Thumb turn cyliner on back door-home insurance requirements?

justaquestion

Hi folks,


I am picking the locks to put on our new upvc doors and was thinking for the back door getting a thumb turn cylinder lock, instead of having to use a key.


1 Just wondering from the point of view of sticking to the criteria for home insurance for upvc doors is this adequate?


2 any pointers for the lock for the front door, or are most locks that are fitted to upvc doors nowadays perfectly acceptable for security and in particular home insurance?


Thanks a lot for your advice

TheCyclingProgrammer

Considered this when we had a new composite back door fitted and decided it wasn't worth the increased security risk - its basically the equivalent to leaving the key in the door. I'd only consider it if your back door is unglazed and there's no other window nearby.

Its no hassle having a key operated lock - you can leave the key in during the day for the same convenience as a thumb turn, but remove it at night and when you go out.

Having said that, our front door has one of those Yale keyfree locks with a pin pad on the outside which isn't locked internally with a key, it just requires a small black button on the handle to be pushed in to open it. Door is supposedly "secure by design" and has laminate glass in the two small glazing panels but I suppose it has an equivalent risk.

SplanK

justaquestion wrote: »

1 Just wondering from the point of view of sticking to the criteria for home insurance for upvc doors is this adequate?

It would depend on your house insurance. Different policies will have different requirements, but most circulate around BS approvals rather than getting bogged down into exact design of the lock and how it operates.


Have a look through your policy, and if needed, have a chat with your insurance provider and seek their advise before doing anything, but just be mindful if you change who you insure with, or even if you intend on sticking with your existing provider, the policy could change.

TheCyclingProgrammer

This has just prompted me to look into whether the Yale keyless lock on our front door would have any impact on our insurance. I dug out an old email to my insurers (LV) where I stated that we had this fitted and they seemed fine with it. Also, they have told me that they only require very specific locking requirements if it is listed on the policy under special requirements - presumably they do not deem my location to be high risk enough to warrant this.

The Yale keyless lock doesn't conform to BS3621, presumably because it cannot be deadlocked from the inside. It does however conform to Secure By Design PAS024 and is supposedly "insurance approved", The backup cylinder in it conforms to TS007.