Wink Haus multi point front door lock

[Paul205]

Happy New Year.

I have a Wink Haus multi point door locking mechanism that is installed in a composite front door. The mechanism was installed in the door in the door manufacturer's factory and then the door was installed in my property around 10 years ago.

The locking mechanism has a hook at the top of the door and a hook at the bottom of the door and then a straight bolt midway up the door. These all engage into the door frame by lifting the internal door handle or external door handle.

Additionally, just above the straight bolt is a mechanism that is sprung loaded in and out of the door and I believe is referred to as a latch. The latch engages into the door frame when the door is shut. The latch does not seem to be 'sticky' in the door and I know it engages into the frame when the door is shut.

I believe that there is a fault that has developed, so my first question is if I walk through the door from the inside of the house to the outside of the house and shut the door behind me, the latch will then engage into the frame. Should I then be able to push down the external door handle which would retract the latch into the door allowing me to open the door from the outside or alternatively, if I push down the external door handle should the mechanism be designed not retract into the door and therefore lock me out of the house?

The reason I am asking this is up until a month ago, the mechanism would allow me to be locked out of the house (which I was always mindful of) but this allowed me to shut the door from the inside of the house during the day, knowing an intruder could not use the external handle from outside to open the door. In the last month, the mechanism operation has changed where I cannot be locked out of the house but an intruder could simply open the front door from outside by using the door handle which would retract the latch

Many thanks




Pau

 

[crank39]

Something has altered then, have you changed the spindle from a 2 piece to a one piece solid spindle at any point?

 

[Paul205]

thanks for your response. I haven't altered anything but there seems to be a change in operation which I am assuming is due to a fault appearing in the last month.

 

[aveatry]

AS crank is saying - its a - or was a split spindle and as far I I know there is no way it can stop being a split spindle unless perhaps over years of no use and its rusted together ??

 

[Paul205]

OK, so the spindle is a one piece spindle that joins the inner handle and outer handle.

 

[crank39]

Some Winkhaus locks, like the AV3, feature a "daytime latch" or "service mode" that allows the door to be opened from the outside using the handle without a key. Look for a small blue switch on the frame (keep) or the lock mechanism itself. If it's engaged (usually in the down position), disengage it (move it up) to restore key-only entry from the outside

 

[Paul205]

many thanks Crank, when you say the lock mechanism, do you mean a visible part of the mechanism or would it need withdrawing from the door?

 

[crank39]

Visible

 

[Paul205]

thanks Crank, theres no visible switch

 

[crank39]

Sorry my bad I was getting ahead of myself, you've likely got a AV2 Auto lock version, a slam lock, normally these are used with pole and not lever handles but depending how you specd it handles can be fitted. So entering through the door you would just slam the door and the hooks pop out automatically and locks, presumably you have a thumb turn cylinder inside. So from outside before it went wrong was the handle fixed in that it wouldn't move up and down or would it move but just not retract the latch or hooks, that was done by turning the key, was the handle effectively just for show but now it seems to be doing something it wasn't doing before?

 

[Paul205]

Thanks Crank.

So the mechanism is about 10 years old and I do not have a thumb lock on the inside.

I dont believe I have a slam lock installation. For the complete 10 years it has always been the case and still is the case that shutting the door alone would not engage any hooks or the deadbolt. The hooks and deadbolt are only engaged by lifting either the internal or external handles which are certainly joined by a single square drive. The only thing that would happen when shutting the door is the latch would engage in the frame. For around 9 years 11 months I would exit the house and shut the door but not lift or lower the handle and this would engage the latch in the frame. Then pushing down the lever from the outside would not open the door (ie the handle would not retract the latch into the door and I would be locked out). For the last month pushing down the external handle now retracts the latch into the door allowing entry.

 

[crank39]

Ok this definitely sounds strange, I know some gearboxes have a switch you can toggle over for the 2 different settings, it means removing the mechanism from the door though, but a quick Google and the subsequent Ai response is.....

How to Switch the Function (Nightlatch Reversal)

The "switch" for the lever/pad function (often referred to as nightlatch reversal) is achieved by repositioning a small internal pin within the gearbox:

Remove the gearbox from the main lock strip, if it is not already separated. The gearboxes are typically held on by pins that need to be punched out (except for a central screw).
Locate the small rectangular slot adjacent to the spindle hole on the side of the gearbox case.

Insert a small flat-bladed screwdriver into the slot.

Roll or push the black roll pin inside the slot to the opposite side. This changes how the internal and external spindles engage the mechanism.

-------------------------------

I'm not even sure this is the fault, if you have to go to all this trouble to toggle between the two how can it change on its own?

It might be the case that you need to get a service engineer in like a door and window doctor because its difficult to pinpoint without being in front of the door yourself

 

[Paul205]

I am really grateful for your time on this crank, really grateful indeed and I am thankful for your patience. I can advise I havent changed anything in the last month but perhaps a fault has occured or something unknown.

I am thinking I may have to withdraw the mechanism from the door. if I withdraw the mechanism is it likely that the gearbox will have Winkhaus part numbers on it?

 

[crank39]

No but if you take a photo it's easy to id, probably a Cobra, I already know it'll be a 45mm bs x 92pz, a real good close up in focus photo of the square drive or follower to see if it's a split follower would be good although you aren't currently using the split follower function with your 1 piece spindle