Lock and Key Questions
Plain answers about lockouts, rekeying, car keys, new locks, lock care and booking a visit in Phoenix.
Most questions about locks start at one of a few moments: a door that will not open, keys that went missing or left with a former tenant, a car key that needs its chip programmed, or a key that will not turn in a lock that used to work fine. Every lock is a little different, so a general answer is a starting point, and the lock itself has the last word.
Lockouts, First Steps and Proof of Address
Most home lockouts come from a door that locked itself as it closed, a key lost on the way home, or a key that broke in the cylinder. A home lockout visit starts with the least damaging way in and ends with a lock that turns, latches and locks properly.
What should I do first when I am locked out of my home?
Try every other door, including the slider and the door from the garage, and any window that is already unlocked, without forcing a screen or a sash. Then think of who else holds a key: someone you live with, a neighbor, the landlord or the property manager. If a young child or anyone who needs care is inside alone, or something is cooking on the stove, call 911 first.
Can a locked door be opened without damaging the lock?
Usually, yes. On most pin-tumbler locks a locksmith will normally pick the lock or slip a spring latch with thin tools. Drilling is kept for high-security cylinders and damaged locks, and a drilled cylinder has to be replaced.
Why does a locksmith ask for proof that I live there?
Opening a door is only right for the person who lives or works behind it, so locksmiths normally ask for an ID with the address, a lease or a bill in your name. If those papers are inside, they are checked once the door is open.
Rekeying, Lock Changes and Who Holds the Keys
When old keys are still out there, after a move, a lost key ring or a tenant who kept a copy, rekeying or changing the locks is the usual answer.
How long does it take to rekey a lock?
Usually a short visit per lock: the cylinder comes out, its pins are changed to suit a new key, and it goes back in and gets tested. Several doors set to one key take longer than a single deadbolt, and a badly worn cylinder may be replaced instead.
Do renters need the landlord’s permission to rekey?
In most cases, yes. Leases usually treat the locks as part of the property and expect the landlord or manager to keep a working key, so ask first and hand over a copy of the new key if the lease calls for it.
Should I rekey after moving into a house?
Yes, as a rule. There is no telling how many keys the last owners gave out to relatives, neighbors, contractors or a cleaner, and rekeying every outside lock, the door from the garage included, stops all of them from working at once.
Locked Cars, Key Remotes and Registration Papers
Car work comes down to the key: its blade, its chip and, on many cars, its fob. For a lockout, a spare or a key broken in the lock, car key work starts with the make, the model and the year.
What should I do if a child or a pet is locked in a car?
Call 911 first, before you call a locksmith. A closed car in the Phoenix sun heats up fast, and first responders can get it open without waiting. A locksmith is the right call once everyone is out and only the keys are inside.
Is a key fob the same thing as a car key?
Not quite. A fob is the remote that locks and unlocks the doors by radio and runs on a small coin battery; many fobs also hold the transponder chip, and some fold a key blade out of the side. When a fob only works from close up, a new battery is the first thing to try.
Why does a locksmith ask for the car’s registration?
A key that starts a car is as good as the car itself, so locksmiths normally ask for an ID and the registration or title before cutting or programming one. When those papers are locked inside, they can be checked once the door is open.
Spring Latches, Double Cylinders and Wi-Fi Locks
A new lock is a choice between keys, codes and an app, and between grades of hardware. Lock upgrades fit new deadbolts, keypad locks and smart locks to the doors you have, so the door’s measurements come first.
What is the difference between a knob lock and a deadbolt?
A knob lock holds the door with a spring latch, whose angled face can sometimes be slipped back from outside. A deadbolt throws a square-ended bolt that only a key or a thumbturn moves, and a full throw into a solid strike is much harder to force, which is why most outside doors carry both.
Is a double-cylinder deadbolt a good idea?
It needs a key on both sides, so a hand through a broken pane beside the door cannot reach a thumbturn. The trade-off is getting out in a hurry: the key has to be close at hand, and many fire codes limit double-cylinder deadbolts on doors people need to exit through.
Do smart locks still work when the Wi-Fi is down?
Most do, by code, by key or over Bluetooth from a phone close by; what stops is control from away from home. Every smart lock runs on batteries, so replace them at the first low-battery warning and keep the backup key where you can find it.
Worn Locks, Worn Keys and Cleaning at Home
Most sticking locks are dirty or dry rather than broken, and a little seasonal lock care against heat, fine dust and monsoon rain stops most of it before it builds up.
Can I take a lock cylinder apart to clean it?
Better not. A pin-tumbler cylinder is full of small pins and springs that drop out the moment the plug slides from its housing, and they have to go back in a set order. Cleaning at home means a dry lubricant sprayed into the keyway and the key worked in and out; a cylinder that needs opening is a job for a locksmith.
How can I tell a worn lock from a dirty one?
A dirty lock gets better after a dry lubricant and a few turns of the key. A worn one does not: the key catches at the same point every time, wobbles in the plug or turns with a gritty feel even after cleaning, and the key’s cuts look shiny and rounded.
Can a worn key damage the lock?
It can. A key worn smooth at the tips of its cuts lifts the pins short of the shear line, so it gets jiggled, and that wears the plug and the pins faster. A spare cut from a good original, or from the key’s code, works better than a copy of a copy.
Locksmith Words in Plain English
Lock packaging, leases and locksmiths use words that rarely come up anywhere else: backset, bitting, shear line, deadlatch. Most of them matter when you compare lock types side by side.
Look Up a Lock or Key Word
Type a word such as rekey or cylinder, then press Show Meanings.
What to Say, What to Send and Who Can Book
Call us, or book a visit with a few words about the door, the lock or the car; a clear description of what the lock is doing is the most useful part of any request.
What should I say when I ask for a visit?
What the lock or the key is doing, in your own words: the key turns but the bolt stays put, the deadbolt only locks when you lift the door, the keypad beeps and nothing moves. Add the kind of property, how many doors or locks, and the part of town; if you are locked out at that moment, say so first.
Can I email photos of the lock?
Yes. Send them to office@maryvalelocksmith.com with your name and phone number in the message: one of the lock’s face, one of its inside if the door opens, and one of the door’s edge. The Book a Visit form has no room for attachments, which is why photos go by email.
Can a landlord or property manager book work for a rental?
Yes. Landlords and property managers book lock changes between leases and master key systems, and a lockout for a tenant can be booked the same way. Say which units and doors are involved and who will be there to let us in.
A question about your own lock? Describe what it is doing when you call.
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