Do it Yourself: RE: [DIY] Sticky Lock, Not engaged

22 November 2011

RE: [DIY] Sticky Lock, Not engaged

As a locksmith I can tell you, do not use WD-40. It was designed to displace water, hence the WD, I would use graphited lock fluid, easily purchased at any hardware store. I have taken locks apart that quit working due to being gummed up. The owner used WD-40 in it for years. Teflon is good too, just a white powder instead of a black one. Hope this helps.

From: DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Sharry Dunn
Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 6:40 PM
To: DoIt_Yourself@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Sharry Dunn
Subject: [DIY] Sticky Lock, Not engaged

Since we are on Locks, I have a front door lock that is not engaging; the deadbolt is locked, so house is secure. My question then, is how to fix the lock that is not engaging?

A friend opened my summer cabin this spring and found above problem; I am going up in week or so and want to fix it. Can call the Lock lady, but thought if it is simple, I can give cleaning it or whatever a shot before we call for help.

It is a Schlage lock, was new when installed - 37 yrs ago. Never had a problem with it, and only had it rekeyed once. My friend said it didn't engage, since I haven't been up yet, can't add other info, but he thought it might need to be cleaned. I googled on cleaning locks and came up with some steps which called for spraying WD-40 into the lock to loosen things up, but thought I read WD40 is NOT GOOD to use as it makes it sticky or something (can't recall several months ago) so checking with the list to see what is my best course of action to clean and lubricate the lock if this is what is needed. I do recall that when one presses down on the latch lever to open, it seemed to stay in the pressed down position a bit (as opposed to popping back up) if that makes sense. This is a front door lock, with the lock keyhole above the handle, which has the little lever you depress. Overr the years we never had a problem at all with it. This is in the Sierra Nevada at Lake Tahoe, so of course it was cold when John went in, but we never had problems regardless how freezing it was. Although I do recall once I could not open car doors and had to get something to spray in the lock, may have been liquid graphite or something like that, don't recall.

here is a cut and paste of the info I saved from my earlier googling to fix it:

Over the course of time, as door locks get older, they tend to get sticky. This goes for front door locks, garage door locks and any other door lock you have in the house. You may have to play with the key in the door lock to get your front door to your house to open. The older the door lock gets, the stickier it becomes. This problem isn't due to the age of the door lock, it is usually due to a dirt and grime buildup on the inside of the door lock. So before you call a locksmith to change your locks, try to clean them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1 Hold an old thick rag directly under the sticky door lock. Make sure your rag is thick and absorbent.

2 Spray a lubricant such as WD-40 directly into the key hole. Spray lubricants are available at hardware stores and home improvement stores. Do not use oil because the oil will become gummy and stick to the dirt.

3 Continuously spray the lubricant into the key hole and allow the lubricant to freely run out of the key hole. Continue to spray until the lubricant runs out of the key hole clear.