DIY front door lock handle repair

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of the front door lock handle from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

How to fix a lock on a door if it suddenly breaks down? Such an unpleasant situation requires an urgent solution, especially when it comes to the front door. In this case, you can make repairs yourself. What is required for this and what actions need to be performed?

To know how to repair it yourself and not damage the door lock, you need to familiarize yourself with its design. There are many types of mechanisms. For an entrance wooden or metal door, the following systems can be used:

cylinder - the key is small in size, with notches and protrusions;
lever - a key on a long leg with "wings" on the sides;
disk - a small semicircular key with notches;
Phillips - The wrench is similar to a Phillips screwdriver.

The main types of door locks for the front door

The principle of operation of such systems lies in the features of the locking elements: cylinders, levers or disc plates. Cross locks are similar to cylinder locks, but they do not differ in reliability, since the lock can be broken with a simple screwdriver.

Also distinguish between overhead and mortise locks. It is quite easy to repair the invoice, as you only need to remove the escutcheon. But it will be more difficult to correct the mortise on your own. You should not undertake repairs if you are not familiar with the rules for installing the mechanism, since you can only repair a door lock of such a plan by disassembling it.

Repair of a door lock largely depends on the nature of the breakdown. It is not always possible to fix the problem with your own hands.

A common cause of door lock breakage is failure of the locking mechanism tongue

Video (click to play).

The most common problems are the following situations:

The tongue does not snap. The reason may be an insufficient size of the mating hole. In this case, you need to bore it or displace the iron plate. The pad of the lock itself at the end of the door can block the tongue. It may also be skewed due to frequent use of the door, due to wear and tear of the mechanism. It is necessary to adjust its position.
It is difficult to open the door. It can be blocked by a skewed lock or a door frame. The problem is corrected by adjusting these items.
Key sticks, turns poorly, or does not insert. Especially often, such a breakdown occurs in the locks of a metal door. The reason may be clogging of the mechanism or displacement of its individual parts. To repair it, you need to disassemble the lock, clean it, lubricate it and install it in its proper place.
The lock is jammed. The reason lies in the state of the larva. Repair of the lock, its replacement or complete change of the lock can help.

Replacing the larva will help extend the life of the locking mechanism

How to fix a cylinder lock on a door with your own hands:

Remove the armor plate.
Unscrew the retaining screw at the end of the door.
Pull out the cylinder.
Replace it with a new one and put all the parts back.

Other types of mechanisms are less reliable or do not have adequate quality replacement parts on sale. First of all, this applies to disc and cruciform locks.Therefore, it is easier to install a new lock than to repair a broken larva.

A more complicated situation is when the spacer mechanism becomes unusable. In this case, the repair is carried out by removing the door from the hinges and disassembling the door leaf. The peculiarity of this lock is that when the door is closed, additional crossbars are extended both vertically and horizontally.

Any locking mechanism requires periodic lubrication

Let's say you checked the security status and did not find the source of the problem. All parts are intact and are in place. How to repair a lock with a working cylinder in a metal door with your own hands? Most likely, the cause of the breakdown lies in the clogging of the mechanism. This situation is not uncommon, especially when it comes to a metal door.

In this case, do-it-yourself repairs are as easy as shelling pears. Unscrew the lock first. Remove all parts of the mechanism. Blow thoroughly and use a stiff brush to remove any accumulated dust and other dirt particles. Then wipe down the larger parts with a cloth. Apply a small amount of lubricant to a cotton swab and carefully clean each piece of the lock. Assemble it and put it back in place. Check the quality of his work.

Please note: after such processing, the key may become contaminated with lubricant for some time.

Quite often, it is required to repair the lock in the interior door. There is a large load on them, and therefore, over time, the tongue begins to sink, the handle sticks or the latch dangles.

