Front door lock.

[Sanjay29]

Moved house.
Front door lock picture is attached.
It is a little temperamental
Have 2 keys sometimes they lock sometimes they don’t. Any advice on freeing the lock for smooth and guaranteed operation
Is there something I can squirt in. ???

Thanks. In advance

 

[Wayners]

Vaseline. Take handle off. Remove lock.

I use vaseline because everyone has it. Unlike products like WD-40 it don't evaporate. It don't run or swell.

Might be worn out. Take a look but easy swap if you can buy a matching lock

 

[conny]

DO NOT USE VASELINE!, or any other gel/oily liquid. Dust gets blown into locks and bits of fluff from the key when you take the key out of your pocket/handbag.
You should only use powdered lubricants such as graphite dust, which you can get in small 'puffer' plastic bottles. Once every three month or so, I rub a pencil lead over some fine glasspaper, tip it onto a clean sheet of paper, then give all our keys a good dipping into it. After dipping, insert and extract the key a few times, locking and unlocking the catch. I very rarely have a problem with any keys after doing this.

 

[Wayners]

I know about graphite in locks but that cheap metal lock will be worn out. Going to need some lube to get it working until it finally becomes to difficult to use and needs replacing. Worth having a look and deciding what to do.

 

[foxhole]

Make more sense to find the problem rather than chuck stuff in it . Looks poorly fitted is the lock, keep and hinges secure?
And correctly aligned?

 

[mattylad]

If your new to the property then you are best replacing the lock entirely.
One with a set of keys that only you have, not previous owners.

 

[JohnD]

That's right

But


If the lock operates correctly when the door is open, then the problem is door hanging

If it operates from one side but not the other, the keys are worn out.

Show us pics of the front of the lock (on the edge of the door) and the keys (showing both ends) and we can start identifying a replacement that will fit.

 

[JohnD]

that cheap metal lock

How did you guess that?

 

[Wayners]

How did you guess that?

Experience.
Plus I did say take it out and look then decide. Not saying I'm right.
Replacement start at £10 and Screwfix have one for £13. Well engineered quality product that will last lifetime at that price? Just how things are now I guess.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

If the lock operates correctly when the door is open, then the problem is door hanging

Or it could just be that the keep has been fitted slightly out of alignment. Common enough issue when snagging new installs (especially on price work jobs). Easy enough to fix by just adjusting the keep or by dint of some surreptitious filing of the keep to adjust (not a lockie's solution - but sometimes you need to extemporise...)