A front door lock is one of those household items that is barely given a second thought until the day it no longer works as it should. Failure of a door lock gives rise to a sense of panic as the front door refuses to open and alternative methods to access the house are contemplated. However, it is uncommon for a door lock to suddenly fail and there are normally warning signs that something is amiss. Here are three signs that your front door lock is failing and it is time to hire a locksmith to repair or replace it.
Key Does Not Move Once Inserted
The ridges along with the edge of your front door key perfectly align with the notches on the mechanism inside the door lock. When the ridges and the notches align, the mechanism rotates to pull back the latch and open the door. However, if a key is inserted into the door lock but the mechanism does not rotate, then this issue could be caused by:
You must not force a key to turn a lock when you meet resistance because this could cause the key to break off and become stuck in the locking mechanism. In this situation, call your locksmith to come and examine the lock.
Key Turns The Lock But Door Does Not Open
The opposite of the first situation is when you insert the key into the lock but it spins without unlatching the door. In this instance, the interior part of the lock which connects the rotation mechanism to the door latch has become dislodged or broken away completely. When this happens, you need a locksmith to replace the lock completely.
Door Lock Feels Loose
When you place one hand on the door lock and then use your other hand to insert the key, no part of the door lock should move except for the mechanism where the key is inserted. However, over time the screws holding the door lock in place may become loose. This makes the lock move when you go to insert the key. In this situation, your locksmith can tighten up all screws holding the lock in place so that it no longer moves around.
If you notice any of these signs when using your door lock, contact your locksmith to get it seen to as soon as possible so that it does not deteriorate to a situation where the lock does not work at all.
Share6 May 2020
After our home was vandalized when we were away on vacation, I realized that we really needed to spend a little money to update our door locks and hardware. We looked at our broken locks, figured out where we went wrong, and immediately started working with a locksmith to correct the issue. It was amazing to see what a great difference we were able to make. The locksmith came out, replaced our old, damaged locks with an electronic version, and taught us how to use the system. This blog is all about your different door lock options, so that you understand how to keep your home safe.