Hi all,

i tried searching for an answer but couldnt find anything related.

i have a problem with my front door lock, I can open the door and the key comes out fine but if i want to lock the door it doesnt complete 360 turn to let me remove the key, so i have to go out the back door to get out of the house, but this is annoying as both myself and my partner cant have a set of keys to get in as one is always left in the front door.

i have gathered the lock is broken (even though i dont know how) no locksmiths will even touch us as we rent, the landlord is highly unreliable and i would like to replace it myself, so my question is

can the lock be fixed?
how much do locks for upvc doors cost and are they easy to fit?
does replacing a lock void any warranty with the doors or does a warranty cover locks?

I have no idea how long the windows/doors have been in there but we didnt recieve anything when we moved in so im guessing over 10 years :(

thanks for any help.

Bob

It can be fixed but depending on the quality of the lock it may be easier to replace.Does your landlord have a spare key ?if so you'll need to inform him and give him a spare key as its his property

i havent got a clue whether the landlord has a spare key or not, he didnt to the last place.

i think i will just leave it in his court, im planning on moving anyway. i just hope the landlord sorts it out soon because it is really annoying having to leave a set of keys at home all the time

Does the lock work with the door open ? If it does the lock isnt broken but the door is out of alignment with the keeps. The door may need toe and healing or adjustments on the hinges or keeps.Too much to explain here on how to sort it as too many variables without more info.

the door locks fine, its just somethin to do with the internal lock mechanism, the problem is the door lock the moment you turn the key to the left, then the subsequent turn doesnt complete so the key is basically almost in the position to be removed but wont complete to be able to remove the key, so i have to leave the keys in the front door (as its locked) or unlock it, and have the keys... an image would be better to understand, but it IS the lock mechanism not the door

Yes Uncle, but you need to answer the question.

Have you tried it with the door open, and from both sides.

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same problem both sides open or shut

Right with this information i want to see a picture of the cylinder.I reckon the cam has slipped and is in the wrong position. If so change the cylinder job done.

I had the exact same problem with mine, its annoying that you had to lock the door when it was open just to go out to to lock the door again when its shut sounds complicated but I know exactly what you mean unclebob. I changed my cylinder but still had the same problem so cylinder wasn't at fault, it was the mechanism, anyway after a week or 2 it seemed to fix itself
I still dont trust it so I,m fitting a new door coz thats what the wife wants.

thanks for that, i usually lock the door on the outside and my partner leaves the keys on the inside (first thing in the morning about 530 you dont notice keys in the door) i did notice that my key turned freely without locking the door, so i left it, but both myself and my partner have been in and out of the door with no issues, having a fight with the landlord to try and find out what he will do about it.

thanks for the help

By trying to lock the door with a key on the inside you have caused the cam to slip.Only one key can control the key at a time unless its a high end cylinder with a function that allows it.

Change the cylinder and it should be alright.If you take the
cylinder out you will see the cam at 12 oclock with the key out of the lock when it should be at 5 or 7 oclock as you look along the cylinder.

i gathered thats what would have messed it up, but it worked fine, then randomly "slipped" im quite handy but when it comes to something like that, im just gonna leave it to the dear landlord.

So far you have been lucky, there is a good chance the cam may permernantly slip either locking you in/out or unable to lock the door at all.I quite often get calls of this nature where the owner has the key but the key keeps turning without unlocking the door.

Get it changed asap.

waiting on the landlord so it could take..... a long time :P the keys are permenantly in the front door and its not used and i will take that on board, the neighbours do wonder why im always using the back door though lol

for the sake of 15 quid i would get it changed asap mate
i am sure that by leaving your keys in the front door you are voiding your insurance, some who knows better will be able to clarify that though