.
11) Which exit devices look like a substitute for the Falcon MEL1790EO but will not fit a narrow aluminum stile?
Several Grade 1 rim devices read as direct swaps until you check the stile. The Von Duprin 22-3FT, Corbin Russwin ED5200 and ED2200, Dormakaba 8300 and 9300A, BEST Precision 2101, Detex 10 Advantex, TownSteel ED1100 and ED9700, Sargent 2828 and 3828, and Imperial USA ED-501 are all wide stile rim devices. The Falcon MEL1790EO is narrow stile with a 3-3/8 inch projection. A wide stile chassis needs stile face width the aluminum door does not have, so none of these drop into a storefront prep regardless of matching grade or length.
12) What is the difference between the Falcon MEL1790EO and an SDC switch bar or pressure sense bar for access controlled egress?
The Falcon MEL1790EO is a Grade 1 rim exit device with a 3/4 inch latch throw and a TD35 strike, and it latches the door on its own with the motor retracting that latch on signal. The SDC MSB550 at 36 inch is a mechanical switch bar that releases an electromagnetic lock, and the SDC SureExit PSB560 at 36 inch is a pressure sense bar with tri-failsafe technology. Both SDC bars fit narrow or wide stile and are not fire rated. The distinction is where the securing happens: the Falcon holds the door with its own latch and strike, while the SDC bars signal a separate lock to release, so a maglock and its power supply are part of that opening.
13) My doors are thicker than 1-3/4 inch. Which rim exit devices cover that?
The Falcon MEL1790EO is built for 1-3/4 inch doors. For thicker leaves, the Adams Rite 8800 Series narrow stile rim device covers 1-3/4 inch to 2-1/4 inch, and the Dormakaba 9300A wide stile device covers the same 1-3/4 inch to 2-1/4 inch range. The SDC S6136 Spectra covers 1-3/4 inch to 2 inch on a 4 inch wide stile. The Securitron EMB electromechanical exit bar is listed at 2-1/4 inch. Confirm the leaf thickness with a caliper on an existing door before committing, since the mounting hardware is thickness specific.
14) I need key access from outside as well as egress. Is the Falcon MEL1790EO the right model?
No. The Falcon MEL1790EO is exit only with less trim, meaning no outside pull, lever or cylinder ships with it. For outside key control on a narrow stile the Sargent 8504 is a night latch function narrow stile rim device in Grade 1, where a key retracts the latch. The Corbin Russwin ED4200 narrow stile Grade 1 device is listed as exit only or accepts trim, so it can be ordered to take outside trim. On the Falcon 1790 Series, night latch and lever trim configurations exist as separate models rather than as an add-on to the exit only device.
15) How do the Cal-Royal rim exit devices compare to the Falcon MEL1790EO for a school or hospital corridor?
The Falcon MEL1790EO is Grade 1 per ANSI A156.3-2001 and the 1790 Series is described as designed for medium to high use and abuse in institutional applications like schools, hospitals and government facilities. The Cal-Royal A9800 at 36 inch and A9820 at 48 inch are heavy duty rim devices carrying Grade 2, as are the Cal-Royal 5000 at 36 inch and 5500 at 48 inch. If a facility spec calls out ANSI Grade 1 by number, the Cal-Royal devices will not satisfy it as written, and neither Cal-Royal device is narrow stile for an aluminum storefront.
16) Does the Falcon 1790 exit only device come with a strike, or do I order one separately?
A TD35 strike ships standard with the device, so the frame side is covered in the box. The latch throws 3/4 inch into it. If you're mounting to something other than a standard aluminum frame stop, or replacing only the device on an existing opening, measure the existing strike location before assuming the supplied strike lands where the old one did.
17) Is the Falcon 1790 rim device Grade 1, and is it heavy enough for a school or hospital entrance?
Grade 1 under ANSI A156.3-2001, and the 1690/1790 narrow stile devices are built for medium to high use and abuse in institutional settings like schools, hospitals, and government buildings. Cast metal cover plates and end caps take the abuse, and all mounting screws are concealed so there's nothing exposed for someone to back out.
18) Rim device or concealed vertical rod for a narrow stile aluminum door?
The 1790 rim device is the lower maintenance choice: it has fewer parts than other exit device types, so there's less to adjust over time, and the closed design gives no opening for a chain, which cuts the code violation and coat-hanger break-in problem. Rim latches at the strike on the jamb, so it needs a frame stop or a mullion to latch into. If you're securing a pair of doors with no center mullion, or you want the hardware hidden in the stile, a concealed vertical rod is the other route: Hager's 4601 Series is a Grade 1 narrow stile concealed vertical rod device, and Falcon's own 1690 Series conceals the rods and latches in the vertical stile.
19) What are the alternatives to the Falcon MEL1790EO for a narrow stile aluminum door with access control?
