UPVC Door Lock Problems Guide
If your having problems with your UPVC door Lock then give Derek a ring at Locksmith St Helens on 07967 778940 who can give you an idea of what is wrong, and an idea of how much it would cost for Locksmith St Helens to fix it if you needed us to assist you.
Lets look at the main components of your door and what can go wrong with them.
Upvc Door Euro Cylinder
The above photo shows a euro cylinder this is the part that you insert your key into in order to lock your door. Locksmith St Helens often find that some customers think that they have to replace the full door lock when their is only a problem with the euro cylinder. Locksmith St Helens suggest when you have a problem inserting the key check if another key works ok as sometimes a copy is not cut correctly and over time will not work or could damage your lock, if this does not work and you are still having problems inserting the key or the lock will only work from one side then Locksmith St Helens suggest changing your euro cylinder.
UPVC Door Handles
This is a upvc door handle their isnt that much that can go wrong with these however if your handles become loose then Locksmith St Helens suggest that you first check if the screws have come loose on the handle they can be seen top and bottom of this handle but may be underneath the handle and at the bottom.
If this doesnt work then Locksmith St Helens suggest you check if the handle as broken near where it joins the door plate if this is ok and one of your handles is spinning around but the other works ok then Locksmith St Helens suggest that it is either that the handles have gone on the inside which connects with the spindle, or the spindle could have become disconnected from the handle. To check this out you would need to remove the handles from the door.
Replacing Upvc Door Handles
Upvc door handles normally last a long time but often when theres a problem locking a upvc door it can lead to extra pressure being put on the handles and this can lead to the handles snapping as pictured above.
Its a problem that Derek our Locksmith in St Helens sees all the time and unfortunately when it comes to replacing upvc door handles they are not a universal size or fit so what can you do ?
If you wish to replace the handles yourself then if possible Derek our Locksmith in St Helens suggests that customers take their handles with them to compare with new ones so that you can check that everything measures the same which then makes it easier to put them on.
At Lockkeys Locksmiths St Helens we provide no obligation quotes for all our locksmith services in St Helens including replacing upvc door handles if you would like a no obligation quote then call Derek or Pam on 07967 778940.
Why Do Upvc Door Locks Fail ?
Now accounting for over 70% of all doors in use in the UK its not surpriisng that our Locksmiths in St Helens are deaing with upvc multipoint door locks the majority of the time, so why do they fail ?
There are a number of reasons that upvc multipoint locks fail but the main scenario is when a door drops due to wear and tear on hinges causing the door lock to become mis-aligned with the door lock keeps found on the door frame.
Our St Helens Locksmith Derek explains that when a customer first notices that its becoming harder to lock the door they should at this point get the door re-aligned as this will save the multipoint lock form further damage which occurs when customers start to put pressure on the upvc door handles to force the door to lock.
When more and more pressure is appl;ied to lock the door something as to give and its normally either the multipoint lock gearbox and or the door handles. When this happens it means that the multipoint lock itself needs to be replaced costing far more than a door re-alignment.
When customers in St Helens and surrounding areas are having problems with their upvc or composite doors then call Pam or Derek of Lockkeys Locksmiths St Helens on 07967 778940 we will provide you with a no obligation quote for the work required, and if the quote is okay with the customer then we can normally be with you the same day to sort out your door problem.
Upvc Door I can Lock It & Open It But Cant Get My Key Out
At Locksmiths St Helens we often get calls from customers who have a upvc door lock problem in that they can lock the door but then are unable to get the key out. This problem is often caused by a customer leaving a key inside the door and someone trying to open the door with a key on the outside causing the cam of the euro cylinder to slip or become misaligned.
As can be seen in the above picture the cam of the lock should be in the 5 oclock or 7 oclock position when locked allowing the key to come out. However with a euro cylnder with a misaligned cam its locked in the 11 oclock or 1 oclock position which means you are unable to release the key.
Our locksmith in St Helens Derek explains that the solution to this problem is a new euro cylinder and will always recommend that the customer does not leave keys on the inside of the door in the future.