I CANNOT GET MY KEY IN MY LOCK (The result of ice and glue)

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“I cannot get my key in my lock, it worked yesterday when I locked the store but now my key will not even go in the lock.”

A sudden malfunction of a lock as described by a customer calling in for service is usually the result of freezing rain, a key broken in the lock, debris shoved into the lock, sudden corrosion of the tumblers after an intense storm, or glue.

Before I start talking about ice, glue and debris preventing your key from entering the lock, try WD-40. Spray WD-40 into the keyhole. Work the key in and out if you can. This simple procedure may get the door open. Then you can call a reputable locksmith to repair or service your lock.

Sometimes the debris in the lock is “pocket lint.” Many people carry their keys in their pants pocket. The keys collect very small amounts of lint from the pocket fabric. When the key is inserted into the lock the lint falls off in the keyhole. Now imagine someone using their key twice a day for five years. The lint, even very small amounts, will collect and compact at the end of the keyway until eventually the key will not go all the way into the lock. The key may appear to be entering the lock normally because the difference between fully inserted and partially inserted is as little as-a-sixteenth- of-an-inch.

There were times I had to file off the tip of the key to get the key to enter the lock completely, then unlock the door and disassemble the lock cylinder.  I removed the back of the plug. The plug is the small round piece you insert your key into. Once the back of the plug is removed I insert another key, any key will do. The object is to push the debris in the keyhole out of the plug.

Sometimes a compacted wad of lint, as thick as an-eighth- of-an-inch, will pop out the back of the keyhole.

Freezing rain can ice-over auto-locks and regular home and office locks. It is more common for the door lock on a car to ice-over, preventing the key from entering the lock. Sometimes moisture gets into the lock and freezes. The key will go in the lock but not turn.

The best fix for frozen locks is alcohol. There are products on the market called Lock De-Icer. This is a small pressurized can of alcohol and lubricant. Lock De-Icer is inexpensive and easy to use. Another method is to hold the car key with pliers and heat the blade of the key with a match, then insert the hot key into the lock. I prefer Lock De-Icer. Buy a can and carry it in your purse or coat pocket during winter.

I do not remember running many service calls for frozen locks. Most of my professional career as a locksmith has been in southFlorida. Glue is a more common problem where I live. Glue never falls into the lock by accident; it is always squeezed in the keyhole with malicious intent.

Glue is almost always death for the lock. I will demonstrate how glue can be melted with heat and the key used to unlock the door. You should know I have NEVER used this method on the job. Using a torch on someone’s home or business lock is a HIGH-RISK procedure. I always drill out the lock cylinder and replace the cylinder. The cylinder is the keyhole assembly of the lock. Sometimes the whole lock has to be replaced, but this is when the lock is inexpensive and cylinders are not available as a separate component.

If you think your lock has been glued, your best option is to call a professional locksmith. Using a torch to melt glue should be used as a last resort. My purpose for mentioning this method is to inform only. I have never used a torch on a customer’s property.

Glue is almost impossible to clean out of a lock cylinder. Unless the lock is not replaceable, such as an antique or obsolete item, it is always cheaper to replace the lock cylinder or the entire lock. Cleaning glue out of a lock is labor intensive and would cost several hours of a locksmith’s time.

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