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Doorknob turn but won’t open? how to fix jammed and stuck locks

locksmith technician prepares the door for installation at a condo in Miami FL

You can slide the key right in and the lock appears to look fine, but it’s just not working. Before you call a locksmith, have a quick read through the following tips for helping fix a jammed or stuck lock.

What’s inside?

A doorknob lock set on your door consists of several basic components. There’s a knob on each side of the door connected by a spindle between them. This spindle runs through the middle of what is known as a latch bolt (which as it sounds is connected to the latch) which in turn engages with the door frame and stops the door from opening. When either of the two doorknobs is rotated, the spindle turns and pulls the latch back, allowing the door to be opened. On most doors, a spring then forces the spindle back so that the latch falls to its resting position – closed – so the door can close once again.

As you can see, these are not the most technically complicated types of lock by any means, so if they’re not working as expected, a quick fix is definitely possible.

First thing to check:

The first thing you’ll need to do is remove the two doorknobs which should simply unscrew. Once removed, take out the spindle so you can see if the latch bolt moves freely as this can often be a problem. Try to clean any rust or mold off with a good quality degreaser/lubricating spray before re-assembling the lock.

Next steps:

If this doesn’t work, it’s possible the problem could lie within the cylinder or with the key. Have a quick check here for obvious signs of rust and try cleaning up as much as possible to see if this rectifies your problem.

As a last consideration, check the door. Paying special attention to the area around the lock, is everything free from obvious damage?

Call the experts:

If you haven’t been able to figure out the problem, a quick google search for ‘locksmiths near me’ will garner a good list of locksmiths. Look for our expert locksmiths at Quickly Locksmith Miami in that list as we’re available 24/7. Give us a call for friendly and reliable service.

David Davidof

David Davidof

David Davidof is the founder & owner of Quickly Locksmith. The business has grown from strength to strength to become Miami’s go-to provider for Locksmith and Security services. Whilst the company has grown, the founding ethos has remained the same - Helping people in emergency situations and giving them the feeling they are safe.

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