You were left at the door. The lock, which had served faithfully and for a long time, lost ground and suddenly broke. Everything has its own service life. If the key in the lock is broken, it is useless to grieve, because the door will have to be opened in any case. What to do? Little things that can be found in any handbag can help out in an emergency.
1. The key in the door lock is broken. How to get it out?
Tweezers, tweezers. Ladies' items will help pull out the key if it happens by chance the door lock broke. Carefully insert it into the keyhole, grab the piece and turn it until the door opens. Then use tweezers to completely remove the broken key from the keyhole. The castle is intact and will come in handy.
Self-tapping screw. Often you carry several keys on a ring: to an apartment, a garage, a barn... Use the last one to get tools. You screw in the self-tapping screw so that it fits into the key piece, then carefully turn it, unlock the doors and pull it out.
Metal file. It takes a long time to use, but you can get home. You push a blade without a handle over or under the tongue, saw through the obstacle - the doors are open.
Mobile phone. You can always use it to call a special service or door service company. They will definitely respond to your call and let you into your home without damaging the castle.
Oil lubrication. If the front door lock jams regularly, try lubricating it with oil: machine oil, vegetable oil, or, at worst, massage oil or tanning oil (it will help out in an emergency if you have it on hand).
2. How to open the lock if the key is broken?
If a piece of the key was pulled out of the lock, but the door remained closed, you will have to find a master key. Open the lock if the key is broken The following items will help:
Paper clip. Unbend one end and straighten almost the whole end, leaving a bend so you can grab it with your fingers. Lightly flatten the straight edge with a hard object: a stone, or if you have access to tools, a hammer. Now all that remains is to bend the flattened “master key” at a right angle and insert it into the keyhole like a key. Happened? Then carefully and patiently turn the transformed paper clip. It won't be possible to open the lock the first time, but there is hope of getting into the house.
Hairpin. Suitable for small keyholes. Performs the function of a master key. But it’s not so easy to manage: you need some skills and a lot of patience.
A plastic card. It is pushed between the door and door frame in the area of the closed tongue of the lock. At right angles. You pry up the tongue with the card and try to return it to its original position: closed state. In this method, it is important to leave the card intact.
Penknife. True, it is applicable to Chinese-made doors. You can use a blade to pry off the tongue (if it’s thick enough to fit into the opening) and cut through the door leaf to pull out the entire lock. True, the door itself will have to be replaced.
Radical measures. There is another quick, but a little rough way to get home if the key in the door lock is broken - knock them out. But this is if you don’t feel sorry for your shoulders and the door.
The key in the door lock is broken - what to do?
Any door lock has its own service life. With care and maintenance, it will work properly for many years. But owners do not always pay due attention to doors, which leads to serious consequences. One day, the key breaks in the lock or gets stuck. You cannot get into your house or apartment. Is this situation familiar? I think that many. This problem needs to be solved. What to do if the key in the door lock is broken or the lock is simply jammed? Let us help you deal with the situation yourself.
The key is broken - a situation familiar to many people.
Why did the key break?
There are a lot of reasons that contribute to the moment when the key or door lock breaks:
- wear of the mechanism - if
- long ago, the time has come to replace it. But you didn’t pay attention to this, so when you tried to open the lock, the key broke;
- The low price for the set speaks about the quality of the fittings. Perhaps the production used a weak metal that easily broke at a critical moment;
- the hole is clogged, this prevents the rod from entering the stop mechanism, it could not turn the mechanism;
- skewed door leaf or box. This often happens in new wooden houses, where the process of shrinkage of the log house has not finished. If not according to the rules, then deformations will definitely appear. This has a bad effect on the operation of the mechanisms.
The reasons can be listed for a long time, but the fact has already happened. It is necessary to remove the broken element from the door lock. Let's consider possible ways.
What should be in a burglar's arsenal?
It is unlikely that you will be able to pull out a broken key or open a lock with your bare hands. Tools are needed to fix the problem.
If the key in the door lock is broken, you will need any tool and item at hand to fix the problem. Installing a lock in a door is much easier than trying to remove it without damaging it while the door is closed. This is what it serves to protect the premises. We will need:
- manicure tweezers or pliers;
- thin metal wire;
- different screwdrivers;
- awl;
- pin;
- magnet;
- hammer;
- nail puller or installation tool;
- drill with a set of drills;
- any oil-based lubricant;
- syringe.
