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How Do I Know If My Locks Need to Be Replaced, or If They Can Just Be Repaired?

Quite often, we get calls from customers who assume their locks need to be changed because of minor issues, when in fact they can save money and preserve their existing locks. An unscrupulous individual may take advantage of their ignorance and not inform them that there are alternatives. We will outline a few common issues below in which you may be able to achieve your goals without changing your locks.

Your Key is Getting Stuck Every Time You Open the Lock or The Lock Cylinder is Hard to Turn.

Believe it or not, you may only need a can of W-D40. Before you call a locksmith, try spraying your lock with W-D40, then turn it a few times and see if it solves the problem. If not, call a locksmith and ask if the lock can be repaired rather than changed completely.

Your Lock Is Rusted.

If only the outer part of the lock is rusted, you may be able to simply clean off the rust and then paint the lock with Rust-Oleum. If you believe there is rust on the inside, you will need to change the whole lock as you do not want to get locked out as the rust corrodes the internal cylinder and need emergency locksmith service.

An Undesired Person Has a Copy of Your Key or Your Locks All Open with Mismatching Keys.

Did you know that you can rekey the lock very inexpensively? Rekeying is when the key that opens the lock is changed by changing the pins in the lock cylinder so old keys stop working and the new key opens the lock. It is cheaper than lock change and you can save your lock which may be a high-quality lock.

lock replacement in Charleston

Your Key Is Stuck in The Lock.

You may be able to save the lock and just get a key extraction service done by a locksmith. The locksmith will remove the key and then check to see why it got stuck. Maybe the lock needs repairing, or the key is worn down. Just do not try TOO hard to get the key out yourself or you might damage the cylinder.

You Want a Lock with Smart Features.

Fortunately, you can sometimes preserve your existing standard deadbolt and still upgrade to a smart lock with lock like the August Smart Lock which goes with your existing deadbolt.

When Do You Definitely Need a Lock Change?

The deadbolt is bent or broken, the lock has been irreparably damaged by a successful or attempted break in, the lock is corroded or rusted internally, a broken key was forced in, breaking the cylinder, and many other reasons. However sometimes you may think you need a lock change and instead you could save money by preserving the lock.

Call us any time of day or night and we will get a lock and key expert on the phone with you to figure out if you need a lock change, rekey, or lock repair in Charleston SC.