Lock replacement

We are often called to change a lock and, when we see it, changing the cylinder is enough. Other times it is the other way round: someone has changed the cylinder twice and the problem is still there, because what is wrong is the lock inside. Knowing how to tell one from the other saves you money and trouble.

Cylinder or whole lock: how to know which is needed

The cylinder is the part you put the key into. The lock is the case that sits inside the door, with the bolts, the latch and the springs. They are two different things.

Changing the cylinder is enough when:

• You have lost your keys or do not know who has a copy.
• The key goes in with difficulty but, once in, turns well.
• You want more security and the lock is in good condition.

In that case what you need is a lock cylinder replacement, which is simpler.

The whole lock needs replacing when:

• The bolts do not come out fully or stop halfway.
• The latch does not spring back and the door does not stay shut.
• When you turn the key you feel something slipping inside, as if it is not catching.
• The case is rusty or has broken parts.
• The lock is an old type that will not take a modern cylinder.

Old locks in security doors

In Torrevieja there are many homes from the eighties and nineties with security doors that are still solid, but they have lever locks, the kind with a long bit key. Those locks no longer offer the security they once did and spare parts are often hard to find.

There are two routes. One is to replace it with a current lever lock. The other, which is the one we usually advise, is to switch to a lock with a euro cylinder. We explain it in lever lock to cylinder conversion. That way, in future, any change of keys is solved with the cylinder and not with the whole lock.

Finding a replacement that fits

What we take most care over in a lock replacement is not having to do any work on the door. To manage that, we check the measurements of the lock you have:

• The faceplate. The metal plate visible on the edge of the door: length, width and whether it is flat or shaped.
• The backset. The distance from the edge of the door to the centre of the cylinder.
• The distance between the handle and the cylinder. If it does not match, the handle or the escutcheon will not line up.
• The thickness of the case. So it goes into the recess without having to cut away more timber.

When we find a model with the same measurements, the change is clean and the door looks the same as before from outside. If there is no exact replacement, we show you the alternative and what it involves before you decide.

When to take the chance to change it

There are times when it makes sense to change the lock even though it still works:

• When you buy a home. You do not know how many keys are out there or what state the mechanism is in. We cover it in moving into or buying a home.
• After an attempted break-in. Even if the door did not open, the lock may have been damaged inside.
• When the house is going to be empty for a long time. Better for the lock to be in perfect condition before you go.

What happens to the old lock

Once it is out, we show it to you so you can see why it needed changing: tired springs, broken zamak parts, rust on the bolts. If you want to keep it, it is yours. If not, we take it away.

What we do on every replacement

The job does not end when the new lock is screwed in. We check that the door has not dropped, because a door that rubs on the frame ends up straining the mechanism. We adjust the strike plate so the bolts go in without touching. And we try the key from outside and inside several times.

If, when we take it apart, we see the door has another problem, such as a loose frame or a broken hinge, we tell you and you decide. If the problem is just adjustment and the lock can be saved, we will tell you that too: you have the details in lock repair.

How to ask for it

Send us a WhatsApp photo of the edge of the door with the lock in view and another from inside. If you do not speak Spanish, write to us in your own language. We give you a fixed quote before we start and, if the job turns out to be different when we arrive, we let you know and do not carry on without your agreement. We work 24 hours a day, in Torrevieja and all over the Vega Baja.