Any object that will help pull out the debris from the hole or the internal mechanism of the lock, if necessary.
Try to remove the piece from the lock yourself. Let's get down to business. Situations are different. A simple option is when the fragment protrudes outward, you can grab it by the edge.
- Take pliers or tweezers (this is a little more difficult), hook it onto the edge of the key broken in the lock. Rocking the piece from side to side, pull it towards you. If the key is not pinched by anything, the element should come out of the hole.
- Then all that remains is to use the duplicate and carefully open the lock in the usual way. Things are worse if there is no duplicate at hand. Usually people store it at home in one of the cabinets. You will need master keys to open the lock. Thin screwdrivers, wire, and a pin will do. It is necessary to carefully insert the element into the lock hole and try to turn the secret mechanism.
- If the key has broken deep in the lock and the edge cannot be caught, a different approach will be required. You can use a magnet to try to pull out the key piece. But not every key can be magnetized. Then you will need a thin long plate, which can be slipped under the rest of the broken key, gradually pulling out both elements.
- A good method if the key in the lock is broken is to screw the screw into the piece. But you can't rush here. Take a drill of the appropriate diameter to make a hole in the key piece. Drill a hole so that the screw fits into desired length. Tighten the self-tapping screw. Moisten the fragment and larva with an oily substance using a syringe. After 10-15 minutes, pull the screw towards you to remove the rest of the broken key from the lock in the door. Take your time so that you don’t pull out the screw without breaking it.
The key in the door lock broke, but I couldn’t get the piece out
If your attempts are unsuccessful and the piece cannot be pulled out, you must remove the entire lock cylinder from the hole.
In a situation where not only the key is broken, but also the lock is jammed, both problems must be eliminated. This will require serious tools, because you need to remove the protective cover from the lock and knock out or pull out the cylinder.
- Use a screwdriver, chisel, or nail puller to pry up the edge of the trim and move it out of place. There is a risk of damaging the surface of the canvas.
- Next, we pull out the cylinder along with the broken key from the lock. You may have to damage the mechanism, which can be easily replaced.
- The last option for opening a jammed door lock is to use a nail puller to grab the edge of the door leaf and unlock it from the frame.
- By moving the door from its position, the lock mechanism will change its position and the door will open. Most likely, you will have to reinstall the blade if its geometry has changed and insert a new lock.
The key in the door lock is broken, and the opening methods did not help, all that remains is to cut it off door hinges grinder or invite specialists. In order not to encounter such a problem again, you can give preference to ones that do not require opening with a simple key.
For those who like to study information by watching video recommendations, we advise you to study methods on how to open a door if the key in the lock is broken in the following story:
Sometimes the situation develops in such a way that the key in the front door lock suddenly breaks. Unfortunately, no one is immune from this. After all, a lock, like any other item that is frequently used in everyday life, can be subject to wear and tear, become clogged with various debris, and not everyone can fully monitor its condition. How to open the door if the key is broken and remains inside the lock?
The key breaks in the lock various reasons. This may be due to incorrect rotation or an attempt to insert incorrectly. If the key was not inserted very deeply and broke, then with some effort, it is possible to pull it out and open the door. But when the fragment is deep, then some knowledge and patience will be needed to free it.
Necessary tools to remove the key and open the door
To remove the key yourself, you will need tools that every owner probably has:
- jigsaw
- screwdriver
- regular hairpin
- tweezers
- pliers
- hammer
- grinder and drill.
Options for opening a door lock with a broken key
As in any business, the work of opening door lock can be done in several ways:
1. In gentle mode– when the functions of the lock remain completely intact after repair. Here the master’s task is to remove part of the key so that the larva remains intact. The main cause of failure is dirt inside the hole. In such cases, it is enough to simply clean the hole from dust and then the key will easily come out on its own. Lubricants are used for this:
- machine oil
- solid oil
- WD 40
- lithol
- liquid silicone.
Even ordinary technical oil will be a good assistant in carrying out the work. It is important to remove and wash the lock cylinder from the door. As soon as the washing and lubricating actions are completed, you need to carefully try to turn the key that has broken inside using loosening movements. If your hands are oily, use pliers.
