Is your front door lock jammed? Universal methods for troubleshooting

There is nothing more unpleasant than coming home and struggling with the front door lock that has suddenly jammed.

People have used wooden bolts and latches since ancient times. When metal appeared, locks became metal. However, designs vaguely resembling modern ones appeared in England only in 870. This was a new stage in the “fate of castles”. Now it is difficult to imagine any home without a lock.

What to do if the door does not open and how to open the lock? Provided that the owner is familiar with the mechanism, you can try to open it yourself using a pin, screwdriver, crowbar or other tools.

Opening a stuck front door lock

It is best to turn to specialists, but there are situations when calling a specialist is not possible. Moreover, independent intervention in most cases leads to aggravation of the problem. Below is a mini guide on how to open a door lock with minimal losses.

What to do if the key is stuck in the lock and won’t turn

It is necessary to lubricate the key hole with a liquid - WD - 40 station wagon. After a short period of time, try to open again.

Perhaps the lock is jammed due to condensation accumulated inside

In the household department there is always liquid - defroster. We water the lock hole as deeply as possible with it. Next we follow the instructions for the liquid.

The key is stuck in the lock, broken or completely broken

You'll have to work with pliers. When the end of the key is very small and there is nothing to grab onto, you should drill out the central secret part.

The lock may not open if the door is skewed

If you lift the edge of the door with a pry bar or other improvised means, the locking device can be unlocked.

The front door lever lock is stuck

If, after making a couple of revolutions, the next one does not turn, then the reason is that the lever lock is jammed. The protrusions (longitudinal) should be ground off with a file. They do not allow the key to turn.

Next, turn the key inside out and unlock the lock. Provided that the file is missing, you need to release the lock. The key is inserted upside down.

The key is stuck in the cylinder lock - what to do?

This type of lock has a weak point - its larva. It tends to break first. It cannot be repaired, but it can be replaced, and on your own. You need to proceed like this: at the end of the door leaf we twist the side metal strip.

Next, you need to find the screw that holds the cylinder in place and unscrew it. Remove the contents of the larva, having previously purchased a similar one. Put everything in reverse order. Remove the key.

The locking mechanism is blocked

The most common reason is contamination and, as a result, fixation of the tongue. In this case, the door and shutter do not open. The solution to this point is to press the tongue. It is worth using a metal ruler or a knife blade. In extreme cases, plastic will do.

It is necessary to insert the blade into the gap between the door and the frame. The farther you can insert it, the faster the tongue will catch. Next, push the far edge of the tongue out of the groove. You will need to apply force to the process until a characteristic click appears.

Should you try to fix it yourself?

If the lock is jammed, you should contact a specialist. To solve a problem yourself, you need free time, tools, knowledge and skills. In the absence of understanding of the design of the locking device and experience in carrying out repairs, the situation can only worsen. As a result, time will be lost and more money will have to be spent to solve the problem. If you have no confidence in your own strengths and capabilities, it is better to immediately turn to a professional. But a specialist must be selected responsibly. Otherwise, you can call a specialist and find yourself in a difficult situation when he cannot carry out repairs and eventually says that the entire system needs to be changed. As a result, you will have to pay for diagnostics, repairs and replacements. Financial expenses will be significant. It is worth calling a specialist if the key turns every once in a while, but you need to choose a specialist with a high rating and positive reviews. It will be good if it is not private, but full-time. Service companies provide a guarantee for the work and pre-calculate the estimate. Their staff includes competent and experienced specialists. Our craftsmen repair the locking mechanism quickly and efficiently.

Reasons for a jammed door lock

Any mechanism can break down and fail. However, an experienced master can predict the situation in advance.

Signs that the door lock will soon break:

• slight periodic jamming;
• getting stuck when turning;
• inability to close the “first time”;
• “overshoot” at idle;
• the presence of extraneous crackling.

Most likely the reasons for the lock failure are mechanical. Nevertheless, careless treatment of the mechanism affects its condition.

It is always better to be proactive and check for circumstances that could be fatal for the castle:

• debris in the keyhole;
• use of the key for other purposes and, as a result, deformation;
• “slamming” doors with excessive force;
• swelling of the canvas due to high humidity;
• distortion due to the massiveness of the structure;
• use of a duplicate made in a handicraft way;
• not regular maintenance: lubrication, cleaning;
• incorrect actions during operation;
• manufacturing defects;
• installation by non-professionals;
• uneven hinges, sagging door leaf.

