Securitron EH Double Duty Electric Hinge

The EH is rated 500 mA total current carrying capability across 6 conductors of 28 gauge wire. That is enough for low-draw devices such as request-to-exit switches, door position monitoring, and small electric latch or strike loads that stay under half an amp. A maglock or a high-inrush strike drawing more than 500 mA needs a heavier power transfer path, not this hinge. Add up the draw of everything you plan to run through the door before committing.

Six conductors, 28 gauge. That typically covers two devices, for example two conductors to a latch retraction or strike and a pair each for a door contact and a request-to-exit signal. If your opening needs eight conductors, an 8-wire hinge like the Detex EWH8 (4.5 x 4.5) or the BEST CECB168-18 heavy weight electrified hinge is the size up.

The Securitron EH-45 is a 4.5 inch by 4.5 inch concealed electric hinge carrying 6 conductors of 28 gauge wire. Two peers land in the same size: the Design Hardware ETW2-BB5 is a 4.5 inch by 4.5 inch electrified standard weight ball bearing hinge rated medium duty, and the Detex EWH8 is a five knuckle electric hinge in 4.5 inch by 4.5 inch with 8 wire in a satin chrome finish. The conductor count is the practical difference: choose the EH-45 or another 6 wire hinge when the access control design needs six conductors, and the Detex when you need eight paths through the opening.

Yes. The RCI 952 is an electrified hinge with 6-conductor wiring and ball bearing construction, rated medium duty, which matches the Securitron EH on conductor count - the EH carries 6 conductors of 28 gauge wire and is rated for 500 mA. The Securitron EH is distinguished by concealed plug connectors that eliminate separate or exposed wiring for tamper resistance, while the RCI 952 is described by its ball bearing function.

The Securitron EH is a commercial concealed power transfer hinge rated at 500 mA with 6 conductors. If the opening calls for a heavier or cycle rated device, two peers are positioned that way: the BEST CECB168-18 is a steel full mortise concealed bearing electrified hinge rated heavy duty with 8 wire, and the SDC PTH Series electrified power transfer hinges carry an 800,000 cycle rating. The Design Hardware ETW2-BB5 and RCI 952 sit at medium duty by comparison.

No. The EH uses concealed plug connectors at both leaves, so power and data cross from frame to door inside the hinge with nothing visible on the face of the opening. That is the reason to pick it over a surface-mounted armored door loop: nothing to cut, pry, or tamper with, and nothing to see when the door is closed.

Several, depending on what is driving the change. For a standard weight ball bearing 4.5 x 4.5 electrified hinge, the Design Hardware ETW2-BB5 is a medium duty option. The RCI 952 is also medium duty and runs 6 conductors with ball bearing construction, so it is the closest wire-for-wire alternative. Need more conductors: the Detex EWH8 is 8-wire in satin chrome at 4.5 x 4.5. Heavy traffic or a heavy door: the BEST CECB168-18 is a full mortise concealed bearing heavy weight hinge with 8 wire. And the SDC PTH Series carries an 800,000 cycle rating if cycle life is the deciding spec.

If the existing prep is a full mortise 4-1/2 inch high hinge, the EH matches on height at 4-1/2 inches. Confirm your leaf width first: order the EH-45 for a 4.5 x 4.5 prep and the EH-40 for a 4.5 x 4.0 prep. You also need a raceway or wire path in the frame and door edge to land the concealed plug connectors, so a door that previously had no electrified hardware will need to be prepped or ordered with the wire path.

An electric hinge like the EH is the choice when you want the transfer completely hidden and you are already replacing a hinge, since it swaps into the existing full mortise location and keeps the face of the door and frame clean. A separate electric power transfer mounted in the frame edge is the better route when the door is already hung on continuous hinges, when you need more than 6 conductors, or when your load exceeds the 500 mA the EH carries. Higher-conductor alternatives sold here include the 8-wire Detex EWH8 and the BEST CECB168-18.

Both move power from frame to door through the hinge rather than through a separate transfer device. The Securitron EH is offered in 4 inch and 4.5 inch heights with 6 conductors of 28 gauge wire at 500 mA, and uses concealed plug connectors so no wiring is exposed at the hinge. The SDC PTH Series is specified by its 800,000 cycle rating. Match the EH when you want the concealed connector approach in a 4 or 4.5 inch hinge, and the PTH when the cycle rating drives the spec.

Only if the wiring approach suits you. The Securitron EH hides its connections behind concealed plug connectors that eliminate separate or exposed wiring, which is the point of specifying it on a tamper sensitive opening. The Design Hardware ETW2-BB5 is an electrified standard weight ball bearing hinge in 4.5 inch by 4.5 inch at medium duty, and the RCI 952 is an electrified hinge with 6-conductor wiring and ball bearing construction. They transfer power through the same opening but are specified by their bearing and weight class rather than by concealed connectors, so confirm the wiring detail before treating them as interchangeable.

The Securitron EH-40 is the 4 inch option, a concealed 6 wire hinge measuring 4.5 inches by 4.0 inches, with the EH-45 covering 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches. Among the comparable electrified hinges, the Design Hardware ETW2-BB5 and the Detex EWH8 are both specified at 4.5 inches by 4.5 inches, so the EH-40 is the one to pull when the existing hinge prep is 4 inches wide.

The hinge itself is made by McKinney, and Securitron sells it under the EH designation as part of its electrical power transfer line. Both are ASSA ABLOY brands, so specifiers who write McKinney hinges elsewhere in the building are getting the same hinge body here with the electrical transfer built in.

Commercial. The EH is a metal-bodied, commercial-rated electrified hinge intended for access-controlled openings in institutional and commercial buildings, not residential doors. It is graded as commercial in the product data and the 500 mA transfer capacity is sized for access control hardware rather than consumer smart locks.