Security lock cylinders

Almost every front door in Spain has a euro cylinder. It is a practical part and easy to change, but it is also the one most attacked, because it is in plain view and within anyone’s reach. A security cylinder is not just a “more expensive” cylinder: it is one designed to resist specific opening techniques. To choose well, the first thing is to know what you need protecting from.

The protections, one by one

Anti-bump

Bumping is a way of opening a cylinder by tapping a specially prepared key while turning it. With the taps, the pins inside the cylinder jump for an instant and the cylinder can turn. An anti-bump cylinder has internal parts and designs that stop those taps from opening it. These days it is the reasonable minimum on a front door.

Anti-pick

A pick is a thin tool inserted into the keyway to set the internal pins one by one. Anti-pick cylinders make that job much harder with specially shaped pins, more internal locking points or more complex key profiles.

Anti-snap

This is the protection against the cylinder being broken, what the trade calls snapping: breaking the cylinder at its weakest point, next to the fixing screw, and opening the lock through the gap. An anti-snap cylinder has a prepared break line so that, if it is snapped, the part left inside the door keeps protecting the lock.

Anti-pull

This is the protection against extraction: gripping the cylinder from outside and pulling until it comes out. Anti-pull cylinders have internal reinforcements that make it hard to rip out whole. This protection works much better if the cylinder does not stick out from the door and is covered by a good escutcheon.

Anti-drill

Many security cylinders also have hardened parts that make it difficult to drill them around the keyway.

Which protection matters most

It depends on your door and your home. As a general rule:

• On the front door of a home, anti-bump and anti-snap are the first things to look at, because they are the techniques most used against euro cylinders.
• On a ground floor flat, a bungalow or a house that stays empty for long spells, it is worth adding anti-pick and anti-pull, because anyone trying to get in can work more calmly.
• On interior doors or storeroom doors, a good quality standard cylinder is often enough.

A cylinder, however good, cannot work miracles if it sticks out from the door or is unprotected. That is why we nearly always recommend it together with a security escutcheon. We explain it in escutcheon installation.

Security grades: the UNE-EN 1303 standard

The words “anti-bump” or “anti-snap” on a box do not tell you how much a cylinder can take. That is what the European standard UNE-EN 1303 is for: it classifies lock cylinders with a code made up of several digits. Each digit corresponds to a characteristic of the cylinder, such as its use, its durability or its resistance to corrosion.

For security, the two digits that matter most are the last ones:

• Key security, which runs from grade 1 to 6. The higher it is, the more different combinations the cylinder has and the harder it is to open with a key that is not its own.
• Attack resistance, which is shown as a 0 when it has not been tested and with letters, from A to D, according to what it has withstood in attack tests, such as drilling or pulling. The further along the letter, the more resistant.

This information comes on the data sheet or the packaging of the cylinder. If you are offered a security cylinder, ask to see its classification: it is the honest way to compare.

The ownership card

Many security cylinders come with an ownership card. It is a document that goes with the keys and is required to order authorised copies. On models that have one, authorised copies cannot be ordered without it. Keep it somewhere safe, outside the home if possible, and do not leave it with the keys.

It is very useful if you leave keys with a neighbour, a cleaning company or whoever manages your rental: you know how many keys there are and nobody can have a copy made without your card.

Size and fitting

A security cylinder of the wrong size loses a good deal of its protection. If it sticks out, it is easier to grip and to snap. If it is too short, it does not work properly. That is why we check the size on your door before fitting the new one. You have the explanation of how it is measured and when it is worth changing in lock cylinder replacement.

If you want to know how your door stands before contacting us, you can take our security test.

Quote, payment and language

With the photo of your cylinder we explain the options and give you a fixed quote before we start. If something changes once we see the door, we tell you and do not carry on until you are happy. You can pay by card, Bizum or cash, and if you do not speak Spanish, send us a WhatsApp in your own language.