Believe it or not keys breaking in the lock is very common and something that locksmiths deal with on a daily basis. Broken key extraction is a job any good emergency locksmith will provide. If you find yourself in the situation where your key has broken in the lock it can be very frustrating especially if your home from a long day at work or rushing about to make an appointment on time.

Why Do Keys Break In Locks?

There are many things that can cause a key to break off inside the lock some of the main issues include:

• Over time the key has become damaged.
• The lock has become jammed or is not well lubricated.
• Standard keys are made from sot metals such as nickel and brass.

What To Do When a Key Breaks In The Lock

Regardless of how the key snapped off in the lock, getting the broken key extracted should be your main focus:

• Broken keys can cause damage to the locks.
• You could be left locked out or locked in your property.
• You may not be able to lock your door leaving your property unsecure.

How To Get A Broken Key Out Of A Lock?

If you can see a small part of the key sticking out of the lock, then you can try and pull the key out yourself using a pair of pin nosed plyers or even a strong magnet if you have one to hand. However, you do need to be careful as you could end up damaging the lock itself. The best thing to do in this situation is call out your local locksmith who has the skills, tools and experience needed to carefully carry out broken key extraction.

How To Prevent Broken Keys?

There are a couple of precautions you can take to help prevent keys breaking in the lock:

Lubricate Locks – Keys can break in locks when the lock has not been well maintained. You can use a silicone-based lubricant to spray the keyhole every six months, this will keep the lock well lubricated. It is important that you never use oil-based lubricants such as WD-40 as these types of lubricants will clog the locks overtime and lead to much more serious problems.

Replacement Keys – Due to the frequent use of keys they are prone to wear and tear so as soon as you see any signs of wear it is worth going and getting a new key cut and dispose of the old one.

If you need an emergency locksmith for key extraction or any other lock or security issues you may be having in Stockport then contact Goldie Locks Locksmiths today – 0161 401 0199