Replacing a damaged larva

The method of replacing a faulty core depends on the type of failure and the required urgency of action:

1. The key cannot be inserted, it jams, it turns - initially it is recommended to clean the mechanism and lubricate it with special products (machine oil, grease, universal WD-40). If the action does not help, replace the larva using the method of drilling through a hole. The method will help to completely preserve the structure.
2. The key broke in the lock, debris or foreign objects got into the hole, and they cannot be removed - replacing the core is also carried out by drilling, but the drill is not placed in the hole, but in the narrow part of the cylinder.
3. The lock is locked and cannot be opened. If you need to quickly unlock the door, knocking or breaking is used. But later the lock will have to be completely changed.
4. There is no key to unlock the door - you can try to open the door with master keys, this is a more gentle way. It is better to replace the larva by drilling it out.

How to solve a problem

The solution depends on the situation and the problem itself.

Let's look at the main reasons and ways to resolve them:

• Mechanical damage. These include a broken key, its wedge, and “jamming” of moving parts in the central part of the lock. Sometimes such damage can be repaired on your own.
• If there is a manufacturing defect, you must invite a sales representative of the company or a service center to service the product.
• Unfair operation wears out the working mechanism. A jammed key can be repaired by lubricating the key hole.

• Sagging and distortions of the sash during installation can only be eliminated in one way - redoing it. This issue can be resolved with the help of specialists who carried out the installation. The same problems include skewed door leaf.
• If you have a complex lock with several degrees of protection, self-repair is not recommended. It will lead to disappointment and worsen the situation.
• If the key does not go all the way, then you cannot push it with force. It should be treated with oil or washed with kerosene. Then just try to insert the key into the lock, making careful movements.

• To clean debris in the lock (match, chewing gum), you can use tweezers, hard wire or a brush with metal bristles.
• If the problem is the key sticking out on the opposite side, you can try to squeeze it out using a nail file, hairpin, or French pin.

Hairpins and barrettes can also become master keys

With some skills, you can make tools with which you can perform an intellectual autopsy from an ordinary hairpin. You can also try opening the lock with a paper clip or an iron pin. I must say that any piece of wire will not work here. You should choose those that have suitable strength and mechanical characteristics. It is best to make master keys from the so-called “invisible” ones:

• The pin bends into a straight rod.
• What makes it a master key is the shape of the letter “G” as in the previous description.
• The free end of the hairpin, for convenience, is bent into the form of a handle.
• You also need a second hairpin, straightened and bent at an angle of 90 degrees, which will serve as a lever.
• A lock is a cylindrical secret with pins of different heights that firmly fix it. Similar, spring-loaded pins are located in the body of the lock. A key inserted into the hole acts on the pins, pushing them down. As they sink, they become in a position where their ends coincide with the cut of the secretion. This allows you to rotate the cylinder mechanism, since it is removed from the rigid fixation.

The task is to act on the pins with a master key made of “invisibility” and slightly rotate the cylinder using a pin lever, to place them one after another in a position where unhindered rotation of the lock cylinder is possible.

It is unlikely that you will be able to open the lock in this way if the cylinder mechanism is jammed or completely broken.

If there are no results from using the techniques given in the article, then you can always break into any entrance lock using more radical methods, for example, drilling out the cylinder or knocking out the door.

Related article: Is it possible to make a door in a load-bearing wall?

Universal ways to open a door

It is recommended to perform an emergency opening of the door only when there is no burglary protection.

It is important not to cause harm! Do not damage the working mechanism.

If the door does not open, we try alternative methods:

• For cylinder mechanisms, it is important to try to find a similar key.
• Door release method. It opens access to the latch. Use a tool (screwdriver, knife) to press the latch so that it comes out of the strike plate.
• Turning the secret part with a screwdriver.

• Picking the lock. Drill out the larvae. Knock out the lever (secret with curly cutouts).
• Chemicals can be quite aggressive. If the lock in the door is jammed, you need to fill the keyhole with acid or liquid nitrogen, then roll up the mechanism.

Opening the cylinder mechanism with master keys

The cylinder lock of the front door, overhead or mortise, is characterized by increased secrecy, and opening some of them without damage can be problematic. However, practice shows that such a difficult problem can be solved with the help of a paper clip and a curved screwdriver with a thin rod. You need to make a master key as follows: the tip of the screwdriver is bent at an angle of 45 degrees, and the letter “G” is made from a straightened paper clip, the short end of which is approximately 3 millimeters. Using a master key inserted into the cylinder lock mechanism, the locking pins of the cylinder are installed in the desired position, and a screwdriver is used as a rolling lever.

The master key is manipulated by lightly and constantly turning the screwdriver. The position of the pins is guessed visually and by sound.