When the cylinder mechanism jams and bites the key due to stuck pins, you need to first push them through with thin objects, such as a pin or hairpin. After this, the pressure on the key stops and it comes out easily. A jigsaw is also helpful for safely removing the key. Or rather, its cutting part. To work with it, you need to use its thin blade to catch the broken key inside, carefully turn it, pull it out and open the door. In this case, the fragment is caught by the jigsaw teeth and comes out of the mechanism.
If the key is broken in the cylinder lock, a self-tapping screw will help open the door. In such cases, a hole is drilled in the key fragment with a drill, a self-tapping screw is inserted into it, which the master can then grab onto with pliers and pull out the core. You can also use vibration for the disc lock. In this case, the pins are pre-lubricated, which are then moved into the same position with part of the key and hammered from below. Under the vibration received from the impact, the key will easily come out.
2. Damaged– the key broke in the lock and lodged deep in the core. In this case, the owner, in order to open the door, really has no choice but to perform some manipulations and damage some of the functions of the lock. It also happens that after such work the entire mechanism needs to be changed, for example:
- knocking out the cylinder - when the armor plate and screws are removed from the reverse side and the cylinder is easily tapped;
- the core is pryed off - use an awl or any thin object that is inserted into the hole, the pins are lifted and the fragment is released;
- Drilling out the lock cylinder - drill the core from below, turn it a little and take out the required part;
- Removing it from the end will only help if the door remains open. The lock is removed from the canvas, disassembled and freed from debris.
3. Rough method - used if nothing can be done. The entire lock is knocked out of the door. In this case, you may even need to change the door hardware. This method rarely suits the owner of the door and is usually started only if the above-described manipulations did not lead to anything. Or, get the broken key and open the door need it very urgently. In this case, you can cut off the lock or door hinges with a grinder.
To avoid such difficult situations, carry out regular inspection of the lock mechanisms. And as soon as any difficulties are identified when opening or closing the lock, immediately repair it or replace it with a new one.
Many people are familiar with the situation when, when trying to open the front door, the key breaks in the keyhole. Quite an unpleasant picture. Most people get lost and terribly upset in such circumstances, especially if they have limited time. Don't panic, because there is always a way out!
Causes of key failure
There can be several reasons for the breakage of a product that is stuck in a door, both from the key and from the lock.
- The door has an old locking mechanism. Behind long term After use, it wears out and rust forms inside. This becomes an obstacle to smooth sliding during the opening process.
- Contaminants get inside the lock.
- The key was turned incorrectly or too sharply in the keyhole.
- The key is not inserted all the way.
- The owner is trying to open the door with a non-original product.
- Poor quality material from which the key body is made. For example, aluminum can bend even in a trouser pocket.
- The key is stuck in the door lock and they are trying to force it out using pliers and other tools.
When a situation like this happens, we think little about its cause. We need to open the door.
Types of castles
Depending on the installation method, Locks are divided into 3 main types.
A padlock is often used to protect utility rooms: warehouses, basements, cellars. For apartment doors, this design is considered primitive.
Since such a mechanism is most often exposed to adverse weather conditions, breaking the key in it is not uncommon.
To open the lock and remove the broken piece, there are methods that you need to know about.
- Create vibrations. They knock on the lock body without disturbing the arms. Under the influence of shocks, the fragment will begin to move and fall out on its own.
- Lubricate the mechanism with oil. Wait 30 minutes. The oil will help reduce friction, soften rust and straighten the spring.
- Chemical bath. Place the structure in a solution of gasoline, kerosene, acetone or vinegar. Sometimes Coca-Cola is used. Leave the castle in the liquid for 24 hours. After time, the fragment will leave the larva without difficulty.
- Heat up the well. You can scald it with boiling water or, if the material allows, use direct flame.
Rim locks are installed in interior doors. The likelihood of the key breaking off in them is low.
The third type of locking mechanism is the most common - mortise. This is what they equip entrance doors, more often made of metal. If a key piece is stuck in such a lock, then you can get it out different ways. It all depends on the complexity of the situation.
