One of the most common calls our Technical Service Representatives receive is a panicked store manager or owner calling at 6am because they’ve broken their one and only key in the lock of their door. With no access to their store, they’re more than likely going to have to awkwardly explain what happened to more than a few early morning customers. As a result, we commonly get asked the following question.

What can I do to avoid broken keys?

Misalignment of Pins

If a key is hard to turn, it’s time to call a technician. Typically, springs will weaken over time causing the pins to sag.  This misalignment of pins within the lock will cause the lock to no longer function. At this point, the lock needs to either be re-pinned or replaced altogether.

The Wrong Key

This has happened to me on more than one occasion. I’ve been chatting away on my cell phone and suddenly the key that I’m positive is my house key isn’t working. Instead of pulling the key out immediately and checking to see if I am, in fact, using the wrong key, I just keep trying to force the key to turn. No matter how hard you try, the wrong key isn’t going to work. It will, however, cause you to break either your key or your lock.

Force

Sometimes our strength can land us in less than ideal situations. Forcefully trying to turn a key is a good way to leave yourself stranded in a parking lot at 6am without a way in to your facility. Be easy on your keys and if you’re still having trouble turning them, have a technician take a look.

The Door Pull

If you’re repeatedly pulling your door shut by yanking on the key still lodged in the lock, you’re going to have a problem. This puts undue stress on the key, and over time it’s going to create a weak spot. This will ultimately leave you with a broken key.

Leaving a Key in the Lock

This type of accident is much more common in back-of-house doors. Our techs see a lot of keys that are left in door alarms and then broken by delivery or garbage carts accidently running into them. If your key isn’t currently in use, it’s wise to remove it from the lock to prevent any accidental bumps and breaks.

Bent Keys

This seems fairly obvious, but if your key is bent, it has a weak spot. One weak spot is all it takes to break a key, so keep your eye out for bent keys. Getting a copy made beforehand is a much better option than being locked out of your facility.

Using Your Key as Something It’s Not

It’s easy to reach for your keys when you’re trying to open a box and a box cutter isn’t handy. Sometimes that pry bar might not be as close as your keys. However, as much as we want to use our keys for every little thing, it’s not a smart move. Using a key for anything other than its intended purpose puts undue stress on the key and can create weak spots that may start an unfortunate chain of events leading to your key’s untimely demise. There are several ways to end up with broken keys, but if you look at the list, they’re all fairly avoidable. Paying attention and making responsible decisions is only going to extend the life of your key and save you from a hassle.