4 Top Problems That Affect Locks And How To Handle Them
Posted on: 15 November 2021
A broken door lock is both annoying and inconvenient. It means you cannot access the affected room with ease. In addition, a door lock exposes you and your family to theft and burglary. That's because criminals can easily tamper with the lock to enter the house. Because of that, it is essential to call a residential locksmith as soon as you notice unusual behavior in a lock. Professional residential locksmiths can handle the following issues:
A Door Lock That's Sticky
Sticky locks are a popular door lock issue. This situation occurs when the door is too dry, or dirt has accumulated inside the locking mechanism. You can address a dirty or poorly-lubricated lock by applying graphite or the right lube spray onto the door.
If your door opens to the outside, spraying a commercial lock cleaner into the hole can resolve the problem. Typically, the cleaning agent dissolves all the dirt and debris in the lock and restores its function.
A Key Broken Inside the Lock
Your key can break in the lock due to old age or applying excessive force when turning it. When this happens, you cannot operate the lock until the broken piece is out. You can pull the piece of the key with needle-nose pliers.
But if the key does not extend far enough for you to use the pliers in pulling it out, consider putting a cut-off length of a coping saw into the hole to hook the blade and drag it out. If these two fixes do not work, call a professional residential locksmith to handle the situation.
A Lock That's Frozen
Frozen door locks are a usual occurrence in places with cold weather. When water freezes inside the lock, you cannot insert or turn the key. A quick remedy, in this case, is warming the lock to thaw the water. You may use a hairdryer or aerosol lock deicer to melt the ice water in the lock.
A Key that Won't Turn
A key that fails to turn shows that all is not well. Sometimes, the key can jam as a result of rust. The best remedy, in that case, is to apply a silicone lubricant. You may also need to hire a locksmith to reposition the locks strike plate.
Though locks are essential, they encounter numerous mechanical issues, as seen above. For that reason, it is crucial to partner with a reliable residential locksmith to ensure that your lock issues are resolved in time and efficiently.
Contact a residential locksmith for more information.
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