Very easy way
If the key breaks in the lock cylinder “successfully”, that is, a sufficient part sticks out of the hole, it did not have time to turn, then use pliers or tweezers.
First, pour any lubricant inside the lock. The most popular option is WD-40. Machine oil, gasoline, liquid silicone, lithol, grease are also suitable. If the listed solutions are not at hand (from your neighbors), use regular sunflower oil. Pour in the liquid and wait 20 minutes. During this time, the solution will envelop the walls of the locking mechanism from all sides.
It is worth noting that it is advisable to do such a procedure at the beginning of any method of releasing the key.
After 20 minutes, try to extract the rest of the key using one of the suggested tools. To do this, grab it and try to pull it out with gentle rotational movements.
One of the most simple methods To free a broken key, use superglue. This option is suitable even if the edge of the key sticks out almost flush with the lock. Glue both pieces according to the instructions included with the glue. Make sure they are completely 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 parts remain smooth, without burrs.
Common Methods
The options described above are not always appropriate or effective. There are more popular methods that are most often used in the current situation.
- Use a jigsaw blade. Insert it into the keyhole so that the teeth are turned to the side. Turn the blade with the teeth up and pull it out sharply. It will pull the key with it.
- You can use a magnet. Use a thin needle to pick up the fragment from below and try to pull it out with a magnet. Please note that not all of them are capable of magnetizing the key. If you use a neodymium magnet, it will handle any metal key.
- Take 2 wires, bend one edge of each of them slightly. Place them on top and bottom of the broken piece and try to pull it out. Instead of wire, a hairpin will do. To do this, divide it in half. You can take a paperclip. This method is used only if the key is not turned.
- Screw a self-tapping screw into the fragment. With its help, the key will easily come out of the cylinder. This method is not suitable for all key structures.
- Pull up the remainder with an awl. When it appears from the keyhole, grab it with any clamp and pull it.
Whatever option you use to remove a broken key, do not forget that you can pull it when it has returned to its original position. If it is in an intermediate position, then a different solution will be needed.
Cardinal ways
When the key stub cannot be obtained by any of the gentle methods, radical measures have to be taken.
One of them is the extraction of the larvae.
In a cylinder lock it is located in a cylinder. If it is located in a protruding form, it should be clamped with a gas key and rolled up, and the lock should be opened with a flat screwdriver.
If the cylinder is concentrated in the closed position and is not visible, then first you need to remove the top cover. Then act in the same way as in the first case.
There is a method in which the larva is knocked out using a chisel and hammer.
Another option is to cut down the lock bolts with a regular hacksaw.
The most barbaric methods are to completely cut out the entire lock or remove the door from its hinges. Such measures are taken in extreme cases, when all others have proven ineffective or when it is urgently necessary to get into the apartment. This usually happens if there is a small child at home or the smell of gas or combustion comes from the apartment.
Help from outside
If you cannot cope with the current problem yourself, invite specialists.
A key or a piece of it stuck in the lock will bring many unpleasant moments. If you are reading this article, then you are also in a difficult situation and want to know.
Despite the fact that lock manufacturers are constantly improving the quality of their products, releasing unique locking mechanisms that can withstand various options hacking, keys, like many decades ago, sometimes fail their owners. They break at the most inopportune moment. Most affected people prefer to remove and throw it away, purchasing a new mechanism.
It would seem that this is the only correct option, but in fact there are other methods, the use of which will preserve the castle. All you need to do is simply remove the key piece. How to do this is described in detail below.
How to remove a broken key. Several effective ways
First of all, let's tell you how to remove the key from a door lock, if normal is installed mortise lock with rod key. To do this, you just need to remove the side cover of the locking mechanism. After the fragment is removed, the lock is installed in place. Its functionality will not change in any way. Perhaps it is recommended to lubricate the internal mechanism to prevent the unpleasant situation from reoccurring.
Now let's tell you how to remove the key from a door lock, if a locking mechanism is used that cannot be disassembled. The easiest option is to use pliers, but this is only possible if part of the key sticks out of the keyhole.
If the fragment peeks out just a little and you can’t catch it with pliers, try using tweezers with sharpened edges. The work ahead will be “jewelry”, since you will have to not only securely cling to the fragment, but also carefully pull it out of the well. Considering that the area of contact between the tweezers and the key is minimal, this is not so easy to do. You should rock the piece slightly until it gives way forward.
