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The main reasons why the key breaks in the lock

It can happen to any of us that when closing or opening the front door of an apartment, house or garage, the key in the lock is broken. How to pull out the fragment remaining in the castle and open the door. If you do not panic and approach the issue calmly and competently, then in 80% of cases you can deal with the problem without loss, and in another 10% you will be able to limit yourself to replacing the larva or lock.

The main reasons why the key breaks in the lock

There are many reasons for this, but the main ones are:

  • Deterioration of the internal mechanism of the lock and the key itself.
  • Contamination of the secret mechanism or foreign objects entering the well.
  • Error when opening the lock (key not fully inserted or another one inserted by mistake).
  • An attempt to turn a jammed key with the help of improvised items and tools (pliers, hammer, steel pin, etc.).
  • Poor quality material from which the lock is made.

But whatever the reason, if the key is broken and the chip remains in the lock, it is necessary to decide what to do in this situation.

How to remove a broken key from a keyhole

If the key in the lock is broken, you should not immediately resort to drastic measures - break the door or cut it with a grinder. You need to try to remove the chip and open the door.

In no case should you immediately throw away a piece of the key left in your hands. If it is possible to remove the stuck part, then in two halves, specialists in the workshop will produce a new key in a few minutes, with which it will be possible to open the lock.

Before taking any action to remove the stuck part of the key, it is necessary to drop lubricant into the keyhole several times and wait 15-20 minutes until it spreads over the entire surface of the fragment and the lock mechanism. This will greatly increase your chances of success. For lubrication, WD-40, gun and machine oil (spindle), any gear or automobile oil, as well as brake fluid are suitable.

  • The ideal and easiest option on how to pull out a broken key is to disassemble the lock and get a chip. But this can be done when the door is open (or it is possible to open it from the inside). If you plan to use the lock in the future, then before assembling it must be well cleaned and lubricated.
  • If a piece of the key sticks out of the well, then you can try to grab it with round-nose pliers, small pliers or tweezers. This must be done carefully. Don't use too much force or pull hard. Gently rocking up and down and from side to side, you should try to pull out the stuck part. You can simultaneously lightly tap on any accessible part of the lock. Vibration and shock will help move the chip from its place.
  • If possible, insert two thin awls into the cracks between the fragment and the keyhole from above and below (or from the sides) and, swinging the stuck part, try to remove it.

  • A truly jewelry, but very effective way to extract a piece of any key is with a self-tapping screw. A thin hole must be drilled at the end of the fragment, being careful not to damage the lock or break the drill. A self-tapping screw of the appropriate diameter must be screwed into the resulting hole. Then, holding on to the head of the self-tapping screw, constantly shaking the stuck piece, gently “pull” it out of the lock.
  • A less effective, but quite effective way is with a jigsaw file. It is necessary to cut off the fastening tip at the file. The file must be pushed through the key so that the slope of the teeth is “on itself”, gently turn the teeth towards the fragment and pull it out. The operation is repeated several times until the stuck chip can be removed.

  • If the key is made in the form of a cylindrical pin with barbs (lever locks), then you can get a chip using a copper or brass tube of a suitable diameter. Its size is selected according to the part remaining in the hands. The tube must be put on the pin with a very large effort. Having slightly expanded the very tip of the tube, it is necessary to heat it with a blowtorch or over a gas burner, then with an effort put it on a piece sticking out of the lock. After waiting for the tube to cool well, pull it out of the lock along with the clamped part of the key.

Opening a door with a damaged lock

What to do if the key in the lock is broken and the chip cannot be removed. To open the door, you will have to sacrifice, at best - the larva of the castle, at worst - the castle itself.

To open the lock, you can do the following:

  1. If the lock is not installed correctly, the cylinder mechanism may protrude above the lining. In this case, the end of the cylinder can be clamped with a gas wrench and rolled up. It remains to clear the hole of debris and open the door with a flat screwdriver.
  2. If the cylinder does not protrude, then you can additionally sacrifice the lining by tearing it off with a nail puller or chisel, after which you can use a gas wrench.
  3. In the absence of a gas wrench, you can knock out the cylinder with a hammer, but it is advisable to do this after the internal armor plate has been removed, which is not always possible. It must be borne in mind that after such an opening, the lock will most likely have to be replaced.
  4. Using a drill, you can drill a cylindrical insert just below the key hole. This will destroy the tsugali - the mechanism of the code. Then, pulling out the drill, lightly tap on the end of the cylinder so that the fragments fall down and do not jam the lock. It remains to insert a flat screwdriver instead of the key and open the lock. If the key is double-sided (has curly cutouts on both sides), then it is necessary to drill from both sides.
  5. You can completely drill out the cylinder mechanism. For this, a drill with a diameter of 6-10 mm is used. This usually damages the cam. To unlock the lock, you need to bend the end of a screwdriver or a strong wire by about 1 cm (it should reach the locking mechanism), insert it into the hole and move the bolt.

If you can’t cope with the problem on your own, then breaking or cutting the door is still not worth it. It is better to contact the service department, whose employees know what to do in a particular situation.

The cause of a broken key is often the contamination or wear of the lock. You can extend its performance by periodically lubricating the mechanism with spindle or gear oil. If the lock began to jam periodically, then it is better to repair or replace it.

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