Price of upvc door locks / locksmith

tco03

I have been shopping for quotes to open and repair my upvc door lock.
Its a double glazed double door and is jammed solid and cannot open. In fact i think i have made it worse trying to force the handle open.

The best quote from a locksmith in the area is £160 which is still expensive as far as im concerned.

Does anyone know how i could get the door open as i could probably get myself a new lock at half the price.

The first locksmith quoted £250, i nearly collapsed :eek:

ic

Chances are you can take the handle off from inside (remove one or two screws and it should come off), and with gentle persuasion (aka a pair of molegrips or adjustable pliers) snap the lock. Replacement locks are fairly cheap, and can be fitted within a minute DIY - they're held in by a single screw from the side of the door. I recently bought a pair of six lever anti-snap, anti-bump locks that were keyed-alike for my front and back doors with 8 keys for about £39 off eBay. One on its own with three keys is probably just £15. Being anti-snap, next time you won't be able to do this!

I kept my old locks and just played with them when watching telly, it was surprising how quickly they failed!

tco03

yes my neighbor helped me break the lock cylinder out in the way you described and i have prodded and poked in the hole for ages but the door remains locked shut.
Its only the rear patio door so no rush its not urgent, I would prefer to tackle this myself than pay that price.

Johnhowell

These multi-lock units cost above £100 - so £60 to replace is about right.

Our front door multi-lock unit jammed. A friend of a friend came around and took the unit out - found that one of the hook units was the cause of the jam. He went away, opened the unit straightened, flattened the inerds and refitted - good as new... £50.

It can be quite difficult to find a matching unit as they change frequently over time.

Good luck,
John

SatanicHare

ic wrote: »

Chances are you can take the handle off from inside (remove one or two screws and it should come off), and with gentle persuasion (aka a pair of molegrips or adjustable pliers) snap the lock. Replacement locks are fairly cheap, and can be fitted within a minute DIY - they're held in by a single screw from the side of the door. I recently bought a pair of six lever anti-snap, anti-bump locks that were keyed-alike for my front and back doors with 8 keys for about £39 off eBay. One on its own with three keys is probably just £15. Being anti-snap, next time you won't be able to do this!

I kept my old locks and just played with them when watching telly, it was surprising how quickly they failed!

Those are cylinders not locks, if the lock is jammed then before you open it it would be wise to have a replacement ready, if you don't know the make and model then the chances of guessing and buying the right one are slim, some the more popular manufacturers are, GU, Winkhaus, Maco, Yale , Avocet, Lockmaster/Paddock and Fuhr, there are many more and each manufacturer has multiple locks. I'm not saying don't DIY, just make sure your able to secure your property again once you've got the door open.

tco03

Iv found a locksmith in Tettenhall that says he can do it for about £110
He has good reviews so might just bite the bullet and watch carefully for next time.
Is it worth buying those anti snap locks you reckon?

tco03

He opened the door with some sort of airbag and it popped open.
Lock wasnt broken but he adjusted the keeps.
£50 and im a happy bunny.