Vault door

Vault-Tec, when constructing their Vaults made sure that their inhabitants are well protected from outside threats. One of the key pieces of engineering that was protecting the dwellers was the .

Interior doors
The Vault Door is a type of electro-mechanical door used in the Vault-Tec Vaults for creating physical barriers between corridors, rooms, and stairways. The hatch is a heavy steel door, of either one or two pieces, supported in a heavy steel frame built into a wall and powered by concealed powerful hydraulic motors. In Vault 101, many of the hatches are accompanied by signs. These signs either identify the level or room, or direct the resident in a general direction to where a level or room is located.

Hatch Model #1
This hatch represents a majority of the hatches used in the Vaults. This is a two-piece hatch with a lower and upper part. The upper part had cones which fit into conical depressions in the lower part. The two parts, when closing, slide together; whereas, when opening, they slide apart. Located above the separation seam between the two parts, there is an override handle for emergency use. Under normal circumstances, when a hatch is locked, only an experienced locksmith could lockpick the hatch.

On both sides of the hatch, there is a centrally painted yellow vertical band with black text. Below the Vault identification number, the text reads, "Warning - Hydraulic Door - 3300 Lbs Pressure". This is the amount of pressure exerted by the hydraulic motors when operating the hatch.

Hatches are designed with three safety features. The first of the safety features is a caution zone marked by yellow boundary lines painted on a concrete floor or floor covering. The zone is on both sides of the hatch. The second safety feature is when the hatch detects an obstruction in its path, the hatch's downward movement is stopped and the hatch reverses itself. This back-and-forth movement is repeated until the hatch is powered off by a resident. This is the final safety feature. A power access switch box is wall-mounted near the hatch's left frame. This control box has a switch and two power indicator lamps. Under normal conditions, the switch is turned to ON, the lamps glow green, and the hatch is powered. In an emergency condition, the switch is turned to OFF, the lamps glow red, and the hatch is not powered. This hatch can't be picked by a locksmith.

For Vault Security, they benefit from this last safety feature. By carefully selecting which hatches are powered, the Security officers can direct a person of interest towards a location in which they can be apprehended without endangering the lives of other residents.

Vault 101 Locations

 * Apartments
 * Classroom
 * Clinic
 * Physician's Office

Hatch Model #2
This hatch is identical in function and safety features to the first hatch model. Some of these hatches could be unlocked by an inexperienced locksmith; whereas, other hatches require a more experienced locksmith.

On both sides of the hatch, there is a centrally painted white vertical band with red text and symbols. Under the palm of a left hand, the words read, "No Access - Authorized Personnel Only". There are downward pointing chevrons above and below the text.

Vault 101 Locations

 * Main Entrance
 * Overseer's Office

Hatch Model #3
This is a one-piece, manually operated hatch. Hydraulic motors swing the hatch to 90 degrees of the wall when opening, and reverses the movement when closing. On one side of the hatch, there are two circular indicators lighted by lamps. When the hatch is close, both indicators display diagonal red lines on a white background. As the the hatch is opening, the indicators switch over to new displays. One of the indicators displays the word OPEN in red text on a white background; whereas, in the other indicator, the words STAND BACK are displayed in red text on a black background. When this hatch is closed, the lock can't be picked by a locksmith.

Vault 101 Locations

 * Filter Room
 * Reactor Room
 * Storeroom (Reactor Level)

Vault Blast Door
A Vault requires proper sealants against radiation and other hazardous elements that may be created in the event of a nuclear war, to properly protect its inhabitants. Vault-Tec, in their infinite wisdom, used a number of different door models in their shelters, the most common being the tried-and-true Seal-N-Safe Vault Door Model No. 343 (denoted as such in the Vault 15 townmap).

Seal-N-Safe Vault Door Model No. 343
Most common model, this door was first used in the demonstration Vault beneath Los Angeles. It had a smooth outer surface and opened outwards, rolled to the side by an extending mechanical arm. It was a very compact design, usually followed by a long air lock, ending in a high security door, with two layers of steel and a slab of lead in the middle.

East Coast model
A far more crude model was used in the East Coast Vaults, this particular one opened inwards, with the use of a hydraulic arm. They are shaped like cogs. When opened a large mechanical arm swings down from the ceiling and open the vault door from the inside. It pushes inward and rolls off to the side allowing access. This manner produced an extreme amount of unhealthy grinding noise during opening, easily damaging one's eardrums.