How to Do Your Own Lock Repair You can repair your locks yourself or engage a professional locksmith when they become faulty. However, the process of fixing locks can be tricky and if you don't follow the correct procedure, it could lead to further damage. The first step is to confirm that the problem is not caused by dirt or dust. Graphite spray or a silicone-based lubricant are a good choice to eliminate this issue. 1. Locked Door Knob or Handle Over time doors knobs and handles may become loose. This could result in an unbalanced knob or handle that is difficult to open. Knobs that are loose in the door are not only annoying but they could compromise your home's security, making it important to find and resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Fortunately, a doorknob that is loose or handle is fairly simple to fix. Depending on the lock system installed in your door, there are a variety of options to fix this. Some systems have exposed mounting screws that are easy to access, whereas others use a backplate that hides the screws that hold the lock together. This is a more complicated method when your door has a backplate that hides the screws. Most interior doorknobs come with a small screw known as an setscrew located on the inside of the knob, which prevents it from sliding across the spindle. This is a part of the latch assembly. If yours is jiggly, it could be due to a small screw known as a set screw on the inside of the knob that prevents it from sliding over the spindle. You can use a flashlight to locate the set screw and then tighten it using an Allen wrench. Once the screw is tightened then turn the knob to verify if it feels secure. If the knob is jiggly it could be because the screw that sets it hasn't been placed correctly. To ensure that the screw is positioned correctly Look for a small, corresponding button on the spindle. Place the knob on the spindle after pressing the button with the flathead screwdriver. The knob should click into position when you do this, indicating it is properly positioned on the spindle. Once you have ensured that the set screw has been positioned correctly and tightened it again to secure the knob. This should fix the problem, but if not then you might need to remove the knob and check the backplate for loose or missing screws. You'll need to replace the screws in the event of this before you can reinstall the knob or handle. If you aren't comfortable with this type of repair, you should contact a professional locksmith who offers damaged lock repair to help. 2. Key Won't Turn in Lock There are many reasons that your key may cease to turn in the lock. One of the most frequent reasons is that the pins inside the cylinder have begun to wear out, which means they don't have the correct shape to move the wafers, sliders or tumblers that allow the key to open the lock. In this instance spraying the lock with lubricant made of silicone or graphite spray will help coat the pins and allow them to move again. If the issue is more severe and the key has been bent out of shape, you may need to have it straightened professionally. A professional locksmith can employ a specialty tool to straighten the key, that is designed with an angled tip that fits into the groove that is recessed on the key's tip. This kind of tool isn't available in hardware stores, but you can purchase an entire kit of the correct tools online or in the locksmith shop. A dirty or contaminated lock is another possibility. Dust can accumulate over time in the lock's cylinder and cause the pins or springs to become stuck. In this instance you'll need to spray the lock with WD-40, graphite spray or a silicone-based lubricant to remove it and then reposition the pins back to their original positions. If the key itself is damaged, it could also be a problem. Keys can wear down over time through repeated use, which can result in the groves wearing down or even become smoother. This could cause the key to not fit in the cylinder. It is crucial to regularly check to make sure that the key is fitted correctly. Locks can freeze during the winter months. This can stop the pins and springs from moving when keys are placed. This can be a frustrating issue however, it can be resolved by warming the lock up by using hot water and then re-lubricating it. If the lock is damaged beyond repair or has froze the lock, it will have to be replaced. 3. The Lock isn't Turning If you've had a lock that doesn't turn and isn't able to be opened, it can be extremely frustrating. If this happens frequently you might want to think about hiring a locksmith to take a look at the lock to determine whether they can assist. This isn't always needed, as some problems can be solved by yourself. The key won't rotate in the lock if damaged. You may experience this if you have lost your key, or if it's damaged inside the lock. Rather than trying to fish it out of the lock which could cause the broken piece of the key to be pushed further inside the mechanism and make the problem much worse, try using needle-nosed pliers to remove it from the lock. Be careful not to harm the lock by tearing off any part of the broken key using the pliers. It's also possible that your lock is misaligned which could cause the door to not latch properly. If you're lucky enough to have an extra key, it could be tested in the lock to ensure that it works correctly and isn't the issue. If you discover that the lock is misaligned by tightening the screws around the strike plate will solve the issue and allow the lock to perform normally. A lock might not rotate because of dirt or dust. This problem can be solved by using the lubricant based on silicon or graphite to cover the pins of the lock. This allows them to move up & down in a normal manner. It's important not to use oils-based products such as WD-40 for this though since they could cause more obstructions later on. It is important to remember that some keys simply won't fit into all locks. If yours is one of them you might want to get a new key from an area hardware store so that it can be used inside the lock. 4. The Cylinder is rotating. When https://www.repairmywindowsanddoors.co.uk/harrow-window-lock-repairs-near-me/ rotates within a confinement gap it can result in the formation of hairpin vortices which can lead to significant forces on the cylinder. The forces are proportional to the dimensionless curvature radius and the confinement factor. The head, the tube and main body of the cylinder are made of aluminum alloy. If you're able insert your key in and turn it however the lock isn't turning, there may be an issue with the cylinder. Rekeying the lock may fix this problem. You can purchase kits to do this online or in many big box stores.