Have you ever had a key break in a lock? I have. I was living in a tiny one bedroom apartment shortly after graduating from college and one winter evening I stuck my key in the door, went to turn it, and it broke right off. Initially, I stood there in utter disbelief. I couldn’t believe that a key could break in half. This was long before the advent of the cell phone, so it wasn’t like I could just call someone for help. Instead, I ended up having to go door to door until I could find a neighbor willing to assist me. It was a real pain. The next day the landlord came and fished the broken key out of the lock and gave me a few tips on what to do should I have problems with locks in the future.
A little patience and these five tips can go a long way:
When A Key Breaks In The Lock
If the key went all the way in before it broke, try turning the key with a pair of pliers. If that doesn’t work, try removing the broken piece with pliers or with a thin wire. Some stores carry key extractor kits (you may want to keep one handy in a toolbox). If that still doesn’t work do what my landlord did–get on the other side of the door, unscrew and pull out the lock cylinder and push the broken key out with a pin. If all else fails, call a locksmith.
Frozen Locks
To melt the ice inside the lock you can either heat the key with a lighter, then carefully insert it into the lock or you can spray the keyhole with a de-icer. Some recommend using a hair dryer on a frozen lock, but I have found that one, I don’t have a blow dryer handy when I am outside and two, where would I plug it in?
When The Lock Won’t Move After You’ve Inserted The Key
The lock probably needs lubricating. In most cases by removing the lock from the door and applying petroleum solvent and some penetrating oil you can eliminate this problem.
When The Key Turns But Won’t Unlock The Door
The lock is probably broken and you should call a locksmith to repair it. If you are handy you could attempt to replace it yourself; many hardware stores carry do-it-yourself lock kits.
When The Dead Bolt Doesn’t Catch
Your door likely needs to be realigned. The easy fix is to move the strike plate so the latch fits squarely into the hole. This can be done by raising or lowering the plate or chiseling out space behind it.