What to do if the key broke in the lock cylinder?

Many know the situation when when you try to open the front door in the keyhole the key is broken. Pretty nasty picture. Most people in such circumstances are lost and terribly upset, especially if they have limited time. Do not panic, because there is always a way out!

The reasons for the fracture of a product that is stuck in the door may be somewhat from both the key and the lock.

• In the door is an old locking mechanism. For a long service life, it wears out, rust forms inside. This becomes an obstacle to smooth gliding in the process of opening.
• Impurities get inside the castle.
• An incorrect, too sharp key turn in the keyhole is made.
• Not fully inserted key.
• The owner is trying to open the door with a non-native product.
• Poor quality material from which the key body is made. For example, aluminum can bend even in a pants pocket.
• The key is stuck in the door lock, and trying to get it by force with the help of pliers and other tools.

When a situation like this happens, we think little about its cause. We need to open the door.

Depending on the installation method, locks are divided into 3 main types.

The padlock often used to protect household premises: warehouses, basements, cellars. For apartment doors, this design is considered primitive.

To open the lock and remove the broken residue, help methods that you need to know.

1. Create vibrations. They knock on the lock case without disturbing the bow. Under the action of jerks the fragment will begin to move and fall out independently.
2. Lubricate the gear oil. Wait 30 minutes.Oil will help reduce friction, soften rust and straighten the spring.
3. Chemical bath. Place the construct in a solution of gasoline, kerosene, acetone or vinegar. Sometimes use Coca-Cola. Leave the lock in liquid for 24 hours. After a time, the piece will leave the larva without difficulty.
4. Heat the well. You can scald it with boiling water or, if the material allows, use the flame directly.

Overhead locks are installed in the interior doors. The probability of breaking a key in them is small.

The third type of locking mechanism is the most common - mortise. They are equipped with entrance doors, more often - from metal. If the key fragment is stuck in such a lock, then pull it out in different ways. It all depends on the complexity of the situation.

If the key broke in the lock of the lock "successfully", that is, a sufficient part sticks out of the well, it did not manage to turn, then use pliers or tweezers.

To start, pour any grease inside the lock. The most popular option is WD-40. Suitable as engine oil, gasoline, liquid silicone, lithol, grease. If the listed solutions were not at hand (at the neighbors), use regular sunflower oil. Fill with liquid and wait for 20 minutes.During this time, the solution will envelop the walls of the locking mechanism on all sides.

After 20 minutes, try to extract the remainder of the key using one of the proposed tools. To do this, grab it, try to pull it out with gentle rotational movements.

One of the easiest methods to release a broken key is to use superglue. This option is suitable even if the edge of the key sticks out almost flush with the lock. Glue both parts according to the instructions attached to the adhesive. Make sure they are finally connected, and turn the key. This method can be used by everyone. There is one condition - it is effective if the edges of the broken off parts remain smooth, without burrs.

The options described above are not always relevant and effective. There are more popular methods that are most often used in this situation.

1. Use a jigsaw blade. Insert it into the keyhole so that the teeth are turned to the side. Turn the blade teeth up and sharply pull out.It will pull the key.
2. You can apply a magnet. Pick up the chip from the bottom with a thin needle and try to pull it out with a magnet. In this case, note that not all of them are able to magnetize the key. If you use a neodymium magnet, then it will cope with any metal key.
3. Take 2 wires, one edge of each of them slightly bend. Wind up the top and bottom of the broken part and try to pull it out. Instead of a wire, a stud will do. To do this, divide it in half. You can take a clip. This method is used only if the key is not turned.
4. Screw screw into the chip. With it, the key will easily come out of the larva. This method is not suitable for all key designs.
5. Tighten the balance with an awl. When it comes out of the keyhole, pick it up with any clip and pull.

When a key stub fails to be obtained by any of the benign ways, it is necessary to take drastic measures.

One of them is larvae extraction.

In the cylinder lock it is in the cylinder.In the case when it is located in a protruding form, it should be clamped with a gas key and rolled up, and the lock opened with a flat screwdriver.

If the cylinder is concentrated in the closed position, it is not visible, then first you need to remove the top cover. Then act the same as in the first case.

There is a way in which the larva is knocked out with a chisel and a hammer.

Another option is to cut the locking bolts with a regular hacksaw.

The most barbaric way is to cut the whole lock completely or remove the door from its hinges. Such measures are taken in extreme cases, when all others have proved to be ineffective or when it is urgently necessary to get into the apartment. This usually happens if a small child is left at home or the smell of gas and burning emanates from the apartment.

They may be an employee of Zheka, who is obliged to visit you for an hour after the call. Do not be surprised if he asks you to present a passport with your registration. This will confirm the fact that he has to open your apartment, and not someone else's.

If you live in a rented apartment, you should contact the owners.

Upon arrival at the site, private services are required to present you with a permit to engage in this type of activity, as well as a service agreement. For their part, they will ask you to show your passport. Such organizations can also provide you with services to restore the integrity of the lock and doors.

This problem with unlocking the lock can be easily solved with the use of available tools or with the help of specialists, so it should not lead you into a stupor.

For your part, in order not to become a prisoner of circumstances, you should take care of the castle and take preventive measures:

• periodically lubricate the mechanism with a silicone grease that will protect it from corrosion and dust;
• if the lock began to jam, then it is better to change it immediately, without waiting for a breakdown;
• open the door only with your own key;
• wash the mechanism with gasoline or kerosene to clean it;
• If you intend to use a duplicate, do it from a qualified craftsman.

In the next video, see what to do if the key is broken in the lock.