Almost every man has faced a situation where you need to change the lock on a metal front door. You can perform such painstaking manipulations both independently and with the help of professional craftsmen. The procedure itself consists of several key points, each of which needs to be carefully studied. Only in this case it will be possible to protect yourself from premature failure of the device.
Varieties of locks
A huge range of door devices is presented on the construction market. All of them differ from each other in the way of installation, secrecy, as well as the level of reliability. The higher all these parameters are, the more expensive the finished product will be.
There are several ways to install the door mechanism:
- Invoice. The key feature of this method is that the main part of the structure is located on the outer surface of the door. During installationsuch a castle, difficulties are extremely rare.
- Built-in. Such a device must be built into the door body itself at a certain production stage. Installing such a lock on your own is almost impossible, since you first need to disassemble the entire protective sash.
- Mortise. The lock is inserted into the door body itself after preselection.
The quality of a lock depends on its security and secrecy. Experts recommend not to save on such products, since the safety of personal property directly depends on them. On sale you can find the following categories of locks:
- Level.
- Cylindrical.
- Magnetic.
- Disc.
- Electronic.
- Code codes.
- Transom.
The most popular are lever and cylindrical products. The last type of device consists of a powerful internal mechanism and a larva. The product has a high level of secrecy. Lever locks can be overhead and mortise. A huge advantage of the mechanism can be considered that in case of loss of the key, you can avoid replacing the lock by changing only the larva. Since such products consist of code plates and a bulky core, the final level of security depends on the number of levers.
Replacing the larva
To solve this problem, it is not at all necessary to seek help from specialists, since everything can be done by hand. You can change the lock cylinder of the entrance metal door in just a few minutes,since the process itself consists of two stages - the dismantling of the old and the installation of a working mechanism. To replace the secret, you need to prepare a tape measure and a Phillips screwdriver. At the longest end of the door there is a metal bar with three screws. The middle fastener is responsible for fixing the lock cylinder. It must be carefully removed to get the core of the device. The key must be pulled slightly towards you, carefully removing the larva from the locking mechanism. You can simplify this process by pressing on the cylinder from the back of the door. It is worth making sure that the internal mechanism does not fall to the floor. After that, you can proceed to the installation of a serviceable larva. All actions are performed in reverse order.
Changing the lock on a metal front door can be quite difficult, as the material of the mechanism itself is very durable. In addition, different installation technologies can be involved in the work, since everything depends on the type of device. You can avoid the most common mistakes only if you follow all the recommendations of experts.
Level mechanism
It is rather difficult to change the lock on a metal front door with such a locking device. The master will need to acquire patience. The doors must be open so that the bolts are pushed inward to the maximum mark. After that, the key is removed and the handle, lining and bolt are dismantled. From the end side, it is necessary to unscrew all the screws that ensure reliable fastening of the parts to the canvas. It remains to pry the plateon the front side to remove the main mechanism. The new lock must have the same parameters as the old one. The mechanism is installed in the reverse order.
Device with sliding bolts
Even an experienced master can change the lock on the front metal door with such a mechanism is extremely difficult. This is due to the fact that the canvas must first be removed from the hinges, and then opened. The entire lock is hidden in the inner compartment of the door. The technique of work is standard, only you need to unhook the lower and upper crossbars with a wrench. When the new lock is installed, you need to return all the parts to their original place.
Cylinder assembly
Changing such a lock is the easiest. If it was possible to determine that the cause of the breakdown lies in the working cylinder, then the entire action plan will be slightly different from the classic version. The master must unscrew the locking screws from the end side of the door. The key must be inserted into the lock to turn it 15°. These manipulations allow you to push the tongue inside the mechanism. By pulling a little on the key, you can pull out the larva. The main part of the manipulations has been completed. The working cylinder is installed in reverse order. If the locking screw does not line up with the hole provided for it, then you need to move the larva.
To completely change the lock on a Chinese metal front door, you need to remove the larva according to the standard scheme (the handle and protective plates are dismantled). If the manufacturers have provided for the presence of a special valve in the mechanism, then itsalso needs to be removed. From the end side of the door, it is necessary to unscrew the screws that fix the entire structure. The broken mechanism is removed from the canvas after prying off the end plate. It remains only to install a serviceable door mechanism. Similarly, you can change the lock on a metal front door with rivets.
Expert Tips
In order not to have to bother with replacing a broken lock, you need to know how to properly care for this mechanism. A few simple tips will help extend the life of such devices. The following recommendations are considered basic:
- Lubricating the mechanism. For this procedure, ordinary machine oil, as well as door hinge lubrication products, are perfect. The composition should be applied directly to the door well, after which the key is inserted and immediately removed. At the final stage, the surface of the lock is wiped with a dry cloth.
- Cylinder cleaning. It is best to use a specialized tool that protects metal parts well from moisture. The liquid is poured into the lock cylinder and the key is immediately inserted. Such manipulations allow you to qualitatively clean the product from existing dust and other debris. Excess funds are removed with a dry cloth.
- Cleaning the crossbars. First of all, you need to open the door. The crossbars must be extended to the maximum, as they need to be cleaned and lubricated. In order for the protective agent to be evenly distributed throughout the mechanism, you need to turn the key several times.
If these manipulations are periodically carried out, then the acquiredthe lock will last much longer than indicated by the manufacturer.