How to repair a lock in an interior door with your own hands:

If the problem lies in the sunken latch, it is necessary to disassemble the lock and reinstall it. The spring may need to be replaced.
If the handle is loose and does not return the tongue to its original position, you need to check its attachment relative to the pivot mechanism. Then put it back in place and tighten with screws. From time to time, you need to carry out a similar procedure and lubricate the mechanism to prevent its breakdown.
When the latch jams, you need to disassemble the part of the lock that is responsible for fixing it. The reason may be displacement of the part, rubbing of elements, their deformation or cracks. In this case, you need to replace the damaged part with a new one.
If problems arise with the turnkey lock, the repair is carried out according to the same principle as for the front door. Perhaps replacement of the larva or simple cleaning of the mechanism is required.

If all efforts were in vain, you can call the master. However, you will most likely need to install a new lock.

On the front door, the vulnerable spot is the lock. If the installation of the entrance metal door is done correctly and during operation it was not subjected to abnormal loads, then the canvas itself will work for many years. But a lock with a handle is designed for a certain number of opening-closing cycles, and over time, this bunch of mechanisms fails. Most often, the cause of the malfunction lies in the fact that the handle is broken. If you look at its structure, then repairing the door handles of the entrance doors will seem like a trifling matter.

Of all types of door handles, push and stationary models are installed on the entrance doors. Rotary mechanisms are installed only on interior doors.

Push type

With the help of the lever handle, the person controls the opening of the canvas and simultaneously acts on the lock tongue, and with the help of the stationary handle he only performs the opening and closing.

The stationary handle breaks down from mechanical damage (from impact) or from a loose attachment. If the stationary handle is broken, it can be seen with the naked eye. In this case, it will have to be replaced. If the fasteners are loose, then they need to be tightened.

The lever handle, like any mechanism with moving parts, has weak points, the breakage of which leads to characteristic problems:

The handle is connected to the fastening bar by a movable mechanism. Poor quality steel, poor riveting, or excessive mechanical stress will cause the handle to fall out of the seat in the mounting bar. In such cases, it will not be possible to repair the mechanism, and you will have to buy a new one.
A square bar is inserted into the socket at the base of the handle, hidden under the fastening strip, which transfers rotation to the lock and moves the tongue. If, when you press the lever, the mechanism works normally, but the lock tongue does not hide, then there is a problem with the metal rod. There can be two reasons: during installation, the rod was cut incorrectly and it became short (in a one-sided design). Over time, he could jump out of the hole in the lock case. The second reason is a broken rod due to poor quality steel from which it is made.

Important! It is extremely rare that the seat at the end of the handle can wear out, and the rod can turn.

Return to the starting position after pressing is due to a spiral spring, which is fixed at one end on the fastening bar, the other at the end of the handle. If the spring breaks off or pops out of the mountings, the spring-loaded effect will disappear. Repair of the door handle of an entrance metal or wooden door in this case is possible if the spring remains intact.

As you can see, there is nothing special to break in such a structure, and any master himself will be able to establish the cause of the breakdown and determine how to fix the mechanism. To do this, remove it and look under the mounting bar.

Consider how a double-sided door push handle with a long fastening strip is removed:

There are two fastening screws at the top and bottom of each bracket. Each screw on one side is connected to a screw on the opposite side of the door through a threaded sleeve (tie). To unscrew the fastening screws, it is necessary to fix the screw on one side of the door with one screwdriver, and turn the screw on the other side of the door leaf with the second screwdriver. So unscrew all four screws.
We remove the handles with fastening strips from the square pin and inspect the rotary-return mechanism. We will repair the fallen spring, check the mechanism for operability and fix it in place in the reverse order.

Double-sided design

In this case, you will have to tinker to get the screws into the coupling.

The order of twisting the mechanism with a decorative strip:

In this system, the handle is additionally fixed to the square bar with a small screw screwed flush in the lower part of it, near the decorative strip itself. Use a thin hex wrench to loosen this screw. It is enough to make a few turns for the screw to come out of the engagement with the pin. It is not necessary to unscrew it completely.

Important! This screw is the reason why it is not possible to remove the handle with the decorative strip.

Removing the locking screw

Twist the decorative strip counterclockwise with our hands.
Now the fastening screws will open, with which the strip is attached to the door leaf (or screws for the tie connecting two strips on opposite sides of the door leaf). Unscrew these screws and remove the handle from the square bar.

