Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like. I think they're all about 20 years old, so I'm planning to
replace them all at once rather than just replacing the bad ones.

I know there's a a nasty failure mode with these latches where the
die-cast insides can fail leaving you locked in or out, and I'm keen
to avoid cheap-and-nasty brands that might do this if possible.

There are a large range of prices at screwfix - from 99p each to over
5 pounds. Is price any indication of quality with these sorts of
items? I'm wondering whether it's best to buy a branded one like
Smith and Locke (which maybe just a B&Q / Screwfix brand anyway) or
just go with the unbranded cheap ones and maybe replace them every few
years.

Maybe you could buy one of the £5 ones and take it apart to satisfy yourself (or not) that it's better than the 90p ones!

On 24/11/2019 14:18, Caecilius wrote:
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like. I think they're all about 20 years old, so I'm planning to
replace them all at once rather than just replacing the bad ones.

Do you mean a sash lock? That is one with a sprung latch operated by the
door handle and a key operated mortice lock. I don't bother with those,
as internal doors generally don't need to be locked. Instead, I use
simple sprung latches or ball or roller latches.

I know there's a a nasty failure mode with these latches where the
die-cast insides can fail leaving you locked in or out, and I'm keen
to avoid cheap-and-nasty brands that might do this if possible.

That can't happen with a ball or roller latch. If the mechanism breaks
(which I have never known happen) a hard push or pull will still open
the door. If they do fail, it is more likely to be the spring, which
means they simply don't hold the door closed any more.

There are a large range of prices at screwfix - from 99p each to over
5 pounds. Is price any indication of quality with these sorts of
items? I'm wondering whether it's best to buy a branded one like
Smith and Locke (which maybe just a B&Q / Screwfix brand anyway) or
just go with the unbranded cheap ones and maybe replace them every few
years.


IME the best way to buy locks is from an independent locksmith. You will
get impartial advice on which is best and what the drawbacks any of the
different types have.

OTOH you could just avoid unbranded locks or locks from unknown brands
and go for a well known maker. I have had good service from both Yale
and Union locks in the past.

--
Colin Bignell

On Sunday, 24 November 2019 16:10:02 UTC, nightjar wrote:
On 24/11/2019 14:18, Caecilius wrote:
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like. I think they're all about 20 years old, so I'm planning to
replace them all at once rather than just replacing the bad ones.

Do you mean a sash lock? That is one with a sprung latch operated by the
door handle and a key operated mortice lock. I don't bother with those,
as internal doors generally don't need to be locked. Instead, I use
simple sprung latches or ball or roller latches.

I know there's a a nasty failure mode with these latches where the
die-cast insides can fail leaving you locked in or out, and I'm keen
to avoid cheap-and-nasty brands that might do this if possible.

That can't happen with a ball or roller latch. If the mechanism breaks
(which I have never known happen) a hard push or pull will still open
the door. If they do fail, it is more likely to be the spring, which
means they simply don't hold the door closed any more.

There are a large range of prices at screwfix - from 99p each to over
5 pounds. Is price any indication of quality with these sorts of
items? I'm wondering whether it's best to buy a branded one like
Smith and Locke (which maybe just a B&Q / Screwfix brand anyway) or
just go with the unbranded cheap ones and maybe replace them every few
years.


IME the best way to buy locks is from an independent locksmith. You will
get impartial advice on which is best and what the drawbacks any of the
different types have.

OTOH you could just avoid unbranded locks or locks from unknown brands
and go for a well known maker. I have had good service from both Yale
and Union locks in the past.

Or Chubb.
On bedroom doors, all you need is a bolt on the inside.
Or bathroom locks. (Can be opened with a coin in emergency)

On Sun, 24 Nov 2019 16:09:59 +0000, nightjar
wrote:

On 24/11/2019 14:18, Caecilius wrote:
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like. I think they're all about 20 years old, so I'm planning to
replace them all at once rather than just replacing the bad ones.

Do you mean a sash lock? That is one with a sprung latch operated by the
door handle and a key operated mortice lock. I don't bother with those,
as internal doors generally don't need to be locked. Instead, I use
simple sprung latches or ball or roller latches.

I mean something like this:

https://www.screwfix.com/p/smith-loc...-backset/5245k

I know there's a a nasty failure mode with these latches where the
die-cast insides can fail leaving you locked in or out, and I'm keen
to avoid cheap-and-nasty brands that might do this if possible.

