You have to lift the door to close it - is the problem with the lock or the door itself?
Let's call the client Thomas. At first the door closed normally. Then he noticed that the key turned easier if he pressed the door a little. After a few…
The client's name has been changed.
Let's call the client Thomas. At first the door closed normally. Then he noticed that the key turned easier if he pressed the door a little. After a few months, a new habit emerged: To close the lock, Thomas would slightly lift the door handle and at the same time pull the door up.
It worked. Therefore, it seemed that nothing needed to be changed. But over time, the effort became greater.
“The lock seems to be working properly. You just need to lift the door a little. This is fine?"
No, this is already a sign that the door elements are not in the position they should be.
Why do you have to lift the door?
One possible reason is a change in the position of the door leaf. The door can:
- sag a little;
- move relative to the box;
- change due to load;
- have worn hinges;
- Does not fit correctly after adjustment.
As a result, the lock bolts no longer fit freely into the counter holes. When the owner lifts the door, he manually returns it to a position where the mechanism matches again.
Why does it seem like the lock is to blame?
Because the symptom appears precisely when you turn the key. But inside an open door, the lock can work completely normally. The problem only appears when the bolts have to fit into the box.
Therefore it is important to distinguish: malfunction of the lock itself and load on a working lock due to the position of the door.
Why you shouldn't ignore the problem
If you turn the key under additional load each time, this load is transferred to the elements of the mechanism. Over time, this can lead to real lock malfunction.
That is, the original problem with door adjustment potentially turns into two problems at the same time.
What you can check yourself
Open the door and carefully check the operation of the lock in the open position. If the key and bolts move freely when the door is open, but hard when closed, this is important information for the master.
There is no need to file holes yourself or disassemble the mechanism without understanding the reason.
What a specialist can do
The wizard will check:
- position of the door leaf;
- loops;
- response part;
- movement of crossbars;
- operation of the lock itself;
- need for adjustment.
In some cases, the lock does not need to be changed at all.