How to Do Your Own Lock Repair

You can repair your locks yourself or hire a professional locksmith when they begin to fail. Lock repair can be tricky, and the wrong approach could cause further damage.

You must first see if the problem is due to dust or dirt. This is usually solved by applying a graphite spray or silicone-based lubricant.

1. Locked Door Knob or Handle

Door knobs and handles could get loose over time, which can result in a jiggly door handle or knobs that are difficult to open. It is crucial to replace loose door knobs as they can be a nuisance, but can compromise the security of your building. A doorknob that is loose is simple to fix. Depending on the lock you have installed on your door, there are a variety of solutions to fix it. Certain lock systems have easily accessible mounting screws, while others use backplates to hide the screws. If your door has the latter type, this method might be more difficult.

Most doorknobs with interiors come with a small screw known as a setscrew that is located on the inside of the knob, which prevents it from sliding over the spindle. This is part of the latch assembly. If yours is jiggly, it could be because of tiny screws, referred to as a setscrew, on the inside of the doorknob that's hindering it from sliding across the spindle. You can make use of a flashlight to locate the set screw, then tighten it using an Allen wrench. Once the screw is tightened by turning the knob, test if it is solid.

If the knob is jiggly it could be because the screw that sets it hasn't been properly positioned. To ensure that the screw is properly positioned you should look for a small, identical button on the spindle. Depress the button with a flathead screwdriver, and then slide the knob across the spindle. When you do this the knob should begin to click and show that it is rightly positioned on the spindle.

After ensuring that the set screw is properly positioned and tighten it once more to secure the knob or handle in place. If this doesn't solve the issue, you may need to remove the knob from the backplate and check for loose or missing screws. You will need to replace window locks the screws in this case before you can reinstall the knob or handle. If you aren't comfortable with this type of repair, you should call a professional locksmith who offers damaged lock repair to help.

2. Key Won't Turn in Lock

There are a number of reasons why your key might stop turning in the lock. One of the most frequent reasons is that the pins inside the cylinder are worn down. This means that they no longer have the proper shape that allows the wafers or sliders to move with the key. In this instance an easy fix would be spraying the lock with graphite or lubricant made of silicone to coat the pins and help them to move once more.

If the issue is more serious and the key has bent out of shape, it may be necessary to have it professionally straightened. A professional locksmith will employ a special tool that has an angled edge that fits into the groos could happen if you've lost your key, or it is broken in the lock. Instead of trying to get the key from the lock, which could result in it being further pushed into the mechanism and make it worse you can use needle-nosedpliers to take the key from the lock. You'll want to be careful not to cut off any of the broken piece by using the pliers or you could damage the lock.

You may also have a misaligned lock, which can cause the window door lock repair to latch properly. If you have an extra lock key, you may test it to make sure that the lock is working correctly. If you find that the lock isn't aligned properly tightening the screws on the strike plate will fix the issue and allow the lock to function normally.

Another reason your key may not be turning is that there is dust or dirt in the lock preventing it from turning. Using a graphite spray or a silicone-based lubricant could solve this problem by coating the pins in the lock so that they are able to move up and down as normal. It is important to avoid using products that contain oil such as WD-40 to solve this problem, however, as these can cause further clogging problems down the road.

It's important to know that certain keys won't fit into all locks. If this is the case, you'll require a new key manufactured by a local hardware store.

4. The Cylinder is Rotating

Hairpin vortices can develop when a cylinder is rotated in a confinement space. These vortices can exert significant forces on the rotating cylinder. The forces are proportional to dimensionless curvature radius x and the confinement factor. The head, the tube and the main body of the cylinder are made of aluminum alloy.

If you can insert your key and turn it but the lock still rotates, the cylinder may be defective. Rekeying your lock can resolve the problem. You can buy kits for this purpose online or in most big box stores.