What to do if a key is stuck in a mortise or padlock?

You have to go through many unpleasant minutes if it is impossible to get into your own apartment, and the reason for this is simple - the key is stuck in the door lock. Is it possible in this case to pull it out without breaking the lock, or will it be necessary to reinstall the locking mechanism, depends on what reason led to jamming.

Why is the key stuck in the lock?

There are two groups of factors that cause jamming - improper operation or factory defects.

The first group includes:

• mechanical damage to a key that was not used for its intended purpose, for example, to loosen screws or open bottles;
• opening / closing the lock with excessive force;
• operation of the locking mechanism at high humidity without preventive measures;
• the lubrication of the mechanism is not performed;
• attempts to open the lock with a master key;
• debris getting inside the mechanism;
• the door is incorrectly installed - with a warp - or a skew appeared over time;
• instead of the lost key, a new one was cut out, and it was made inaccurately.

Jamming for these reasons can be avoided, but the next group is entirely on the conscience of the manufacturer. Poorly machined keys may be attached to the lock, the shape of the blank may be broken, or there may be a defect in the mechanism. Most often, such a marriage consists in the fact that the pins are made of inappropriate metal (softer), as a result, they do not move away from pressing with a key, but block it. Damage due to improper operation can most often be eliminated, but with a factory defect you have to change the core or the entire lock completely.

Pull out the key yourself or call the wizard?

Finding yourself in a situation where the key is jammed and it does not turn in the door lock, you should immediately decide whether to call the master or act independently. Here you need to consider several factors.

• The jamming occurred with the door open - you can try to correct the situation yourself.
• The trouble occurred with the lock closed - even if you manage to remove the key, a repeated attempt to open the door can again lead to jamming. It is better to invite the master so that he dismantled the lock and eliminated the cause of the malfunction.
• The key broke when trying to open the door, and all the tools inside - it is justified to call a specialist.

How to remove a stuck key?

In order to pull out the key and not break it at the same time, you need to pull yourself together and not try to increase the pulling force. Just a lot of mechanical effort leads to breaking. As a result, opening doors and getting into the house becomes even more problematic, as you will have to break the lock. If you do everything thoughtfully, it is quite possible to pull out the key with a non-destructive method and save the mechanism.

The most likely cause is a lack of lubrication or rust, especially in the front door of a private home. Therefore, first of all, you need to spray the lock with WD-40 spray or its analogue. If the spray is not at hand, you can use kerosene or engine oil. It can be instilled into the keyhole with a syringe.

The sequence of actions looks like this.

1. Instill kerosene or spray with spray.
2. Carefully move the key from side to side so that the liquid is distributed along the entire length of the core.
3. Repeat everything in the same sequence.
4. Wait 15-20 minutes.
5. Carefully try to get the key.
6. If he doesn’t get it, make a little more effort and swing out a little from side to side.

After successful “liberation” you will have to disassemble the lock. This must be done in order, firstly, to identify the cause of the jam, and secondly, to check whether mechanical damage to the mechanism has occurred. Identifying the causes will make it possible to prevent the same situation in the future.

Tip

Do not use lubricants with cotton. Her villi can clog the castle.

What to do if a chip remains in the castle?

When pulling out a key, it is very easy to break. Getting the chip out of the castle will be more difficult. But here you can also try first non-destructive methods - lubrication with kerosene or spray or disassembling the lock. The chip is pulled out as well as the whole key, only pliers or tweezers are used to capture. If the chip sticks out of the castle so that it can be captured with pliers, then the probability of a successful outcome is quite high, since with their help you can reliably grab a piece of metal. Otherwise, you have to grab with tweezers. The capture area is insufficient, so this process rarely ends successfully.

If the gap for gripping is small or not at all, you can use a jigsaw blade with a pre-broken off fastening end. He is led into the castle parallel to the rod. In this case, the teeth should be tilted “towards themselves”. When pulling out, you need to turn the jigsaw with teeth to the rod, trying to grab it. This procedure is repeated several times until a sufficient grip is formed for the pliers.

Preventive measures

So that you do not have to pull out the jammed key or call the wizard in order to open the doors, you need to periodically do the lock processing.

One of the required procedures is cleaning and lubricating the mechanism. It is performed very simply.

• Pour kerosene-based cleansing fluid liberally into the castle.
• Insert the key into the well, and wipe it out from the dirt.
• Repeat key manipulations several times until it remains completely clean.
• Pour grease into the mechanism (machine oil) and turn the key in the lock several times.
• Dry all accessible parts.

Careful attitude to the door hardware will prevent force majeure situations, and you will avoid unpleasant pastime in a closed apartment.