Front door locking mechanism

[dimstthomas]

Hello

We moved house about 6 months ago. The house we moved into has three external UPVC doors that appear to have the same type of locks/handles. When we moved in the two back doors were locked and unlocked by first lifting up the handles and then turning the key. The front door behaved like a yale lock, i.e. it locked as soon as you closed it and unlocked by just turning the key from outside or pushing down the handle from the inside.

Since last week the front door lock has started behaving in the same way as the other two doors, i.e. having to lift up the handle and use the key to lock and unlock from inside and outside. Does anyone know how to make it go back to its previous mode of operation?

Thanks

 

[Markerpen]

Hi
Am I right, that all three doors have the same handles. the front door would normally have a handle inside, and a pad outside, the two being offset. This would mean the door cannot be opened from outside without the key. But can be double locked by lifting the pad or handle.
A rear door would normally have two handles and work as you describe

 

[dimstthomas]

Yes the front door has a pad and handle, but now works in the same way as the other two doors which have two handles. The front door has the letters GU on the lock so I think it is made by Gretsch-Unitas Ltd.

 

[Markerpen]

If you are able to open the door by pushing down the pad without using the key, there is a fault in the lock.
I would have thought best to replace the lock.
You would only have to replace the central part of the mechanism. what would be known as 'dual spindle gearbox' for multipoint lock.
There's quite a few suppliers, Just Google multipoint locks. most do GU locks.

They can be a bit of a fiddle to work on if you're not used to them.

 

[dimstthomas]

Ok thanks for the info.

 

[God]

You cannot replace just the lock case on all multipoints, takenthe handle of first and make sure eveything is as it should be, springs are in place and so on before spending on a new lock

 

[God]

You cannot replace just the lock case on all multipoints, takenthe handle of first and make sure eveything is as it should be, springs are in place and so on before spending on a new lock