uPVC Door Handle Replacement: Handle, Gearbox or Lock?

A uPVC door handle is fixed through the door with two long bolts and drives a square spindle. That spindle turns the gearbox, a metal case set into the edge of the door behind the faceplate. The gearbox in turn moves the hooks, rollers or bolts along the full height of the door, which is why it is called a multipoint lock.

Lifting the handle throws the locking points into their keeps. Turning the key then holds them there. Any of the three parts can fail, and each gives a different feel.

• The handle droops and will not spring back to level
• The handle is loose on the door even after the bolts are tightened
• The lever is cracked, bent or the finish has worn through
• The door locks normally with the handle removed and the spindle turned by hand

• The handle spins freely, or goes down but will not lift
• The latch will not retract so the door will not open
• The handle feels gritty or clicks before anything moves
• The key turns but the locking points do not move

If you have to lift the handle with real force, or lean on the door to lock it, the locking points are usually fighting their keeps. That is an alignment problem first, caused by a door that has dropped or moved. Forcing it is what eventually breaks the gearbox.

Realigning the door and adjusting the keeps often solves it outright. Where the hooks, rollers or the connecting rods themselves have worn, the full multipoint mechanism is replaced. Our guide to a uPVC door that will not lock covers that fault in more depth.

To replace a gearbox or a full mechanism, the handle and cylinder come off and the faceplate screws are removed so the mechanism slides out of the edge of the door. The replacement is matched by backset, spindle centre and the position of the locking points, then fitted and tested with the door closed.

Mechanisms vary widely between door makers and over the years, so we identify the existing one before ordering. A new handle is usually fitted at the same visit if the old one is worn.

Composite doors and uPVC French doors use the same handle, gearbox and multipoint layout, so the same diagnosis applies. The difference is weight: a heavy composite slab drops faster and strains its gearbox sooner, so alignment is the first thing we check on those doors.

On a pair of French doors, the secondary door is held by shoot bolts at the top and bottom. If the main door locks only when the secondary door is pushed hard shut, the shoot bolts or their keeps are the likely cause rather than the handle.

• Does the door lock with the door open? If so, alignment is likely the problem
• Does the handle feel the same with the door open and closed?
• Is the handle loose, or is it the movement that is wrong?
• Has the door started catching the frame or threshold?

Composite doors use the same style of lever handles and multipoint locks as uPVC doors, so composite door handle replacement follows the same steps. The difference is usually the door thickness, which is often greater, so the handle screws and spindle need to be long enough to pass right through. Measure the thickness before ordering.

Door handle replacement outside is the same job as inside, because both handles are joined by the spindle and the long screws. The outside handle takes the weather, so its spring and finish tend to go first. Most handle sets are sold as a pair, which keeps both sides matching. If only the outside handle has faded or loosened, a full set is still the simplest fix.

A new handle only helps if the old one has failed. If the handle lifts but nothing locks, or drops limp with the door shut, the gearbox inside the door is the likely cause; see uPVC door mechanism replacement. If you plan to change the lock as well, our guide on how to replace a uPVC door lock covers measuring and removing it.

Our door handle replacement service covers matching the handle to the backset, centres and spindle, fitting it and checking the lock and door alignment. Our existing cost guides list a handle set or hinge replacement at around £50 to £120 fitted. The price depends on the handle style, finish, whether it has a split spindle or a lock, and whether other parts need attention. We confirm it at a free in-person quote.