Hi all.
Our patio door lock has developed a fault.
It now requires several dozen randomised manouverings of the
handle in conjunction with frenzied twisting of the key to
accomplish a locked or unlocked door status.
Does the whole thing need to be replaced or just the lock or gear box?
Its brand name is Saracen and has a plain square dead bolt shape.

Arthur

Arthur 51 wrote:

Hi all.
Our patio door lock has developed a fault.
It now requires several dozen randomised manouverings of the
handle in conjunction with frenzied twisting of the key to
accomplish a locked or unlocked door status.
Does the whole thing need to be replaced or just the lock or gear box?
Its brand name is Saracen and has a plain square dead bolt shape.

Firslty, try to lock it with the door wide open. If it works easily,
then you know the lock is fine.
The fault will probably lie with the door/lock adjustments. I have
fitted a number of patio door locks, to both old and new doors, and have
never come up with a fail proof way of getting them aligned first time.
The doors will have sagged slightly over time,and this has caused the
lock to become stiff. It isnt the lock that is stiff, just the poor
alignement of the 2 doors.

If however it does not lock properly with door open, then you have
either a fault with the lock itself, or a fault with the internal door
mechanism. It is more likely to be the lock that mechanism, if it is a
euro lock, they are quite cheap to buy, and even cheaper to make.
Only 3 screw to replace it, check the length of your current lock, they
are sold in different lengths.
Alan.
--
To reply by e-mail, change the ' + ' to 'plus'.

"Arthur 51" wrote in message
...
Hi all.
Our patio door lock has developed a fault.
It now requires several dozen randomised manouverings of the
handle in conjunction with frenzied twisting of the key to
accomplish a locked or unlocked door status.
Does the whole thing need to be replaced or just the lock or gear box?
Its brand name is Saracen and has a plain square dead bolt shape.

Arthur

Is it one where you have to lift the handle before locking? I have one and
the door had sagged very slightly meaning that the mechanism wasn't
travelling the full distance and not allowing the key to turn. Is it free to
operate with the door open? Have the various bits been lubricated (other
than the lock barrel)

On 29 June, 13:26, "John" wrote:
"Arthur 51" wrote in message

...

Hi all.
Our patio door lock has developed a fault.
It now requires several dozen randomised manouverings of the
handle in conjunction with frenzied twisting of the key to
accomplish a locked or unlocked door status.
Does the whole thing need to be replaced or just the lock or gear box?
Its brand name is Saracen and has a plain square dead bolt shape.

Arthur

Is it one where you have to lift the handle before locking? I have one and
the door had sagged very slightly meaning that the mechanism wasn't
travelling the full distance and not allowing the key to turn. Is it free to
operate with the door open? Have the various bits been lubricated (other
than the lock barrel)

Thanks, A.L. and John.
I did try the lock with the door open and I think the lock did work ok
while open.
If the door is sagging is it possible to adjust it?

Thanks.

Arthur

On 29 June, 13:26, "John" wrote:
"Arthur 51" wrote in message

...

Hi all.
Our patio door lock has developed a fault.
It now requires several dozen randomised manouverings of the
handle in conjunction with frenzied twisting of the key to
accomplish a locked or unlocked door status.
Does the whole thing need to be replaced or just the lock or gear box?
Its brand name is Saracen and has a plain square dead bolt shape.

Arthur

Is it one where you have to lift the handle before locking? I have one and
the door had sagged very slightly meaning that the mechanism wasn't
travelling the full distance and not allowing the key to turn. Is it free to
operate with the door open? Have the various bits been lubricated (other
than the lock barrel)

John.

"Is it one where you have to lift the handle before locking? "
Yes, it is.

Arthur

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Arthur 51 wrote:


"Is it one where you have to lift the handle before locking? "
Yes, it is.

Arthur

In that case, with the door open, observe carefully what happens when you
lift the handle. There may be some shoot-bolts which come out of the top and
bottom of the door, and engage with holes in the frame and/or there may be
some little rollers on the lock edge of the door, which slide up and down
and engage with U-shaped bits on the frame.

If the door sags a bit, these moving bits may not align properly with the
bits of the frame with which they are supposed to engage - stopping the
handle from lifting properly, and - in turn - stopping the door from
locking.

There may be some adjustment on the door hinges (look for places where an
Allen key may fit) - enabling you to take out the 'sag' - or the bits on the
frame with which the moving bits engage may be adjustable for position. If
they're easily removeable, remove one at a time until the door locks
properly - then you'll know which is the culprit.
--
Cheers,
Roger
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On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:26:54 +0100, (A.Lee) wrote:

Arthur 51 wrote:

Hi all.
Our patio door lock has developed a fault.
It now requires several dozen randomised manouverings of the
handle in conjunction with frenzied twisting of the key to
accomplish a locked or unlocked door status.
Does the whole thing need to be replaced or just the lock or gear box?
Its brand name is Saracen and has a plain square dead bolt shape.

Firslty, try to lock it with the door wide open. If it works easily,
then you know the lock is fine.
The fault will probably lie with the door/lock adjustments. I have
fitted a number of patio door locks, to both old and new doors, and have
never come up with a fail proof way of getting them aligned first time.
The doors will have sagged slightly over time,and this has caused the
lock to become stiff. It isnt the lock that is stiff, just the poor
alignement of the 2 doors.

If however it does not lock properly with door open, then you have
either a fault with the lock itself, or a fault with the internal door
mechanism. It is more likely to be the lock that mechanism, if it is a
euro lock, they are quite cheap to buy, and even cheaper to make.
Only 3 screw to replace it, check the length of your current lock, they
are sold in different lengths.
Alan.


A friend had a problerm with a UPVC door that suddenly refuse to lock
properly. It had about 4 sliding catches along the narrow edge of the
door that all needed to engage properly for the door to successfully
lock, and some of these were fouling. Even using the adjustor screw
it would not work properly. I removed a couple of catches, and the
door would then lock - but I remained puzzled by the problem.

Some weeks later, I noticed that the topmost pin in the 3 hinge system
was half way out of its hinge. This almost certainly caused a minor
twist in the door alignment within the frame.

I tapped the offending pin back into place, and now the door locks
perfectly with all its catches back in place.

DJ