Key Stuck In Door Lock | Ways to Remove It By Our Expert

Sometimes in life, a variety of and not entirely pleasant situations can occur, to which one can safely attribute the inability to get into their own house due to a broken lock or key stuck in the door lock. If such an everyday situation occurs, no one will be able to leave the house or enter it. However, in addition to knocking out an expensive door, you can resort to less costly options for opening it. Sometimes, unpleasant things happen, and in a rush, the key can get stuck in the keyhole. After that, it will not be possible to open the door, and a completely logical question arises: Key stuck in door lock: What are the ways to Remove it? It is impossible to insure against such situations, and in life, almost everyone will have to go through it.

The locking mechanism installed on modern doors can fail simply because the service life has been exceeded or simply because the part has leaked and slightly shifted inside the door lock. At the same time, the cost and novelty of the model will not play a special role.

Learn More: How To Unlock A Bedroom Door Without A Key

Key Stuck in Door Lock: What are the Causes?

If such a situation has happened, then the correct solution would be to contact a specialist; however, you can correct the situation yourself. But before proceeding with any manipulations, it is necessary to determine the cause of its occurrence.

Improper use is the most common cause of key breakage or jamming in the keyhole. These are the following cases:

• Applying excess pressure when turning on the key;      
• The constant slamming of the door;
• Using the wrench for other purposes (opening bottles, such as a lever or screwdriver, etc.) can deform it, which will make it bent and cause the locking mechanism to jam.

The following options are also considered reasons:

• The breakdown occurred at the moment when the key was inside the lock;
• Incidence of foreign objects inside the keyhole (dust, debris);
• Lock pins which can jam, and thereby squeezing the key in a vice;
• Poorly made key.

Even experts cannot name the exact sequence of actions when a key is jammed because each specific action will require different manipulations. However, even a specialist cannot guarantee a 100% result because the lock can break even if the correct actions are taken.

Key stuck in door lock: Ways to remove it

The main thing is to remain calm since anguish; you can break the key, making the situation worse. Next, you need to look for a series of implements that will help this small problem.

Learn More: How To Fix A Door Lock

Materials to remove key stuck in the door lock

What you should look for to solve this is:

• A key similar to the stuck one
• A screwdriver
• A hammer
• A little oil will go a long way to lubricate the lock.

To remove the key stuck in the door lock, remove the key with a hairpin used for hair. You must first insert it from the opposite side of the lock.

It would help if you pushed the fork hard so that the key stuck can come out; Try to do this operation with another key that is the same. Another option is to do it with oil. You need to lubricate the fork and insert it into the lock so that it slides more easily and you can perform the previous maneuver without problems.

If you apply the above techniques and have still not managed to free your key, then the problem is in the lock, and you must proceed differently.

Defective Lock with Stuck Key

When a lock has been in the door for a long time, due to the weather, it deteriorates. Dust also accumulates inside it, and its components lose their functionality. In short, it begins to rust, and this sometimes makes it impossible to release the key with the techniques mentioned above. To solve this, you must dismantle the system.

In this case, you must disassemble the system with the screwdriver. With this tool, remove all the screws from the lock and the cylinder. Remember how it was before removing it. Next, remove the key once disassembled and make sure to install it again as it was. It would help if you put each piece in its place to prevent it from being loose.

Although you recommend that you buy a new lock, you can do an overhauling on the current one. In this way, you will avoid the situation of keys stuck in the door lock from repeating.

If in the case where the lock does not come out of its location, you can tap it with a mallet or hammer. There is nothing that distresses more than a stuck key, so apply these simple and practical tips, and you would not have to spend large sums of money with locksmiths.

How to Quickly Remove a New Key Stuck in the Door Lock

When you go to the hardware store to order a key copy, some are not completely identical, so they have some difficulties when you put it in the lock. If the fitting of these copies is not perfect, it could get stuck.

You can solve this problem with lubrication. You have to work with the following recommendations:

• First, turn the key from right to left. Next, move the key until it is vertically in the lock.
• Once in this position, try to remove the key without forcing it.
• You should shake the key gently in the lock, swing it and then pull it.
• With an aerosol lubricant, you must spray a little on the lock. Some containers come with a small plastic straw that is inserted into the keyhole.
• Line up the end of the straw so that it is positioned with the lock, and then give it a good spray with the lubricant.
• Shake the key so that you can spread the lubricant more freely, and finally pull the key.
• Lastly, put lubricant on the lock and the key, clean the excess; from this moment on, it will be easier to insert the key.

How to Get the Wrong Key out of the Lock

A very common problem is when we mistakenly insert the wrong key into a lock. By instinct, your first reaction is to withdraw it forcefully, but as mentioned above, it is best to stay calm before you break it.

To avoid this type of situation, it is recommended that you buy color identifiers that go around the medal or head of the key, mark it with nail varnish, or any method that helps you differentiate them. To proceed to remove the key, you can use the techniques that have already been mentioned in this article. If that fails, you can choose to make your own Graphite Lubricant.

To make your graphite lubricant, you have to break a pencil, remove the graphite from the inside, and form powder out of it. For this, you must grind it to a very fine form; then, you must place it between the lock cylinder and your key.

Another alternative is to use a clamp to remove the key, so you will be holding it more securely and stably when removing it. If none of the techniques has solved the problem, it is best to call a locksmith before you end up with a broken key, which will be more difficult to remove because you will not have anything to hold.

Key Stuck In Door Lock: FAQs

Why is my key stuck in the door?

As earlier highlighted, your key can be stuck in the door due to diverse reasons such as:

• Applying excess pressure when turning on the key
• Presence of pins that can jam, thereby squeezing the key in a vice;
• The constant slamming of the door;
• Using a poorly made key.
• Incidence of foreign objects inside the keyhole (dust, debris);

How do you get a key out of a door from the outside?

You can get a key out of a door from the outside by making use of the following:

• Spraying with a suitable lubricant
• Applying graphite
• Using a clamp

Can you push a key out of a lock?

Yes. You can push a key out of a lock upon making use of the steps earlier highlighted above.

Conclusion

Sometimes, you may come across a nuisance like a key stuck in the lock at the most unexpected moment. Almost no person is insured, regardless of the locking mechanism on your door, be it an expensive high-quality brand or an economic model. If the key gets stuck, the simplest and most correct solution would be to contact a specialist who can remove it quickly, but there are often situations where there is no way to ask for help. In that case, you can try to extract the key yourself, using the advice highlighted above.

Read More: How To Install Pocket Door Lock