Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?

As we have another lockable exit door I have the luxury of not having to
panic and cut lock out of door or frame.
Yellow pages is full of Locksmiths with 24 hrs callout. Can any of
these----local or national---be recommended ?
Will my buildings insurance help me if I have to employ someone to reopen
the door ?
All advice gratefully received.

John Chapman

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 20:25:31 UTC, "John Chapman"
wrote:

Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?

Worth trying, since you have time...

It may be that one of the pins has stuck in the 'up position (above its
'unlocked' position) and was pushed there as you withdrew the key last
time. You could try some powdered graphite puffed into the lock, then
move the key rapidly in and out and hope the pin drops back.


--
Bob Eager
rde at tavi.co.uk
PC Server 325*4; PS/2s 9585, 8595, 9595*2, 8580*3,
P70...

"John Chapman" wrote in message


Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails in
the locked position ?

Don't you know how to do a search of the site or are you really serious
when you said you were in no hurry. Or are you just stupid and/or lazy?


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Bob Eager wrote:

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 20:25:31 UTC, "John Chapman"
wrote:


Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?


Worth trying, since you have time...

It may be that one of the pins has stuck in the 'up position (above its
'unlocked' position) and was pushed there as you withdrew the key last
time. You could try some powdered graphite puffed into the lock, then
move the key rapidly in and out and hope the pin drops back.




WD 40 has been known to work, and pressing teh door aginst its seal to
take pressure off.

Don't you know how to do a search of the site or are you really serious
when you said you were in no hurry. Or are you just stupid and/or lazy?

Not quite clear how this helps me to get my door unlocked.
Am really serious and clearly not as proficient as your goodself.
Would you care to advise me please on how to search the site, knowledge
which I currently do not possess ?
Thanks
John Chapman

"John Chapman" wrote in message
...
Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails
in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access
to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with
no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?

have you tried putting a wedge under the door
to lift it a little ?

In message , John Chapman
writes



Don't you know how to do a search of the site or are you really serious
when you said you were in no hurry. Or are you just stupid and/or lazy?

Not quite clear how this helps me to get my door unlocked.
Am really serious and clearly not as proficient as your goodself.
Would you care to advise me please on how to search the site, knowledge
which I currently do not possess ?

And which site would this be anyway, uk.d-i-y being a newsgroups, not
a website (though you may view it using a web page)

--
Chris French, Leeds

On 19/01/2004 John Chapman opined:-
Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?

As we have another lockable exit door I have the luxury of not having to
panic and cut lock out of door or frame.
Yellow pages is full of Locksmiths with 24 hrs callout. Can any of
these----local or national---be recommended ?
Will my buildings insurance help me if I have to employ someone to reopen
the door ?
All advice gratefully received.

John Chapman

If all the other suggestions fail to help and as a last resort, you
might consider grinding off the hinge pins and punching them out. That
would allow you to open the door at the hinge side and give access to
the lock without breaking the door or frame. Replacement hinges are
cheap enough.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (Lap)
http://www.ukradioamateur.org

Google Groups uk.diy search this site locks etc

Punch out the hinge pins with a 4" nail. Bend the knobbly bits on the
hinge leaves that are stiil fixed (to the frame) out of the way. Prepare
to catch the door and have someone tap it through. This is presuming you
have ordinary old fashioned hinges and no bolts or studs sticking in the
bottom, top or hinge side of the door.

The alternative is an hacksaw, use wedges to give yourself more room. A
door is about 45 mm thick so you might use a jig saw on packers to do
it. Again you need to get more room to work by separating the hinge
leaves. Good luck.

Sorry I was little short with you.


--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 20:47:05 +0000, The Natural Philosopher wrote:

pressing teh door aginst its seal to take pressure off.

This would be my first try push/pull lift/lower the door, your
shoulder or the handle will be enough) whilst trying to operate the
lock. It doesn't take much friction at all to stop the bolt sliding
back.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

"John Chapman" wrote in message
...
Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails
in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access
to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with
no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?

As we have another lockable exit door I have the luxury of not having to
panic and cut lock out of door or frame.
Yellow pages is full of Locksmiths with 24 hrs callout. Can any of
these----local or national---be recommended ?
Will my buildings insurance help me if I have to employ someone to reopen
the door ?
All advice gratefully received.

John Chapman


Hi John,

If you can't free the lock, the hinge should be accessible from the inside
of the house, you may be able to drive the pins upwards, using a suitable
drift, out of the hinges and lift the door out of the entrance. You will
then be able to remove the lock.

Bill

In article ,
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
WD 40 has been known to work, and pressing teh door aginst its seal to
take pressure off.

Yes. In this case I'd certainly try soaking it in WD 40 as I'd be
replacing it - or stripping it down to see what the problem is anyway. But
if it *does* work, the WD40 needs to be cleaned out afterwards as it will
quickly attract dirt and jam the lock again.

--
*Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Dave Plowman London SW 12
RIP Acorn

In article lgate.org,
"Michael McNeil" writes:
The alternative is an hacksaw, use wedges to give yourself more room. A
door is about 45 mm thick so you might use a jig saw on packers to do
it.

Won't work if the bolt has a pair of rollers in it.

--
Andrew Gabriel

On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 20:25:31 -0000, "John Chapman"
wrote:

Can anyone please advise best course of action when a mortice lock fails in
the locked position ?
Have a 5 lever ERA mortice lock on front door

= Cack. A cheap builder's lock

in addition to standard Yale
rimlock.
Locked the front door behind me this morning and it seemed a bit stiff and
tonight it will not reopen. However hard I turn the key the bolt will not
return and so door is effectively permanently locked. Have gained access to
house and tried all spare keys including almost brand new spare ones with no
success.

Any tips on how to retract the bolt ?


Like people have said, rock it roll it and jiggle it about. If you get
it open don't lock it again. However internal parts can physically
break. :-( Try asking on the locksmithing newsgroup. Yes, there is
one.

As we have another lockable exit door I have the luxury of not having to
panic and cut lock out of door or frame.
Yellow pages is full of Locksmiths with 24 hrs callout. Can any of
these----local or national---be recommended ?

It's what they do. But phone them they may be able to make
suggestions, I went along to one of them with a problematic Chubb 7
lever deadlatch and they spotted it as I went through the door, saying
they were always being called out by people locked out with these
locks, but the 5 lever in the same body was fine.

Will my buildings insurance help me if I have to employ someone to reopen
the door ?

No, it's a maintenance issue. Not an insurable event. But if you were
to find your keys had been stolen...

All advice gratefully received.


Chubb *5* lever. :-)

John Chapman



DG