That can't happen with a ball or roller latch. If the mechanism breaks
(which I have never known happen) a hard push or pull will still open
the door. If they do fail, it is more likely to be the spring, which
means they simply don't hold the door closed any more.

Thats a good point - I only need something to keep the door closed,
there's no need for the latch to resist any force.

There are a large range of prices at screwfix - from 99p each to over
5 pounds. Is price any indication of quality with these sorts of
items? I'm wondering whether it's best to buy a branded one like
Smith and Locke (which maybe just a B&Q / Screwfix brand anyway) or
just go with the unbranded cheap ones and maybe replace them every few
years.


IME the best way to buy locks is from an independent locksmith. You will
get impartial advice on which is best and what the drawbacks any of the
different types have.

That's a good point - I'll consider the local locksmith rather than
screwfix / toolstation.

OTOH you could just avoid unbranded locks or locks from unknown brands
and go for a well known maker. I have had good service from both Yale
and Union locks in the past.

I'm not sure whether that's always the case, but it's probably true
more often than it's false.

On 24/11/2019 17:08, Caecilius wrote:
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like.

Before buying I would strip one down and try and identify the issue, in
many cases using a small file to smooth any sticking areas can resolve
the problem.

On Sun, 24 Nov 2019 20:09:37 +0000, ss wrote:

On 24/11/2019 17:08, Caecilius wrote:
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like.

Before buying I would strip one down and try and identify the issue, in
many cases using a small file to smooth any sticking areas can resolve
the problem.

They are not easy to strip down without damage though, as they're
assembled with spot-welds or rivets. Even if I could get them apart
without damage, I'd find it hard to put them back together again.

In article , Caecilius
writes
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like. I think they're all about 20 years old, so I'm planning to
replace them all at once rather than just replacing the bad ones.

I know there's a a nasty failure mode with these latches where the
die-cast insides can fail leaving you locked in or out, and I'm keen
to avoid cheap-and-nasty brands that might do this if possible.

There are a large range of prices at screwfix - from 99p each to over
5 pounds. Is price any indication of quality with these sorts of
items? I'm wondering whether it's best to buy a branded one like
Smith and Locke (which maybe just a B&Q / Screwfix brand anyway) or
just go with the unbranded cheap ones and maybe replace them every few
years.
Speaking from experience if you start with the cheap unbranded ones when
they do go you will find the later cheap unbranded ones from the same
shed are not the same size.
--
bert

On 24/11/19 17:08, Caecilius wrote:
On Sun, 24 Nov 2019 16:09:59 +0000, nightjar
wrote:


That can't happen with a ball or roller latch. If the mechanism breaks
(which I have never known happen) a hard push or pull will still open
the door. If they do fail, it is more likely to be the spring, which
means they simply don't hold the door closed any more.

Thats a good point - I only need something to keep the door closed,
there's no need for the latch to resist any force.

What about doing away with a latch altogether? Would a small neodymium
magnet and mild steel plate hold the door closed to your requirements?

--

Jeff

To be honest some of the latches in my internal doors date from before than
war, and with normal careful lubrication seem to work just fine. I had to
remove a couple to get them back working though, mostly muck and gunge. The
usual problem with older locks is loss of the keys and nobody seems to be
able to create the new ones.
When I had to give up on the kitchen door latch due to corrosion inside, I
found that the plate sizes and pitch of the two holes, and the handle to
door edge were slightly different needing more door surgery than I had
intended.
Brian

--
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"Caecilius" wrote in message
news
Many of the mortice latches on my internal doors are not as smooth as
I'd like. I think they're all about 20 years old, so I'm planning to
replace them all at once rather than just replacing the bad ones.

I know there's a a nasty failure mode with these latches where the
die-cast insides can fail leaving you locked in or out, and I'm keen
to avoid cheap-and-nasty brands that might do this if possible.

There are a large range of prices at screwfix - from 99p each to over
5 pounds. Is price any indication of quality with these sorts of
items? I'm wondering whether it's best to buy a branded one like
Smith and Locke (which maybe just a B&Q / Screwfix brand anyway) or
just go with the unbranded cheap ones and maybe replace them every few
years.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/ironmonge...tches/_i.html?
_storecat=2497013219