By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

Three non-rated Apex mortise exit devices that look identical on paper

If you need a mortise exit device and the door is not fire rated, PHI's Apex 2300 series gives you 2314, 2314CD and 2315. All three are listed as non fire rated, UL listed for panic hardware and certified to ANSI A156.3, Grade 1. The chassis is investment cast steel with universal mounting holes, which the catalog says makes retrofits easier. The catalog pitches the line at healthcare and education buildings.

The three share a lot. Each is left hand reversible with a 2-3/4" backset, in the listings here sized for a 36" door (the listing says 2'-7" to 3' door width). They carry a stainless steel deadlocking latchbolt with a 3/4" throw and anti-friction design. A handed curved lip S982 strike comes standard. Touchbar height is 39-15/16" from the floor. They are for the wide stile door.

The differences come down to two things: what the outside trim does, and how the bar is dogged.

2314: lever or knob, always active

The 2314-LHR-605-36 is prepped for lever or knob always active. The outside trim is live all the time, so anyone can retract the latch from outside with the trim. That suits a door that stays open to the public during hours. Dogging is 1/4 turn hex key dogging, standard. The listing says cylinder and trim are not included, so the trim is a separate line on the order.

2314CD: the same device with cylinder dogging

The 2314CD-LHR-605-36 is the 2314 with cylinder dogging included. Dogging holds the touchbar retracted so the door can be used as a push-pull door during the day. With the hex key version, you reach for a hex key. With the cylinder version, a key in the lock does it, which is faster and keeps a hex wrench from walking away. If staff dog the door every morning and undog it every night, this is the one.

2315: thumb piece, always active

The 2315-LHR-605-36 is prepped for a thumb piece always active. The outside trim is a thumb latch, not a lever. It carries hex key dogging. A thumb piece looks like a pull handle with a thumb button on top. You press it to retract the latch.

Side by side

Part	Outside trim	Dogging	Fire rating
2314	Lever or knob, always active	1/4 turn hex key	Non fire rated
2314CD	Lever or knob, always active	Cylinder dogging included	Non fire rated
2315	Thumb piece, always active	1/4 turn hex key	Non fire rated

Always active means what it says

On all three, the outside trim is described as always active. That is the point of these numbers. If you need a device where the outside trim locks and unlocks by key, you are looking at a different function in the same Apex line, which the fire-rated guide below walks through. Do not assume an always active device can be turned into a locked entry later. The function is set in the device.

What these are not

These three are non fire rated. The FL2301 through FL2308 devices in the same series carry the fire rating. If the door has a label on the edge, you want those. Putting a non-rated mortise device on a labeled door is how a fire inspector writes up a building. If you are not sure the door is rated, look at the edge for the label. Do not guess from the corridor.

Sizing note

The listings here are 36" door versions. The catalog lists other door sizes under other part numbers. Measure the door width before ordering and tell us the stile width. These are listed for the wide stile door, so a narrow stile door needs the narrow stile device from the 2600 and 2700 guide.

What the three share, and what that means on site

The latchbolt is stainless steel, deadlocking, with a 3/4" throw. Deadlocking matters on an exit device because it keeps the latch from being pushed back with a shim or a card while the door is closed. The anti-friction design is what keeps the bar feeling light after years of use. The handed curved lip S982 strike is furnished standard, so the strike is on the order already.

Handing is listed as left hand reversible. That means one part number covers both swings, and the handing is set at installation. It also means you do not need to know the swing before you order the device, only the trim you want and the door width.

Where each one fits

The 2314 suits the school corridor, clinic entrance or office suite where the outside trim stays live and the door is governed by hours, not by key. The 2314CD fits the same doors when the staff dog the bar open each morning, because the cylinder dogging avoids the hex key. The 2315 fits a door where a thumb latch is the look the building wants or already has, such as a retrofit that keeps a pull handle on the outside.

None of the three is the answer for a door that has to be locked from the outside by a key. That is a different function, and picking one of these three for it is the error to avoid.

Common questions

Is the cylinder included?

No. The listing says cylinder and trim are not included. The 2314CD includes cylinder dogging, not the trim cylinder.

What strike comes with it?

An S982 handed curved lip strike, furnished standard.

Can I use it on a pair of doors?

The catalog says the Apex line is used for all types of single and double doors.

Is it UL listed?

It is UL listed for panic hardware. These three are not fire rated.

See the full line on our PHI exit device page. For the fire-rated functions, read the PHI 2301 through 2308 guide. If the door is a narrow stile, see the 2600 and 2700 stile guide. Send us the door width and we will confirm the part.