When you are standing on your doorstep after a long, hard day, the only thing that stands between you and your warm, soft recliner is your door lock. We take for granted that in minutes we will be relaxing with our feet up, sifting through the day’s mail. But then the bad day we are having gets worse. We put our key in the lock, and that lock that has been giving us problems for a while turns into our worst nightmare. The key breaks inside the lock. Standing in the frigid cold, looking into our warm and cozy home, we wonder what to do next. The simple answer is to call a locksmith.
Locksmiths are available for emergencies such as these.
Most are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and a local locksmith can usually arrive at your home or place of business promptly. Waiting in your car or on your porch for the locksmith to arrive will ensure that no one can use the broken part of the key to access your home while you are out trying to find the necessary tools to try to get the broken key out of the lock.
If only half the key is stuck in the lock, no one will be able to pick the lock, but if all the key cuts are still in the lock, anyone can use a screwdriver or something narrow and flat to turn the key in the lock and open the door.1
Can I get the key out?
Getting the broken key out without calling a locksmith may be an option. The important thing to remember, though, is that the more key that is sticking out of the lock, the better chance a locksmith will have of safely removing it from the lock.2 If your attempts to remove the key push the broken part further into the lock, it will ultimately be harder for you, or a locksmith, to remove.
Before calling a locksmith, try pulling the part of the key that remains in the lock out by using your fingers. If that doesn’t work, a tweezers or needle nose pliers might allow you to get a better grip on the broken part of the key in the lock.
We recognize that tools or items that might help are probably safely stashed inside your locked home, so this solution may not work. Also, if you are having trouble pulling the broken piece out of the lock it is best to call in a professional. The lock can be damaged by your efforts to extract a broken key.3
Are there any special tools or techniques that can help?
There are sources online that will tell you to slide the blade of a scroll saw or jig saw into the lock to extract the broken key. This technique sounds easy, but if done incorrectly, can actually cause lock damage. Locksmiths have special tools to extract broken keys without damaging the locking mechanisms.
Another consideration to calling in a professional locksmith right away is that there was a reason your key broke in the lock. Even if you are able to get the broken piece out of the lock without doing damage to the lock, chances are you will still have a problem with the lock. This may be due to a number of factors including moisture that got into the lock and froze, oil and dust debris inside the lock, a key that has seen too much use, or a locking mechanism that is worn and needs to be replaced. A professional locksmith can diagnose the issue and fix it for you, usually during a single service call, so that within a short time you are once again relaxing in the comfort of your safe and secure home.
Trusted Michigan Locksmith
Action Locksmith can help with your emergency lockout service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As a family owned and operated business for over 30 years, our dedication and hard work has made us one of Michigan’s best locksmith companies around. We provide residential locksmith services as well as commercial locksmith services, automotive, home safes and much more! Call us today to learn more about how our locksmith company can help your home and business!