Unscrewing the bracket fixing screws

After that, we inspect the pivot mechanism and determine whether it is possible to fix the breakdown or whether the door handle needs to be replaced.

Replacing the handle on an entrance metal and wooden door is the same. The only difference is that when buying a new mechanism for a metal door leaf, its dimensions must exactly repeat the parameters of the old one. Its fastening holes, location on the keyhole fastening strip must completely coincide with the holes in the metal sheet.

On your own, you can perform the following handle repair:

Video on how to remove and repair the lever handle:

To remove the handle, check the integrity of its parts and determine the possibility of repair, you will need a screwdriver and no more than five minutes of time.

The specificity of the locking device (regardless of the type) is that its maintenance-free operation is designed for a certain period, the duration of which depends on the number of closing / opening cycles, that is, the intensity of use. Judging by the reviews on the furniture forums, home craftsmen most often have to deal with the problem of the front door handle breakage and decide how to fix it. If you understand the varieties of these fittings elements, the device of samples, then the repair of any of them will not cause difficulties.

Such samples are practically not installed at the entrance to residential buildings, except at the entrance doors. Their everyday use is on the doors of blocks mounted in the openings of utility rooms, garages, sheds, and the like. Therefore, the breakdown of this type of fittings is of two types. Repair of this type of door handle is the easiest and fastest.

Mechanical damage. This can be deformation (bending), crack, chipping, destruction of the metal - not fundamentally. The only recommendation is to change; such handles are not repairable.
The fixing elements are loose. The hardware on the entrance doors is attached in different ways. And if the handle itself is intact, then you just need to tighten the self-tapping screw (screw, bolt) or replace the nail, taking an analogue with a thicker leg.

The most common locking devices installed on the door leaves. Before proceeding with the repair, it is necessary to diagnose the mechanism. Then it will become clear how to fix the pen and whether it is possible in principle. In some cases, it will not be possible to repair it - just change it.

A typical situation is that the hardware, when you try to press it, falls out of the seat and remains in the hand. As a rule, this is typical for relatively cheap locking devices (made in China). In the production of such samples, mainly brass, aluminum or low-quality steel are used. They do not serve for a long time, since the destruction of the material during intensive use occurs rather quickly. You can't fix anything; you will have to remove the entire mechanism and install a new one.

In all other cases, the repair of door handles of entrance doors is quite possible, and will not cause any particular difficulties.

Knowing the device of the lock, it is easier to determine the cause of the malfunction and the method of its elimination. The connection of the door handle with the fastening strip is made by a movable mechanism. The fittings are docked directly with the latch using a rod that is inserted into the groove. It has a square section, and when the handle is turned, the device is triggered, and the tongue moves.

Its return to its original position is provided by a spring, which is fixed at one end on the fittings, the other on the strike plate. It turns out that the structure of the door handle mechanism is such that there is practically nothing to break in it; the circle of "suspects" is limited.

Repair of a push-type interior door handle is no different from restoring the functionality of analogs installed on the entrance doors. All technological operations, as well as typical malfunctions, are completely identical. The only difference is in the nuances determined by the type of locking mechanism (mortise or invoice) and its model (manufacturer).

On both sides of the sash there are fastening strips that are connected with long screws. Depending on the model of the lock, there can be 2 or 4 of them. The latter is typical for handles installed on frame doors. The task is to unscrew the hardware and remove them from the landing nests.

It remains to remove the locking mechanism. If it has a decorative strip, then first you have to unscrew the small screw that secures the handle. After that (by rotating counterclockwise) the cover plate is removed.

One end of the spring flew off the seat.This becomes clear even without disassembling the fittings; with such a defect, after pressing, the handle does not return to its original position. It is not difficult to eliminate - hook the spring and check the mechanism in operation. But if the part is broken, then it is useless to repair. First, you still need to find it, with the same linear parameters. Secondly, the force of its stretching must be identical, otherwise the operation of the lock will cause a lot of inconvenience. For example, the tongue will not completely sink into the sash, constantly clinging to the bar. In this case, it is advisable to install a new lock.