Some craftsmen advise taking two awls (or regular sewing needles), well sharpened. Each awl is inserted into the keyhole on both sides of the fragment and securely clamped together. As soon as you manage to fix the rest of the key, you need to pull the awl towards you. Gradually the fragment should move forward.
What other methods are there - a jigsaw file and super glue?
If none of the above has helped you, we recommend that you consider a few more methods: how to remove the key from a door lock. To do this you will need a certain set of tools and accessories:
- jigsaw file;
- thin steel wire;
- Super glue;
Each of the above mentioned things is intended for a separate method. Let's start in order.
The jigsaw file must be inserted into the keyhole with the teeth facing up. Then carefully and extremely carefully turn the file in any direction - the main thing is that the teeth pry off the fragment. As soon as the nail file securely adheres to the rest of the key, slowly pull it towards you, pulling the key out of the hole.
However, not everyone has a jigsaw file, but finding thin steel wire is not a problem. Carefully insert it into the hole and try to hook the fragment, gradually removing it from the hole.
Now let's move on to how to remove the key from a door lock using super glue. The method is quite original, but takes a little time. Apply glue to the head of the key that is still in your hand and press it against the piece of debris stuck in the hole. Fix the head and hold it for a while until the glue hardens. Its strength will be enough to remove the fragment, but in the future it is not recommended to use the glued key. This method is quite difficult, as it requires increased attention and accuracy. The slightest carelessness can lead to the keyhole being smeared with glue and the locking mechanism will have to be replaced.
What if you solder it without removing it from the lock?
That's a variety of options, how to remove the key from a door lock, does not end. In this part of the material we will offer several more methods for which you will need:
- liquid to combat corrosion and rust;
- brass tube and blowtorch;
- magnet;
In this case, each item has its own method of removing a piece of key from the keyhole. For example, you can use a brass tube whose diameter is slightly larger size fragment, that is, the tube will be put on the fragment with a certain force.
With help blowtorch slightly warm up the end of the tube that you plan to put on the fragment. Then pull it over the remains of the key and wait a little until the tube cools completely. Then inject some anti-corrosion liquid into the keyhole. Now you can slightly bend the tube, turn the key and slowly pull it out of the lock.
Would you like to know another way? how to remove the key from a door lock? Use a regular magnet, naturally large in size. First, inject a very small amount of anti-corrosion liquid into the hole, and then, using a magnet, try to make the key appear at least a little above the level of the keyhole. Once this is achieved, then it’s a matter of little things. Use tweezers or pliers to pry up the key.
The key is not broken, but it is impossible to get it out
Situations are relatively common when a key gets stuck in new locks installed in a building. At the same time, it does not break, but when trying to remove it from the well, nothing happens. As practice shows, it is actually quite difficult to pull out the key without damaging the lock core.
Most often, the cause of such blocking is a broken spring under the pin, as a result of which it remains motionless and secures the key tightly. The second reason why the key is “blocked” inside the well may be internal parts made of soft raw materials. This leads to the fact that the pins again do not fall into the channels and fix the key without letting it out of the hole.
Don't be upset. There is a great way how to remove the key from a door lock in such situation. First, carefully lubricate the locking mechanism cylinder using the popular WD-40 lubricant. It's best to take aerosol can, since a special nozzle will ensure the most accurate distribution of lubricant. Next, use regular pliers. Hold the head of the key with them and carefully, moving it up and down, as if creating a slight vibration, begin to slowly pull it towards you. In most cases, you can remove the key. If you also managed to free it, be sure to replace the locking mechanism cylinder, since it is faulty and will cause you a lot of trouble and problems in the future.
However, it is only possible to remove the key in this way if the door is already open, and if the lock is locked, then you cannot do without professional help.
Summing up
Now you know several at once effective ways, how to remove the key from a door lock. However, you should not think that one of them will necessarily become a panacea and help solve the problem.
In order to remove the fragment, it is necessary to show maximum dexterity, as well as rely on a lucky chance. Without a certain amount of luck, it is difficult to count on success. In particular, rash actions can lead to damage to the lock. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately seek help from professionals who know what to do in each specific case.
