Repair guide
Key Will Not Turn or Has Snapped in the Door: What Now
Key problems are the faults most likely to leave you standing on your own doorstep, so it helps to know what is happening inside the door before you ring anyone.
Nearly all of them come down to two components: the euro cylinder the key goes into, or the multipoint gearbox it drives.
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In person, with photo estimates sometimes possible
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Reading the symptom
- Key goes in but will not turn: worn cylinder pins, a worn copied key or a door under pressure
- Key turns endlessly with no resistance: the cylinder cam or the gearbox is not engaging
- Key turns partway then stops: the locking points are being blocked by misaligned keeps
- Key has snapped off in the lock: the cylinder needs replacing, not drilling out by force
- Key only works if you pull the door towards you: the door has dropped and needs realigning
- Key stiff in cold weather only: dry or contaminated cylinder in need of the correct lubricant
Copied keys and a worn cylinder
Cheaply cut copies wear a cylinder faster than the original, because each copy is slightly out and the pins take the difference. If your original key works and the spare no longer does, the cylinder is on its way out rather than the key.
What we do on arrival
We check whether the fault is the cylinder, the gearbox or simple alignment before fitting anything. A snapped key is extracted where possible and the cylinder changed, and we aim to gain entry without damaging the door.
Since the cylinder has to come out anyway, this is the moment to fit an anti snap, anti pick and anti drill replacement, and we can supply keyed alike sets so one key opens front and back doors.
Guidance on cost
Typical price ranges
The ranges below are guidance only, based on the sort of repairs we carry out across the North East. Prices vary with size, specification, access and the condition of the frame, so we confirm the price after inspecting the fault. In-person quotations are free.
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Euro cylinder replacementAnti snap security cylinders included in this range | around £60 to £130 fitted |
| Keyed alike set across two or three doorsOne key for front, back and garage or side door | quoted per set |
| Snapped key extraction and cylinder changeDepends on how the key has broken inside the lock | around £70 to £150 |
| Multipoint gearbox replacementWhere the key turns but nothing locks or unlocks | around £150 to £280 fitted |
Related repairs
Services covered in this guide
Where we carry out this work
Questions
Frequently asked
My key spins round without locking anything. What is broken?
The cylinder is no longer driving the mechanism, or the gearbox inside the door has failed. Both are replaceable parts rather than a reason for a new door.
Half the key is still in the lock. Should I try to pull it out?
Do not force it, as pushing the broken half further in makes extraction harder. Call us and we will extract it and change the cylinder.
Is a lock change urgent if the keys are lost?
If the keys can be linked to the address, treat it as urgent. Changing the cylinder secures the door again and leaves the rest of the door untouched.
Are anti snap cylinders worth the extra?
They are one of the cheapest security improvements available, resisting the snapping, picking and drilling methods used on older euro cylinders.
Can you match new cylinders to my existing keys?
Often yes, and where that is not possible we can key alike the new cylinders so one key still opens every door.
Need it sorted today?
Tell us what the window or door is doing and we will arrange a free in-person quotation. Clear photographs can sometimes help us estimate sooner.