Reasons Why Keys Break in Door Locks

Your key breaking inside the lock is usually an inconvenient experience. At that moment, you might be confused with many thoughts running through your mind—should I try to remove the key? What about breaking the lock or calling a locksmith?

We will guide you on how to prevent breaking your keys in this article. You will also learn the steps to resolve broken keys when it happens.

Reasons Keys Break In the Lock

• Old Age and Frequent Use
• Wear and tear of the key and internal components of the lock
• Rustiness caused by moisture (external locks exposed to the environment always has this problem).
• Forceful twisting of the keys ruptures some of its parts.
• The lock is poorly lubricated and sometimes wrong installation could be the cause.

Most homeowners do not realize that keys are made of relatively soft materials like nickel or brass. The keys might be shinning like copper but they aren’t as strong as you think. The best way to avoid breaking the keys in the lock is to avoid applying too much pressure when using them.

If your key broke off in the lock, here is what to do.

Once your key breaks off on the locks, you have to act as fast as possible. Check if the door is open, then get inside your house or vehicle and follow the steps below to remove the key. Remember, you must ensure that the keys are removed because of your safety and security.

If the door is still locked, do the following;

• Check whether the key is still sticking out of the lock. Then try to remove the broken key.
• If only a small portion is protruding, you need a needle nose plier to pull it out. While doing this, you need to be very careful to avoid snapping off the remaining portion.
• In some instances, there is no part of the key sticking out of the lock. This is a difficult situation to handle. However, with a flathead screwdriver, you can remove the lock. There is a possibility of pushing the keys further inside, so you have to be careful while using the flathead screwdriver.

How to Prevent Broken Keys

As stated earlier, you have to avoid using force while opening your locks. Nevertheless, there are other ways to prevent keys from breaking on the locks.

Lubrication

Frequent use makes the internal components of some keys stiff. To avoid keys snapping inside the locks, you should maintain them frequently. Spray silicone-based lubricant into the keyhole. You can repeat this process every six to eight months to achieve optimum maintenance.

Replacement Keys

If your keys are worn out or not functioning properly, consider replacing them. Contact a reliable locksmith from A&A Aventura Pro Locksmith for door lock replacement. Our locksmiths are highly trained and experienced to replace or rekey all types of locks.