HOW TO REMOVE A BROKEN KEY FROM THE LOCK CYLINDER

HOW TO REMOVE A BROKEN KEY FROM THE LOCK CYLINDER

Any malfunctioning of the locking system can result in inconvenient situations for you. As a result, a broken key in the cylinder is a serious issue. This is a problem that is particularly common with padlocks and cylindrical locks. In both instances, the owner wishes to have the locking mechanism back in working order as soon as possible. In order to accomplish this, he must carefully remove the key fragment from the lock without causing damage to the lock or the door.

• Reasons why the key can break
• Which tool do you have to use?
• How to remove the broken key from the lock?
• Other door opening methods

Reasons why the key can break

When deciding how to extract the faulty key from the lock cylinder, it is first necessary to determine the cause of the malfunction. As a rule, such problems arise in the following situations:

• The lock was not oiled in time. In this case, the key can get stuck in the hole without breaking. To remove the key, it is often enough to lubricate the mechanism.
• Foreign objects have entered the latch, such as dirt or dust. The problem is almost the same as the one above. Elimination of this problem is also associated with regular care of the lock.
• Key not fully inserted. In this case, the lock does not work usually. Excessive force is applied to open or close the door, resulting in key breakage.
• Use of non-quality duplicates or non-original keys
• Attempts to open the malfunctioning lock with tools that are not suitable for this;
• Heavy wear from the internal mechanism of the lock
• Defects in the construction of the lock or even in the key itself.

Important! The easiest thing you can do to prevent the key from breaking right in the lock is to react to the first signs as soon as possible. If the key has already broken off in the lock, you must remove the piece of the key from the lock as quickly and gently as possible to make your lock work again with minimal financial loss.

Which tool do you have to use?

In practice, such a problem is solved in two different ways.

1. The seemingly simple repair is carried out independently, and the key is removed from the lock.
2. An alternative option is to call a Locksmith Tampa. However, if one’s forces carry out the work, one must first choose the appropriate tool since a professional already has everything he needs.

For example, to remove a broken key from the lock, you can use the following tools:

• Screwdriver
• Tongs
• Tweezers
• Awl
• Paper clip
• Fishhook
• Wire
• Bobby pin

Or any other object that has sharp edges and can assume the desired configuration;

• Scissors
• Drill
• File
• Nail puller
• Crowbar
• Grinder

Except for the last three, most of these tools do not exert severe mechanical effects on keys, locks, or doors. Again, this corresponds to the owner’s wish to minimize possible costs. To do this, he must eliminate or reduce the risk of damage to the door or lock.

Important! You should only open a lock mechanism yourself if you are confident in your abilities.

How to remove the broken key from the lock?

All methods of removing the key from the lock are divided into two types. The first includes gentle methods that do not require subsequent repair or replacement of the lock or door. An alternative option is to disassemble the lock mechanism. In this case, repair work on the door, which is not cheap, usually follows. First and foremost, it is, of course, necessary to try gentle methods of extracting a key that is stuck or broken in the lock cylinder. Try the following:

Oiling of the Castle. Performing this simple operation often helps fix the problem. In particular, it helps when you need to remove the key from the padlock. Unfortunately, this type of lock is usually used outdoors, causing clogging of the internal mechanism and requiring more frequent maintenance.

Put some glue on the piece of key

A straightforward and inexpensive method that is most effective when the key is about to break off: to get the piece out of the keyhole, you have to put some glue on the part of the key you are holding, put it back in the cylinder and press a little harder on the other piece. After the glue has hardened, you should carefully remove the metal object. Then, if the door needs to be unlocked, turn it in the cylinder beforehand.

This tool is useful when the key that has broken off is protruding slightly from the hole. It is advisable to lubricate this before attempting to remove it.

With the sharp end of any of the listed items, it is necessary to hook the hook or tooth of the key and then carefully pull the part out of the locking mechanism. It means you can only remove the key piece when the key does not need to be turned in the cylinder.

First, a small-diameter hole is drilled in the cylinder next to the keyhole, allowing access to the key fragment. Then the key piece is hooked with a sharp tool (a jigsaw, a fishing hook, etc.). However, this procedure has a disadvantage. Then must replace the lock cylinder.

Take the lock off. If the key breaks off while the door is open, this method of key removal is available to help you get your key back. If the key cannot be removed even after that, the cylinder can be replaced, which, fortunately, does not entail any significant financial outlay on the part of the homeowner.

Other door opening methods

Unfortunately, if the gentle methods fail to produce the desired results, one must resort to crude mechanical methods in order to open the door. " Using such techniques will almost always result in severe damage to the door and lock, which will necessitate the purchase of a new door and lock. Generally speaking, the following different  methods are used to gain entry through an entrance door:

Hammer out the cylinder.

The goal of this method is not to simply remove the key, but to remove the entire cylinder. This is accomplished with the help of a chisel and a hammer. Before you begin, you must first remove the decorative covers from the cabinets.

Remove the cylinder by drilling it out. This method is very similar to the one that was previously described. Instead of using a hammer, the drill is used to extract the key in this instance. Naturally, a later exchange will be required in this situation.

Saw the bolt.

After using this method, the lock and cylinder are replaced. It is possible if the door leaf does not fit tightly to the door frame.

The effectiveness of the repair is dependent on a number of variables. Practical experience has shown that attempts to save money on the services of professionals almost always result in much higher costs in the long run. When deciding which method to use to remove the key from the lock, you must carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option.