An extremely common thing that a lot of people experience is a broken key inside the door lock. Even though itís very irritating to get locked out of house, you donít need to panic. There are many ways you can remove the broken key within minutes.
Reasons why a key may break inside a lock
Being in a hurry is the main reason why a key can break inside a lock. Many people broke their keys while being late to work. Another reason for a key to break inside a lock is the fact that lots of people use the same key every day until it gets worn and rust.
Whatever the reason, this is a problem that needs to be solved immediately. A broken key can damage the lock and makes you unable to lock or unlock the door. Depending on the type of lock you have and how much of the key broke inside the lock, here are some tips you can try. If none of them works, youíll need to call a locksmith to solve the problem.
Tips to get a broken key out of a lock
1 – First thing to try is to spray a penetrating oil in the key hole. Chose a silicone spray because this will help the key slide out easily and it will protect your lock against rust because the silicone spray is water resistant.
2 – Another thing to do is to align the cylinder. You need to see how much of the key is broken inside the lock. The lock is probably still aligned if the key broke in the middle. If you only have the key head without any cuts, than the key part may be turned and the cylinder may be misaligned. In this case, you need to insert a screwdriver into the lock in order to bring it back to its vertical position.
3 – Take a needle-nosed pliers and insert it inside the keyhole. Try to grab the broken key part and pull it out. If your key broke at its head, this is very likely to work. If you donít have needle nose pliers, you may use tweezers but you need to be very careful not to push the broken key part further into the keyhole.
4 – You can use a thin piece of metal that fits the keyhole, like a small jigsaw blade. Insert it inside the keyhole with the serrations pointing back towards you. Put pressure on the key by turning and pulling it out. You may not succeed from the first time so you need to try it several times.
As long as you have the right materials, you should be able to extract your broken key from the lock. If none of these works, you need to call a professional locksmith. Locksmiths have professional key extractor tools. They look like miniature harpoons and have a variety of hook shapes at the end. They will get your broken key out of the lock within minutes.
Tips from locksmiths
1 – Before the key breaks, you may be able to see some tiny cracks on it. Every key has one more deep cuts that will become the weak point of the key. This is likely to be the point where the key will break. You should check your key and if you see any tiny crack, go to the nearest key shop or locksmith centre and get another key.
2 – If your key broke and you or your locksmith pulled it out, donít toss away the broken key parts anywhere. Someone could find your broken pieces, make a new key with them and gain access to your house.