When buying a handle for a metal door, you need to look at the location of the holes in the fastener strip. Hardly anyone will be satisfied with the prospect of drilling a steel blade if it turns out that the old slots for fixing the lock are not suitable.

There is no displacement of the tongue. This mechanism malfunction is caused by several reasons.

Option 1 - the handle itself is loose. This is mainly typical for soft metal (alloy) specimens. The edges of its groove are gradually flared, and the reliability of the hitch with the rod is lost. There are two ways to solve the problem. The first (temporary, for the period of searching for new fittings) is to seal the gap between the "square" and the groove in the handle. The second is to replace the part. Pens are sold at retail, and you can choose a product of any configuration you like. The main thing is that the landing "socket" is identical in size for reliable docking with the latch mechanism.

Option 2 - damage to the pin. As a rule, in cheap locks, rods are made of silumin, and this alloy does not differ in strength. Such a part is easy to buy, cut to length, file the ends and install in place.

The handle periodically falls out, but there is no destruction of the metal. The only reason is a loose or broken retaining ring. If it bursts, the fragments will fall out immediately after dismantling the mechanism. This is the worst case scenario - such a lock will have to be changed. If the latch is simply loosened, you can try to tighten it. This does not always work, especially if the steel is of high quality; it springs easily. But there are no other repair options in a similar situation. If the result is positive, the lock will serve for some time.

And the last thing. Do not forget that any mechanism, including the door handle, needs periodic inspection and maintenance. If you timely partially disassemble the lock and lubricate the rubbing parts, regularly tighten the fasteners, then there will be no problems with its breakage for a long time.

It turns out that knowing the locking device and having only a couple of screwdrivers at hand, it is not difficult to understand how to repair the doorknob of an interior door or entrance door. But if you need to replace some part or the entire mechanism, it is better to take the faulty sample when you go to the store with you. You need to buy an analogue "one to one", otherwise it is not a fact that it will fit in size, thickness, configuration, and so on.

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Perhaps, many have had to deal with such a situation - you need to leave the house, but you cannot lock the door or, having come home, you cannot get there. The situation is not pleasant, therefore, sometimes you need to do the repair of the door lock of the front door yourself, moreover, as quickly as possible. I do not propose to study the craft of schnyfer, although they know the designs of locks better than the manufacturers themselves, but familiarity with locking mechanisms will help you avoid many troubles.

To fix a breakdown in the door lock on the front door and at the same time leave it intact, at least you should understand the design features of such mechanisms. Of course, there are a lot of varieties here, but there are four main systems, understanding which, you can start repairing.

Types of systems: 1) disk, 2) cylinder, 3) lever, 4) cruciform

Disc system - has a small semicircular key with notches.
The cylinder system is a small key with projections and notches.
Lever system - there are wings on the long key leg on the sides.
Cruciform system - the end of the key is sharp, but in general resembles the tip of a Phillips screwdriver.

The principle of operation of the mechanisms is reduced to the features of the blocking elements: disc plates, cylinders and levers. But cruciform systems are very similar in functionality to cylindrical ones, but at the same time they are easy (with certain skills) to crack with an ordinary screwdriver.

Also, such devices can be classified according to the method of installation - they can be overhead or mortise. The first option is somewhat simpler, since to dismantle it, you just need to unscrew the bar, while in the second case, you will need to do more operations.

As a rule, in the event of a breakdown, the crossbars do not move.

As a rule, in the event of a breakdown, you cannot move the crossbars in one direction or the other, but this problem can be caused by various reasons. But, you should always be prepared for the fact that you will not be able to fix the malfunction with your own hands, or that it will not be possible to fix it at all.

