Nothing is worse than when you go to use your house key or office key only to find that it sticks when you try and use it. You may spend time outside the door jiggling and wiggling the key to try and get it to work. This can be embarrassing if people are waiting on you and nerve wracking when you just want the safety of being inside the premises. It can also be a real hindrance and take away unnecessary time from your busy schedule. What could be wrong and why will your key not work?
California Lock & Key has prepared a list of the three main reasons a key stops functioning and also how to get your key working in your lock again.
1. The key has been used A LOT and is worn: This is the exact opposite of having a frozen lock that has not been used in a long time. This is when a key is so old and has been used so often that it stats to wear away and the cuts in the key start to dull and get too worn down. This can also be a result of the lock being over used and wearing away as well. This can make it so that the key will not engage in the lock and not allow the unit to turn either way.
2. The key is broken or chipped: This can be when a part of the key has been broken off. You can also have a piece inside the lock that has been broken and that will make it so that the key no longer fits in the lock. This can also happen when the key breaks off in the lock and cannot be removed.
3. The key could be what is called corroded or frozen lock. This happened more than often when a key has not been used for very long time and has gotten stuck in either the locked position or the unlocked position so long the metal starts to corrode and cause the area to be very hard to re-engage the lock.
There is one trick you can try to solve a corroded or frozen lock. California Lock & Key recommends you try to lube the key and the lock. You can use graphite which can be purchased at a home improvement store. Take the key and rub on some of the graphite and insert in back in the lock. You want to engage and disengage the lock several times so that the lube can work throughout the lock and key to ensure that it is working properly. This may be what fixes the problem and has your key working like new again.
Professional Chipped Key Replacement, Key Duplication, Re-Keying & Changing of Locks in Burbank, Van Nuys, Long Beach, Thousand Oaks, Santa Clarita, Culver City, Northridge & West Los Angeles CA
If you find that the above tip hasn’t worked or you know that the key is worn down or broken, call California Lock & Key to come out and make new keys or replace the broken lock.
