Yes. The EF9727 surface vertical rod device is fire rated and UL/cUL Listed to UL 305, and it is ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1 certified. Keep in mind fire rated exit devices are supplied without dogging, so the latches stay active at all times on a fire opening.

Handing is not a factor. Every device in the 9700 Series is non-handed or reversible by design, so one part number covers both a left hand reverse and right hand reverse opening. That makes it easier for a property manager stocking a spare for a building with doors swinging both ways.

The EF9727 is offered both with the full top and bottom rod set and in a less bottom rod (LBR) configuration. LBR removes the bottom rod and floor strike, which is the usual choice where the floor gets wet or dirty, where carpet or an uneven threshold would foul a bottom latch, or where you simply do not want a trip point in the opening. It latches at the head only. Choose the standard version when you want the extra security of a bottom latch. Both are selectable when ordering, in flat black 622, satin stainless 630, or 695 Duro.

The device meets the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and also meets the guidelines of the Buy American Act, which matters on federally funded work. Add ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1 certification and UL/cUL listing to UL 305 and it covers the usual institutional spec language.

The closest cross-brand matches we carry are the Sargent 2727, a Grade 1 fire rated reversible wide stile surface vertical rod device, and the Adams Rite 3100 Series, a Grade 1 fire rated wide stile device for 1-3/4 inch doors. Arrow's S1150 is also fire rated and is listed for narrow or wide stile. Many of the other wide stile options, including the Von Duprin 2227, Falcon 20, and Corbin Russwin ED5400, are not fire rated, so they are not substitutes on a labeled opening.

The EF9727 is a wide stile device with a 4-3/4 inch minimum stile, so a narrow stile aluminum leaf needs a different case. The Von Duprin 3327A-3ft is a Grade 1 narrow stile surface vertical rod device for 36 inch doors at 1-3/4 inch thickness, and the Corbin Russwin ED4400 is a Grade 1 narrow stile 36 inch surface vertical rod that accepts trim. Both are listed as not fire rated, so use them only on non-rated openings.

Two others in the fire rated class are the Adams Rite 3100 Series 30 inch, a Grade 1 wide stile fire rated surface vertical rod device for 1-3/4 inch doors, and the Arrow S1150 30 inch fire rated surface vertical rod device, which is exit only, less trim, and fits narrow or wide stile. The EF9727 is built for a 36 inch by 84 inch door with a 4-3/4 inch minimum stile, so check leaf width before swapping to a 30 inch device.

A surface vertical rod device latches into the head frame and, with the bottom rod, into the floor, so a pair of doors can be secured with no center mullion and you keep the full clear opening. That is why it gets specified on pairs where furniture or equipment has to move through. A rim device plus a removable mullion is the alternative: fewer moving parts and simpler service, but you lose the clear width whenever the mullion is in place. If the pair is a fire opening, the EF9727 is fire rated and UL 305 Listed, so it qualifies where many non-rated vertical rod devices do not.

It is built for commercial high use: heavy duty rating, ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1, a shock-resistant latching mechanism, and internal components in electro-plated steel or corrosion-resistant alloy. Grade 1 is the top ANSI/BHMA durability tier, which is what a school, hospital, or multi-family main entrance normally calls for.

The EF9727 is a heavy duty Grade 1 device. For a lower duty non-rated opening, the Design Hardware 2000V 33 inch is a standard duty surface vertical rod device, the Orca OED56 Series 36 inch is a standard duty exit only vertical rod device supplied less bottom rod in aluminum and non-handed, and the Dexter ED2000 Series is a Grade 2 surface vertical rod panic device. None of the three carries a fire rating, so they cannot take the place of the EF9727 on a labeled door.

No, not as a functioning exit device. The Sargent 12-8710 is a Grade 1 fire rated wide stile surface vertical rod unit with a dummy function, meaning it is the inactive companion for a pair of doors. The TownSteel EF9727 is the active Grade 1 fire rated device. On a pair, the 12-8710 would go on the inactive leaf, not in place of the working device.

The EF9727 is listed as wood door compatible. Among the alternatives, the Von Duprin 7527-3ft and 7827-3ft are both listed as not wood door compatible, so neither suits a wood leaf. For a Grade 1 fire rated wood door application, the Sargent 2727 wide stile device is the closer path.

Falcon offers the 20 Series 36 inch and the 25-V-EO, both Grade 1 wide stile surface vertical rod exit only devices for 1-3/4 inch doors. Either lines up with the EF9727's Grade 1 wide stile format and 36 inch door width, but both are listed as not fire rated, so they belong on non-labeled openings while the EF9727 covers fire rated ones.

The EF9727 is ANSI/BHMA A156.3 Grade 1, UL/cUL listed to UL 305, heavy duty, fire rated and ADA compliant, available in 622 flat black, 630 satin stainless steel and 695 duro. Other Grade 1 lines to standardize on include the Dexter ED1000 Series and ED1500 Series surface vertical rod devices, the Design Hardware 1000V heavy duty line, and the Sargent 20 Series 2727. Of those, the ED1500 and the 1000V are listed as not fire rated, so a mixed rated and non-rated building would still need the fire rated device on labeled openings.

The EF9727 is built for a 36 inch by 84 inch door. Comparable 36 inch devices include the BEST Precision 2201 Series wide stile, the BEST Precision 5201 Series reversible, the Corbin Russwin ED5400 wide stile Grade 1, the Falcon 20 Series wide stile Grade 1, the Von Duprin 2227-3FT wide stile Grade 1 and the Orca OED56 Series. The Adams Rite 3100, Adams Rite 8100 and Arrow S1150 are 30 inch devices, and the Design Hardware 1000V and 2000V are 33 inch, so those would need a size check against a 36 inch leaf.

Three finishes: 622 flat black, 630 satin stainless steel, and 695 Duro. 630 is the standard commercial finish on most institutional openings and is the safe match if the rest of the building is stainless or brushed chrome. 622 flat black is the pick when the storefront and pulls are black anodized. All three are available with or without the bottom rod.

Yes. The Sargent 3727 is a Grade 1 wide stile surface vertical rod exit device with a standard push bar and exit only function, and the Corbin Russwin ED7400 is a Grade 1 crossbar surface vertical rod device, though in narrow stile and listed as not fire rated. The Arrow 3700 Series 30 inch uses a wide stile pushpad and is Grade 1 exit only for 1-3/4 inch doors, also not fire rated.