Larva or secretion from the inside

What can happen most often:

The door does not slam. The tongue may not snap into place for the reason that it rests against the strip on the box and you just need to bore the mating hole with a file. Also, the tongue can rest against the overlay that holds the mechanism from the end side of the web - here, too, you need to bore the hole with a file.
Problem opening (closing) the door. The reason most often lies in the skew of the canvas, or in the skew of the door lock. Check it out and fix the problem. Also, during installation or dismantling, you could bend the walls of the mechanism case - remove it, level it and the functions will be restored
It is difficult to turn and sometimes insert the key (in most cases, this problem is inherent in metal doors). The most common cause of breakdowns lies in clogging of mechanisms or, as a result, displacement of parts. In such situations, they simply remove the lock, clean it, or even wash it with white spirit or gasoline (the first option wears out faster), then grease it and insert it into place.
The system will jam, both open and closed. Most often, the problem lies in the secret. They remove it, wash it with white spirit and drip a few drops of machine oil into it. If the rotation normalizes, then the larva is inserted into place, and if not, then it is replaced with a new one.

Replacing the larva with a new one is easy enough

Replacement of the larva (lock, key cylinder) is done in two cases: the first is described above in point 4 of the "Frequent faults" section, and the other reason is the need to change the keys (5 pieces are usually attached to the lock). In order to dismantle the old part, it is necessary to remove the clamping bar from the end of the canvas (usually there are 4 bolts), as well as handles with side plates. After that, you need to unscrew the long bolt that rigidly fixes the cylinder in the working position - this way you will free the larva, but it will not come out right away.

The blue tick marks the cam that not only moves the crossbars, but also stops the part

The fact is that the larva is held by the cam when the key is in the "open" or "closed" position - in a different perspective, the key does not pull out, but this is not necessary. The key remains in the lock and is turned slightly, literally 5-6⁰ to one side or the other (you must try). And then the cam sticking out to the side will sink into the body of the cylinder, which will come out of the bore hole without any problems (just pull the key). You may not need to change this unit, but a few drops of engine oil will suffice. After dismantling the lock, you can pull out the entire lock, but there are no bolted connections on the body - the side walls are riveted.

Destruction of pins in the larva with a thin drill

If you need to open the door, and you have lost the only key, then this can be solved in at least two ways:

To do this, you will have to destroy the set of pins. Just below the well, make a through hole with a thin drill, but provided there is no protection against drilling. After that, the lock will open with a flat screwdriver.
In case of a critical malfunction of the lock or loss of the key, bend a minus thick screwdriver in the shape of the letter G and drive this roll into the keyhole. The door will open in several turns.

The interior of the lever lock - view without the case cover

Lever type locks can be both overhead and mortise, but in any case, the repair of the front door door lock requires removal and disassembly. For the overhead version, it is enough to unscrew the self-tapping screws that fix it to the canvas, and for the internal one, you will need to remove the end clamping bar, and in some models also the handle when a latch is provided there. Then the housing cover is unscrewed, and when you open it, sometimes the problem of breakage is immediately visible, too - most often, it is a loose thrust spring on the levers.

But sometimes you have to clean or wash all the parts of the mechanism with white spirit, and the difficulty here is not that they cannot be removed, but that it is problematic to remember the order of the arrangement of the plates (levers). Some locksmiths simply number each plate, scratching a number on it with a scribe, since the marker will not hold, because all the parts will need to be cleaned, washed and lubricated. By the way, in such situations, it is best to use fatty or synthetic grease for lubrication, where the operating temperature is up to 70⁰C. But then, when the door goes out into the street and the castle area is very hot from the sun's rays, then Tosol-OIZ (cutting fluid) is perfect. Machine oil will certainly make sliding of moving parts easier, but not for long, as it will simply drain and be used only for CIP lubrication.

Below you can watch an instructional video about disassembling and assembling a lever lock.