Staying narrow stile and non-fire-rated, the Corbin Russwin ED4200 is a Grade 1 narrow stile rim device rated for 1-3/4 inch doors, the TownSteel ED3700 and ED8900 are Grade 1 heavy duty narrow stile rim devices in 36 inch, and the Detex 40 Advantex is an extra heavy duty Grade 1 narrow stile rim. The Adams Rite 8800 Series takes a wider door thickness range, 1-3/4 to 2-1/4 inches, if your leaf is thicker than 1-3/4. Where those differ from the MEL1790EO is the electrification: the Falcon comes with motorized latch retraction built in. If the goal is an electrified bar rather than a latching exit device, the SDC MSB550 mechanical switch bar and the SDC PSB560 pressure sense bar fit narrow or wide stile and release an electromagnetic lock instead of throwing a latch.
20) Can I hold the Falcon MEL1790EO unlatched during business hours without mechanical dogging?
Yes, and that's the point of the MEL version. It ships less mechanical dogging, and the motorized latch retraction does the same job electrically: send the signal and the motor holds the latch back so the door pushes free, drop the signal and it relatches. Wire it to a timer or your access control schedule for a store or lobby that should be open-pull during the day. If you'd rather have a hex key or cylinder dogging feature you set by hand, that's a different device configuration; this one is electric.
21) Will the 3/4 inch latch on a Falcon 1790 rim device engage my existing strike?
The latch throws 3/4 inch and the device comes with its own TD35 strike, which is the pairing Falcon specifies. If you're keeping a strike already in the frame, it has to accept a 3/4 inch throw at the same height as the new device's latch case, and a rim strike is mounted on the frame stop, not mortised like a lock strike. When the old device was a Falcon 2090 crossbar the 1790 is a stated retrofit for it, which is the cleanest case.
22) Is a crossbar exit device an equivalent to the Falcon MEL1790EO?
They are not the same style of actuator. The Falcon MEL1790EO uses a touch bar pushpad and its 1790 Series is what you install when retrofitting a 2090 Series crossbar device. Crossbar devices in the same rim category include the Corbin Russwin ED3200 at 48 inch for 1-3/4 inch doors, Grade 1 wide stile, and the CRL Jackson 1095 Series at 48 inch, exit only wide stile. A crossbar projects a bar across the door face rather than a flush pad, which changes clearance at the opening and the look on a glass front.
23) The opening needs concealed vertical rod rather than a rim device. What are the options?
The Falcon MEL1790EO is a rim device, which latches into a strike on the frame. For a two-point latch into head and sill, the Hager 4601 Series at 36 inch is a Grade 1 concealed vertical rod narrow stile exit device, and the Hager 4501 Series at 36 inch is the Grade 1 concealed vertical rod device with a wide stile pushpad. The Falcon description notes the rim device has fewer parts than other exit devices, which is the tradeoff against a rod device on a maintenance-driven opening.
24) What Grade 1 narrow stile rim devices are there besides the Falcon MEL1790EO?
On the narrow stile side with Grade 1, the set includes the Adams Rite 8700 and 8800 Series and the Adams Rite EX88 with interlocking design, the Detex 40 Advantex in extra heavy duty, the Corbin Russwin ED4200, the TownSteel ED3700 and ED8900 in heavy duty, the Stanley Security QED200 in heavy duty, and the Dormakaba QED200 at 36 inch with a 7 foot rod. The Falcon MEL1790EO carries ANSI A156.3-2001 Grade 1 and is non-handed. Duty level is where these separate: Detex 40 is rated extra heavy duty while the TownSteel, Stanley and Dormakaba devices are heavy duty.
25) I am standardizing exit devices across a portfolio and buy in 36 and 48 inch. Which peers cover both widths?
The Falcon MEL1790EO narrow stile device comes in 36 inch and 42 inch. If a single family across both 36 and 48 inch matters more than stile type, the Dexter ED1000 Series covers 3FT and 4FT in Grade 1 rim, the Marks USA M9900F covers 36 inch and 48 inch fire rated exit only, and Cal-Royal pairs the A9800 at 36 inch with the A9820 at 48 inch. Standardizing on one family keeps the pushpad feel and the spare parts common across the doors.
26) What is a simpler exit only rim device if I do not need the electrified features of the Falcon MEL1790EO?
For a straight mechanical exit only rim device, the Marks USA M9900 at 36 inch and the M8800 narrow stile at 36 inch are both exit only with panic protector end caps, the Orca OED55 at 36 inch is exit only, the Arrow ED910 at 36 inch and the Arrow 4800 Series at 36 inch narrow stile both suit 1-3/4 inch doors, and the Hager 4701 Series at 36 inch is a standard duty rim device with Grade 1 BHMA certification. Of these the Marks M8800 and Arrow 4800 are the narrow stile ones, which is what an aluminum storefront stile needs.
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Absolutely. The Falcon MEL1790EO 36IN 628 is backed by a manufacturer’s warranty. For full warranty terms, check the product documentation or Contact Us.
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