Use your key correctly without too much force, and minimise risk of your key getting stuck in the lock half turned. If you’re in a rush, you’re carrying other items like shopping bags, or you have a stiff door lock (which you should be replacing), you are likely to apply excessive force to your key whilst trying to open your door. If you know which lock you need, check out our quality range of locks here. If you aren’t sure which lock you need, check out our article on the most common types of lock and which doors to use them with. If you suspect your lock isn’t working as smoothly as it should, we recommend replacing it sooner rather than later to ensure you don’t run the risk of breaking your key in the lock or, worse, a break-in occuring. You should instead use a lubricant that is Teflon, silicone or graphite based such as Du Pont Multi-Use. WD-40 is a solvent, not a lubricant, and may remove any lubricant already in the lock cylinder. Contrary to popular belief, do not use something like WD-40 for doing this. To keep locks working smoothly we’d recommend lubricating them at least once a year. Locks will typically weaken due to a poor installation, extreme temperature changes, a buildup of debris in the internal mechanisms and/or rough key handling. If it’s hot, don’t leave them in direct sunlight and try to prevent sitting on them by not putting them in your back pocket. Only use keys for what they are intended for and try to keep them locked in smaller compartments within your bag so that they don’t travel and “bounce around” too much. When your key is damaged, it’s much more likely to break off or get stuck inside your lock. For example, using your key to open parcels or tins of paint is likely to wear the teeth down and leaving the key in your back pocket or loosely “knocking around” in your bag can cause stress to the body making the key bend. What causes the key to weaken?Īs keys are made from soft metals they are prone to damage for seemingly innocuous uses beyond their intended purpose. Most importantly, manufacturing keys using soft metals makes them much less likely to damage the door lock as you insert it. Being made from a soft metal allows key cutting to remain cheap as well as much easier to alter if the first cut didn’t quite fit the lock it was made for. Keys are usually made from brass, soft metal and aren’t as strong as we might assume. We’ll take a look at some of the common issues for keys breaking into locks and how to prevent these from happening. Alternatively, it may be that the lock is faulty or it’s mechanism has become clogged up with debris. Firstly, the key itself might have weakened over time making it more likely to snap when being turned, especially if done so with excessive force. Why do keys break in locks?Ī key might break in a lock for a number of reasons. In most cases, however, you should be able to resolve the problem yourself, quickly and cheaply, with a few household items. You may think your only choice is to call out a locksmith which is likely to cost you upwards of £70 plus any new hardware that you need. If you are having a problem with a broken key in your lock or lock system, call us today! We will be happy to send one of our technicians over to you if need be.A broken key in a lock can feel like an emergency. If you have a broken key in your lock and would like assistance, we will help fast!Īt Blue Star Locksmith Services, our goal is to provide the customers with the best possible service at an affordable price. In some cases, it might be less expensive to replace the lock than repair it. At Blue Star Locksmith Services, we try to determine whether or not it makes sense for us to repair broken key extraction jobs before we begin working on them. This repair service can be costly depending on what needs to be repaired. If the broken key has caused damage to the interior of your locks, such as jamming up a spring or other internal workings, we may need to repair this damage first. If there is something lodged inside of your lock, we will try to extract it and remove it if possible. This includes accessing the lock, removing the broken key, and securing the lock for you.Īfter we unlock your door for you, we will remove the broken key from your lock. Therefore, we charge a small fee to unlock your door from the inside of your home. We do not want our customers paying for services that they are not able to complete themselves. In order for us to extract your broken key from your lock, we will need access to the inside of your door. If this is the case, call Blue Star for help. This can be because the door or lock has been damaged in some way or because the broken key is stuck on something inside the lock. Some locks are very difficult to remove a broken key from.
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