This simple method often comes to the rescue when you need to open a furniture lock, or a barn or English hinged lock is broken. It can be used equally if the lock is mortise or overhead. You can clearly see everything in the following video:

Lock operation prevention

To prevent the door lock from breaking, you need to:

1. Check the availability of warranty obligations.
2. Purchase good quality locks made in Austria, Germany, Poland, Turkey or Ukraine.
3. Checking the functionality of the mechanism at the place of purchase.
4. Inspect the lock for nicks and rust.
5. Follow the operating instructions after installation.

Important! Prevention must be done with means intended for mechanisms.

It is not recommended to use natural oils (sunflower, etc.), as they increase the risk of dust and dirt sticking.

Knockout

The method requires force on the mechanism - you will need a chisel and a hammer.

Place the chisel against the cylinder, then hit it vigorously with a hammer. Cheap locks are easily susceptible to this type of attack. Upon impact, the pins will bend the body of the device and the core will fall out from the back of the door. After this, you need to pry off the internal mechanism with a screwdriver and move the crossbars. The lock will open.

You should act carefully, since careless and excessive force can lead to damage not only to the locking mechanism, but also to the door leaf. The method is suitable for locks of burglary resistance classes 1 and 2; high-quality locks are protected from being knocked out.

It will not be possible to keep the larva in good condition using this method.

Necessary tool

Depending on the nature of the breakdown, different tools are used to repair the lock and unlock the front door:

• Lubricants if the malfunction is associated with a high coefficient of friction and the presence of corrosion. A penetrating lubricant is best suited for such purposes.
• A screwdriver, if necessary, to disassemble the lock. To speed up this operation, a screwdriver with replaceable bits is suitable.

Screwdriver

• Pliers for removing a broken key with force.
• Grinder for sawing hinges or frames in case of an irreparable situation.
• A crowbar for squeezing the door in case the door is jammed in the frame.
• A hammer with a chisel, if necessary, to knock out the cylinder from the cylinder.
• A drill with a metal drill when deciding to drill out the larva.

Drill for drilling out the cylinder

The above is not a complete list of tools for repairing a lock in case of jamming. Many experts use improvised methods to solve the problem.

What can happen to the lock: why doesn’t it open?

The system can fail for many reasons:

• mechanical damage to the device;
• defective parts;
• deformation of the door leaf structure;
• breakage of the unlocking part of the key (excessive abrasion of the teeth);
• the duplicate key is made of low-quality metal;
• blocking of the sting or breakage of the larva;
• incorrect installation of the unit.

To avoid unexpected breakdowns, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the mechanism and correct malfunctions in a timely manner.

The tongue is jammed

The reasons why the tongue inside the lock jams are:

• latch deformation,
• breakdown of spring mechanisms - especially typical for English-type devices;
• violation of the seats of the spring or other elements inside the housing;
• If the tongue is broken (due to impact or slamming) - you will need to disassemble the lock to remove parts.

You can try to solve the problem using a flat and hard object - a plastic card, an aluminum ruler, a knife blade. It must be carefully placed in the gap between the door leaf and the frame and pulled back. This will provide access to the tongue - you need to hook it and press it into the lock, then the door will unlock.

You can also saw the tongue, but this method is labor-intensive and will not work if there is a small gap between the frame and the blade.

If the problem is related to the skewed door leaf, force will be required to align it. You will need a tool that acts as a lever - a screwdriver, a chisel, a wedge. The object must be driven into the problem area, installing the door in its original place. At the same time pull it by the handle to open it.

Calling a specialist from the emergency service

If you need to quickly open a lock without a key, it is advisable to contact specialized organizations for opening, repairing and installing locks. Masters of such services mainly work around the clock and arrive at the scene of an incident from 20 minutes to 1 hour.

The advantage of contacting the special services is the ability to delicately remove the cylinder and install a new one without damaging the lock, handle, or door leaf. The master already has samples of locking mechanisms with him, and he himself will choose the appropriate one.

As a last resort, you can contact the police or the Ministry of Emergency Situations, but then you cannot count on a delicate approach.

What to do if the key gets stuck?

The work should be performed in the same way as when the lock is jammed. It will take a lot of patience when vandals insert matches or other objects into the larva

To correct the situation, use pliers, carefully turning, to pull the key out of the hole. Using thin wires with curved edges, we pull out foreign objects from the larva

If the cylinder is dirty or the lubricant has frozen, the keyhole is filled with VD, after a pause, we try to pull out the stuck key, gradually loosening it

It is important here not to break the key in the well. If this happens, you need to disassemble the lock or remove the cylinder and try to remove the fragment

Lever locks are simple in this regard. Having removed the cover, we release the plates and take out the fragment. If the key remains in the cylinder and does not come out after treatment with liquid, this will require replacing the cylinder.

More complex situations and if there are no skills in working with plumbing tools will require calling specialists.