Locks rarely fail without warning. Instead they stiffen, stick and need a particular angle for months first. Consequently most emergency callouts were avoidable, and the signs below are the ones people ignore.
Signs the lock itself is failing
Firstly, a key that needs a specific angle. Secondly, a key that needs a wiggle. Thirdly, a deadbolt you have to lift into place. Each of these describes wear, and none improves on its own. Furthermore, a lock that has started needing force will eventually snap the key rather than turn.
The five-minute test
Throw every deadbolt with the door open, then closed. If it moves freely open and binds closed, the frame has shifted and the strike needs adjusting rather than the lock replacing.
Signs the key situation has changed
Fourthly, a lost key. Fifthly, a departing tenant or housemate. Sixthly, moving into a house someone else lived in. Consequently these three call for rekeying rather than replacement, because the hardware is fine and only the key list has changed. Therefore they are far cheaper to resolve than people expect.
The seventh: the lock is simply old
A builder-grade knob lock from 1985 is not a security device by current standards. Similarly, a deadbolt with a one-inch strike screw fails at the frame regardless of its grade. Consequently age alone justifies an upgrade on an exterior door, particularly the one you use least and inspect least.
Rekey, service or replace
Many locks reported as broken are simply dirty. Consequently cleaning, lubricating with dry graphite and rekeying restores them cheaply. However, a cylinder with worn pins and a chewed keyway has gone too far. Therefore ask for both prices and the reasoning, and expect an honest answer about which is worth doing.
Questions we get about this
My key needs a specific angle. Is that serious?
It is wear, and it gets worse. Consequently service it before it snaps.
My deadbolt only sticks in winter.
Frame movement. Therefore adjusting the strike usually fixes it without new hardware.
Do I need to replace after losing a key?
No. Rekeying is enough and costs far less.
Can old locks be saved?
Often, by cleaning and rekeying. However, worn cylinders eventually need replacing.
What is the cheapest security upgrade?
Three-inch strike screws into the stud. Because most doors fail at the frame.
