Command Access ETH4W4545 626 CH-BB79 Energy Transfer Hinge, 4-1/2" x 4-1/2", 5 Knuckle Standard Weight, 2-Wire, 20 Gauge, Satin Chrome

Running power to an electrified lock or card reader on a door creates one immediate problem. The wire has to get from the frame to the door somehow. Surface conduit looks rough in finished interiors. Flexible wire loops get pinched in the gap over time and eventually fail. An overhead cable transfer works but adds cost and visible hardware. The Command Access ETH4W4545 solves all of that. It's an energy transfer hinge that routes low-voltage wiring directly through the knuckle of a standard 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" full mortise hinge. Clean installation, no exposed wires on the door face, nothing to snag or fail at the door edge.

This is the hinge access control installers reach for when the finish quality matters and the wiring has to disappear. For related access control components, browse our full electronic hardware catalog or view our range of electric door strikes for compatible locking devices.

How an Energy Transfer Hinge Works

A standard hinge uses a steel pin through the barrel to connect the door and frame leaves. An energy transfer hinge replaces or surrounds that pin with an internal wire channel that runs through the knuckle. The wires enter through the frame-side leaf at the top or bottom, travel through the knuckle barrel, and exit through the door-side leaf. From there they route internally down the door to the lock, card reader, or other device. The door swings normally. The wires flex through the knuckle as the door opens and closes, and there's nothing visible on either face of the door.

The ETH4W4545 handles this with a 2-wire, 20 gauge configuration. Two conductors carry low-voltage power from the jamb side to the door-mounted device. That's the right wire count for a single device: an electric cylindrical lock, an electric mortise lock, a card reader, a door light, or a latch pullback device. If your installation needs to power multiple devices through one hinge, Command Access offers 4-wire and 8-wire configurations in the same ETH series.

Command Access ETH4W4545 Technical Specifications

Size: 4-1/2" x 4-1/2". Knuckles: 5-knuckle. Weight class: standard weight. Wire configuration: 2-wire. Wire gauge: 20 gauge. Ball bearing type: BB79. Finish: 626 Satin Chrome. UL-F rated. Hinge type: full mortise, both leaves mortised. Applications: electric mortise locks, electric cylindrical locks, electric strikes on pairs of doors, electric exit trims, latch pullback devices, door-mounted card readers, low-voltage door lights. Sold as: single hinge.

How Many Energy Transfer Hinges Does a Door Need?

Most electrified door installations use one energy transfer hinge per door, typically in the top position. The remaining hinges on the door are standard ball bearing hinges matching the same finish and size. A 3-hinge door would use one ETH4W4545 at the top and two standard 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" ball bearing hinges at the center and bottom. This keeps cost down while routing wire cleanly through a single controlled point. Some high-security or monitoring applications use two energy transfer hinges, one for power and one for a signal or monitoring circuit.

Where This Hinge Gets Specified

Office suite doors with card readers, school classroom doors with electric strikes, hospital wing doors with electrified mortise locks, hotel room doors with latch pullback devices, and any commercial opening where low-voltage wiring needs to cross from the frame to the door without visible conduit or surface loops. The 4-1/2" x 4-1/2" size covers standard commercial doors up to 36" wide. The satin chrome 626 finish matches most commercial levers and strike hardware across the major brands.

For the complete range of commercial door hinges across every size, weight, and configuration, browse our full hinge catalog.