Video: Dismantling a lever lock with your own handsEmergency opening of the suval castleIf you drill out the shank post, then the lock will crumbleIf I were a sniffer, I would open such a lock with a master key, but this requires skill, although some still manage to open the door without experience using a screwdriver curved with the letter G and a crocheted knitting needle. But there is a method that is available to almost everyone - you just need to drill out the shank post and the insides of the lock will crumble. After that, instead of a key, any bent screwdriver will do to hook the bolts.Disassembled disc lockIn fact, the repair of disc locks is not much different from lever mechanisms, since it also consists in cleaning, washing and lubricating rotating elements, for example, a disc pack, although dust almost does not get there, if it was not done on purpose. But at the same time, such a device is a type of cylinder lock, only the cylinder is a set of discs, according to the configuration of which the key is made. Here you can change the shapes, sizes and angles, which will allow you to use a different key, only an experienced craftsman can do this.It is noteworthy that amateur hacking of such a device is almost impossible (I mean accurate work without any damage) - a master key will not work here, and drilling a larva will lead to scrolling of the disks along with the drill. So, all that remains is the work of the bugbear, that is, knocking out the larva, which will lead to the eruption of the discs. All that remains is to insert a simple screwdriver into the hole and turn it instead of the key. You can also drive a convolution into the well - this is a flat screwdriver made of alloy steel, which is bent with the letter G. The lock, of course, will have to be thrown out, but the door will open.Exploded view of the cruciform lockAs you can see, there is nothing to repair a person in cross locks, since there is nothing to break, so maintenance, as a rule, boils down to cleaning, washing the insides and lubricating. The system itself of this type is extremely inconvenient and unreliable - most often the key wears out first, and all four ribs at the same time, which during opening leads to a "bite", that is, the key jams.There are many ways to hack, for example:

If the key breaks in the hole of the well, then with a drill slightly exceeding the key diameter, the larva is drilled out and the device is opened with an ordinary screwdriver.

When there is no key at all, but there is a screwdriver, select the nozzle according to the borehole diameter, and in the low speed mode, they begin to scroll the larva, pressing harder and harder. The door will be open in a few minutes.

You can even open the cross mechanism with chewing gum, but this will take several hours and preferably in the cold season. The chewing gum is pushed into the hole, and when it hardens, drive in any screwdriver there and open the door.

The fastest way is to break in with a Phillips screwdriver. It is driven into a well (in fact, this is the same convolution) to the depth of the larva and turned with a gas wrench. It only takes one or two minutes.

Perhaps, in this article, you learned more about emergency opening or burglary than about repairing the door lock of the front door, but such is life. When a key is lost or broken in the keyhole, then in most outcomes it is no longer a question of maintenance of the device, but only of replacing the mechanism.How to fix a lock on a door if it suddenly breaks down? Such an unpleasant situation requires an urgent solution, especially when it comes to the front door. In this case, you can make repairs yourself. What is required for this and what actions need to be performed?To know how to repair it yourself and not damage the door lock, you need to familiarize yourself with its design. There are many types of mechanisms. For an entrance wooden or metal door, the following systems can be used:

cylinder - the key is small in size, with notches and protrusions;

lever - a key on a long leg with "wings" on the sides;

disk - a small semicircular key with notches;

Phillips - The wrench is similar to a Phillips screwdriver.

The main types of door locks for the front doorThe principle of operation of such systems lies in the features of the locking elements: cylinders, levers or disc plates. Cross locks are similar to cylinder locks, but they do not differ in reliability, since the lock can be broken with a simple screwdriver.Also distinguish between overhead and mortise locks. It is quite easy to repair the invoice, as you only need to remove the escutcheon. But it will be more difficult to correct the mortise on your own. You should not undertake repairs if you are not familiar with the rules for installing the mechanism, since you can only repair a door lock of such a plan by disassembling it.Repair of a door lock largely depends on the nature of the breakdown. It is not always possible to fix the problem with your own hands.A common cause of door lock breakage is failure of the locking mechanism tongueThe most common problems are the following situations:

The tongue does not snap. The reason may be an insufficient size of the mating hole. In this case, you need to bore it or displace the iron plate. The pad of the lock itself at the end of the door can block the tongue. It may also be skewed due to frequent use of the door, due to wear and tear of the mechanism. It is necessary to adjust its position.

It is difficult to open the door. It can be blocked by a skewed lock or a door frame. The problem is corrected by adjusting these items.

