Internal Door Handles 19 pounds or 20 pounds -Is there Quality from Cost

Dandytf

After yet another failed Internal door handle fail, resulting in being locked in Bathroom over 70hours approx.


https://www.homebase.co.uk/sandleford-moreton-latch-lever-set-polished-chrome/12836368.html
£22

 
https://www.homebase.co.uk/sandleford-hartwell-latch-lever-set-polished-chrome/12836377.html
£19


I suspect my current internal door handles are 2nd set 19 pounds approx.
Both types provide 7 years Warranty.
Is this why I'm finding some Door Handles starting to fail since 2016/2017.

I wouldn't mind paying Extra cost if user's can suggest better quality internal Door Handles Silver or Chrome.

thanks

Slinky

Wow, never had a door handle fail apart from a locking mechanism on a upvc front door. The handles on the doors in this house all looked original apart from the bathroom door, and the house is 60 years old. Our new ones are Howdens, but as they are only months old there's no way of knowing their longevity.

I wouldn't be bothering to close the bathroom door if in the house on my own in future if I were you. I take it you have no window to call for help from?  Must have been a very distressing experience.

TELLIT01

I've been in my current house 35 years and never had a door handle fail.  Is the handle breaking or is the bar connecting the handles either side of the door a bit short so it eventually slides out of the handle?  As a safety measure keep a screwdriver and pair if pliers in the bathroom in case it happens again.

Dandytf

thanks mser's

I only mention starting to fail as my bedroom identical door handle is starting to stick when opening or closing door.
My bathroom handle basically was starting to stick recently, then Sat evening suck approx 3/4's when I wanted to reopen door from inside bathroom, when it stuck I though I'de push/pull with strength when handle snapped off.
I have extractor fan as No Bathroom Windows in this type of concert flat.
I had 2 mobile phones in living room, only my voice and thumping on door in desperation by chance if any neighbouring flats could hear my plea for help, not until Tues evening when one neighbour in flat below had the responded and called 999.
That's me to replace Internal Door handles after 6yrs approx.
+500 pounds for another FD30 Door Lock+Handles pack- again since Aug '22 when Home Emergancy had to gain access.
To be fair last night's fire brigade+police managed to gain access in very little time.
I failed to make use of decorating scraper+kitchen knife to prise open lock.

thanks!

Dandytf

I was thinking if maybe Cold or Warm Temps are having effect on wooden internal doors expanding/shrink.
Causing handles to stick.

CliveOfIndia

Dandytf said:

After yet another failed Internal door handle fail, resulting in being locked in Bathroom over 70hours approx.

You spent 3 days locked in your bathroom ???!!!  That must have been awful.

You'd have had no shortage of water, but what on earth did you eat ??

Aside from that, I've had a few instances over the years where door catches can stick.  As you say, it could be to do with the wood swelling due to humidity.  It's not too difficult to sort out - remove the handles and strike plates, carefully shave off a tiny bit of wood with a sharp chisel, then refit the hardware.

To be fair, I've had to fiddle about more with handles in the relatively new house I'm in now than I've ever had to with older houses I've lived in previously.  They don't build 'em like they used to

But in terms of the quality of handles you can buy, I really don't think there's much to choose between the majority of them - it's just aesthetics.

mi-key

I have never had an actual handle fail, it is pretty rare ! but what can happen is if the gap between the door and the door jamb is very tight, and moves slightly then when you turn the handle the catch part of the handle doesn't come out of the plate on the door frame far enough to open the door.

Check this first ( from outside the room ! ) and see if it looks like the catch is going very deep into the plate. If it is, then you can set the plate further back into the door frame which should fix the problem as really only the very end of it needs to go into the plate to hold the door in place.

BUFF

is it the handles failing or the latch(s)?

There definitely are differences in quality between different door furniture sets but the price difference will be significantly more than £1.

Dandytf

CliveOfIndia said:

Dandytf said:

After yet another failed Internal door handle fail, resulting in being locked in Bathroom over 70hours approx.

You spent 3 days locked in your bathroom ???!!!  That must have been awful.

You'd have had no shortage of water, but what on earth did you eat ??

 - remove the handles and strike plates, carefully shave off a tiny bit of wood with a sharp chisel, then refit the hardware.

But in terms of the quality of handles you can buy, I really don't think there's much to choose between the majority of them - it's just aesthetics.

Thanks removing handles to trim or shave door panels I'm afraid is above my skills, more due to type of Crown paints I used as handles don't come away after unscrewing 4 screws+I have one headless little silver screw in livingroom.
Id rather avoid any more headless screws.
That quality line is very similar to what I have viewed online, maybe I'll try those £22 pounds range as a slightly different Handle.
3 days locked in bathroom, from 18`:10 pm Fri 28/04 until after 19:00 hrs Tues 02/05.
I found bathroom basin sink cold water a means of replacing food/tea as excellent temp survival.
24/7 Extractor Fan makes standard thing sound and much more trains plains automobile sounds!
Sounded like inter city sleeper train during nights.
Most costs are to be replacement of FD30 lock+handle pack +500 pounds.

Grateful that one neighbour finally heard my verbal calls and Emergancy Services had responded.
Finally user's, Police had passed my details to Social Services, they called today and Medicare line response+Key Safe Box are being arramged 

Very good future steps taking place, only costs to tackle during 2023 🥲

Dandytf

BUFF said:

is it the handles failing or the latch(s)?

There definitely are differences in quality between different door furniture sets but the price difference will be significantly more than £1.

I'll add Photo as though that inside Handle snapped off it's important to consider this was After door Handle could not open Door, maybe it's the Mechanism rather than the handles 
What is meant by Latches as I only Doors with handles either side.
Top photo is large piece of handle which broke off only after I couldn't unlock door.
Maybe it was the actual lock chip in door frame that got stuck?
Finding similar effect in bedroom recently meaning I can only part move handle downwards to open door, maybe I'll re check though it feels like any parts that handles connect to inside doors is sticking,not moving or working properly.

thanks

TELLIT01

The latch is the mechanism that the handle link to, to open the door.  I'm inclined to agree with others that the underlying problem is likely to be the latch not retracting far enough, rather than faulty handles.  It really does take a lot of force to break a handle.  Far more than is required to move the latch mechanism.