L’Alfàs del Pi is a town many people live in for part of the year. The town hall counts 2,626 Norwegian citizens on its register and estimates more than five thousand more who live here without registering; in all, around a hundred nationalities share the municipality. For a lot of those households, the front door is locked in spring and not touched again until autumn, or the other way round.
A cylinder does not enjoy that. The pins inside are tiny brass parts held by springs, and months without a key going in and out let dust settle, old grease thicken and, near the sea, a film of salt form. The first turn of the season is the hardest one it will ever do.
On the doorstep: what to try
- Check it is the right key. After months away, sets get mixed up, especially in houses with a gate and a front door on the same ring.
- Push the key fully home, then back it out a millimetre. A key that sits a fraction too deep or too shallow lines the pins up badly.
- Pull or push the door while you turn. If the bolt is pressing on the strike plate, taking the weight off it often lets the key turn. If that works, the lock is fine; the door has dropped.
- Work the key gently in and out a few times, without turning, to move the dirt.
If none of that works, stop. Forcing a stiff key is the usual way keys snap inside cylinders, and a snapped key turns a stiff lock into a locked-out evening.
What not to put in the lock
- Cooking oil or butter. It works once, then turns to glue.
- General-purpose penetrating sprays. They clean, but leave little behind to lubricate, and they wash dirt further in.
- Anything heated. A hot key or a lighter flame does nothing for a cylinder and can damage the finish of the door.
A dry graphite or PTFE lubricant made for locks is what a locksmith uses. If you keep one in the house, keep it outside the house as well, or it is no use on the doorstep.
The point to stop and pick up the phone
If the key will not turn after the checks above, ring. A door that cannot be opened is an emergency call-out, whatever the hour. If you got in but the lock fought you, book a visit instead: a seized cylinder can often be cleaned and kept, and one that is worn is replaced on a day you choose.
Before you leave next time
- Turn the key a few times and lubricate the cylinder the week before you go.
- Leave a set with someone you trust in the town, not inside the house.
- If the door has an electronic lock, read how to set one up for a long absence.
- If you come back to scratches round the keyhole, read what an attempt leaves behind before you clean them off.