Key sticks, turns poorly, or does not insert. Especially often, such a breakdown occurs in the locks of a metal door.The reason may be clogging of the mechanism or displacement of its individual parts. To repair it, you need to disassemble the lock, clean it, lubricate it and install it in its proper place.

The lock is jammed. The reason lies in the state of the larva. Repair of the lock, its replacement or complete change of the lock can help.

Do-it-yourself repair of the lock on the front door largely depends on the type of larva mechanism. It is in this detail that the source of the problem most often lies. For a metal door, cylinder and lever locks are most often used.Replacing the larva will help extend the life of the locking mechanismHow to fix a cylinder lock on a door with your own hands:

Remove the armor plate.

Unscrew the retaining screw at the end of the door.

Pull out the cylinder.

Replace it with a new one and put all the parts back.

In the case of a lever mechanism, it is better to completely replace the lock, since it is highly likely to break again. If the tongue is ignited, you need to disassemble the structure and adjust its position.Other types of mechanisms are less reliable or do not have adequate quality replacement parts on sale. First of all, this applies to disc and cruciform locks. Therefore, it is easier to install a new lock than to repair a broken larva.A more complicated situation is when the spacer mechanism becomes unusable. In this case, the repair is carried out by removing the door from the hinges and disassembling the door leaf. The peculiarity of this lock is that when the door is closed, additional crossbars are extended both vertically and horizontally. Image - DIY front door lock handle repair

Any locking mechanism requires periodic lubrication

Please note: after such processing, the key may become contaminated with lubricant for some time.

Quite often, it is required to repair the lock in the interior door. There is a large load on them, and therefore, over time, the tongue begins to sink, the handle sticks or the latch dangles.

How to repair a lock in an interior door with your own hands:

If the problem lies in the sunken latch, it is necessary to disassemble the lock and reinstall it. The spring may need to be replaced.
If the handle is loose and does not return the tongue to its original position, you need to check its attachment relative to the pivot mechanism. Then put it back in place and tighten with screws. From time to time, you need to carry out a similar procedure and lubricate the mechanism to prevent its breakdown.
When the latch jams, you need to disassemble the part of the lock that is responsible for fixing it. The reason may be displacement of the part, rubbing of elements, their deformation or cracks. In this case, you need to replace the damaged part with a new one.
If problems arise with the turnkey lock, the repair is carried out according to the same principle as for the front door. Perhaps replacement of the larva or simple cleaning of the mechanism is required.

If all efforts were in vain, you can call the master. However, you will most likely need to install a new lock.

Most locks are fairly simple mechanisms, which are a collection of locking devices.

Depending on the complexity of the lock, the system may include crossbars, a lock (lock), a latch bolt, as well as other mechanisms that ensure the movement of all its functional elements.

The following types of locks are widely found:

Cylinder (English) - open with a key, on one side of which there are projections and recesses.
Lever - a key with characteristic "blades" on a long shaft is intended for it.
Cruciform - the key represents two planes intersecting at right angles, on each side of which there are notches.
Disk - the body of the key is made in the form of a semicircle, on one of the sides there are recesses.

According to the method of installation, the locks are overhead and mortise.

The type of malfunction depends on how difficult it will be to repair door locks. Sometimes it's easier to buy a new lock than to fix an old one.

The most common causes of breakage:

Mating hole of the wrong size.
Drawdown of the door frame, due to which there is a mismatch in the mating parts of the door lock.
Debris got inside the mechanism.
There was a violation of the geometry of the castle.
The larva broke.

If the lock cylinder breaks, you need to purchase a new one and replace the faulty mechanism. Such repair implies replacement of keys for opening the corresponding lock.

If the breakdown is caused by a defect or wear of large elements, it is preferable to purchase a new mechanism in its entirety. If small elements, such as springs, break, only this part can be replaced. Sometimes the unsatisfactory operation of the lock is associated with a lack of lubrication in the moving parts of the mechanism, then it is necessary to disassemble the lock and lubricate it.

Video (click to play).

The larva must be changed if the key in the lock scrolls, or, conversely, jams. It may be necessary to remove the lock to remove the broken remainder of the key. Then they act according to the following algorithm: