By Kent · Lock Depot Staff Writer

Order the wrong mode and the door fails the wrong way

An electric strike has to make a decision the moment power drops, and that decision is either "unlock" or "stay locked." Get it backwards on a server room and you've built a door that pops open in a blackout. Get it backwards on a stairwell that needs to release for fire egress and you've built a door that traps people behind it during the exact event the strike was supposed to handle. The Von Duprin 6215 ships in both modes, and picking between them is the entire job before you order.

What the 6215 actually is

The Von Duprin 6215 is a drop-in replacement for HES 5000 series electric strikes, same cutout dimensions and mounting holes, built with Von Duprin's heavier stainless steel construction. It's spec'd for mortise or cylindrical locksets on a pair-door opening with no mullion, and it carries a 4-7/8" faceplate with a 1/2" latch throw, ANSI/BHMA Grade 1, and a 3-year limited warranty on the electronics with a limited lifetime warranty on the mechanical parts. If you're pulling old HES 5000 strikes out of a frame and stepping up in build quality without cutting a new pocket, this is the part number.

Voltage runs 12VDC or 24VDC, and Von Duprin's PS914 power supply handles both outputs, so a locksmith stocking a truck doesn't need two separate supplies for two separate strike orders.

Fail secure: stays locked when power dies

The standard 6215 configuration is fail secure. Cut the power and the strike stays locked; a key override from outside is always available, and free egress from inside is handled by the exit device itself, not by the strike. This is the mode for anywhere security has to survive a power outage: a server room, an evidence room, a pharmacy storeroom, anywhere the contents matter more than convenience during a blackout. It's also the fire-rated version of the 6215, listed for 3-hour UL 10C fire doors, which matters if the opening is a labeled fire assembly rather than a standard interior door.

Fail safe: unlocks when power dies

Order the 6215-FS-DS and that behavior flips. Lose power and the strike unlocks, letting the door open freely during an outage, with a dual signal monitoring switch built in to report door and strike position back to a panel. This is the mode for openings where life safety during a power failure outranks after-hours security: a stairwell door on an access-controlled system, an opening tied into the fire alarm that has to release the moment the system loses power or trips.

These two configurations aren't interchangeable in the field. Fail secure and fail safe are built into the strike at the factory, not switched with a jumper on site, so ordering the wrong one means a return, not a five-minute fix.

Which one for your door

Ask what the door is protecting and what happens if it fails during a power cut. If the answer is "the room needs to stay secure no matter what," order fail secure. If the answer is "people need to get out or the fire system needs the door to release," order fail safe. A lot of installers default to fail secure because it sounds more secure on paper, and then discover during a fire marshal walkthrough that the opening needed to fail safe the whole time. Confirm against the fire code and the access-control design before the strike ships, not after it's mortared into a frame.

Pairing it with a power supply

Neither configuration does anything on its own; a strike needs a power supply behind it, and Von Duprin builds the PS914 and PS904 specifically to pair with the 6215 line. Running 12VDC keeps the PS914 flexible enough to handle both a fail-secure and a fail-safe strike off the same supply on a multi-door job, which is worth planning around if a locksmith is stocking a truck for several openings at once rather than one strike at a time. Monitoring is worth the same attention: the fail-safe 6215-FS-DS reports both door position and strike position back to a panel through its dual signal switch, while the standard fail-secure version doesn't carry that reporting hardware. If the access-control design calls for door-forced-open or door-held-open alarms at this opening, confirm the monitoring wiring is part of the plan before the strike is ordered, not discovered missing during commissioning.

What we stock

We carry the 6215 fail secure and the 6215-FS-DS fail safe in 12VDC on our Von Duprin hub, both in Bright Stainless Steel. If the opening needs a strike built specifically for a fire-rated panic bar rather than a mortise or cylindrical lockset, our piece on the 6111 electric strike for a fire-rated rim exit covers that companion part. For the exit device side of a hollow-metal fire door, we've also written up the 98/99 series separately.

Common questions

Can I switch a fail-secure 6215 to fail safe after it's installed?

No. The two modes are built into the strike at the factory. Ordering the wrong one means replacing the strike, not adjusting a setting in the field.

What voltage does the 6215 run on?

12VDC or 24VDC. Von Duprin's PS914 power supply handles both, which simplifies stocking if you're running multiple strikes off one supply.

Is the 6215 fire rated?

The fail-secure 6215 is listed for 3-hour UL 10C fire doors. Confirm the specific configuration you're ordering against the opening's fire rating before installing it on a labeled assembly.

Does the 6215 fit an existing HES 5000 series cutout?

Yes. It's built as a drop-in replacement with the same cutout dimensions and mounting holes as the HES 5000 series, so swapping one for the other doesn't require re-prepping the frame.

What's the difference between the standard 6215 and the 6215-FS-DS?

The standard 6215 is fail secure with a straightforward strike mechanism. The 6215-FS-DS is fail safe and adds a dual signal monitoring switch that reports door and strike position to an access panel.