Tuesday, October 31, 2017

How To Use A House Rekey Kit

By Mark Turner


It is very easy to change the locks on your home by yourself. To have a new lock, all you need to do is remove the cylinder and change the pins. All you need is a house rekey kit at the hardware store. It is not uncommon for folks to lose their door keys and be concerned about security. When you know how to change the locks you will be more at ease.

If you are not the original tenant or owner you will not know the number of extra keys existing. If you call a locksmith to do the job or bring the lock in to them it can be costly. It can cost even more if the locks on your home are not keyed the same or you have a couple of locks on the doors.

With one of these DIY kits you can do the job like the pros at a fraction of what you would pay a locksmith. Kits are available for the common brands of locks. However, the kits are not interchangeable so you might need to get a kit for the different brands that are in your home. With luck all your locks with be the same.

One kit is able to change 6 locks. Additional pins can be ordered if you have more than six locks to change. The kits work with deadbolts and have 2 keys. Each kit has the tools that are needed to do the job. You will need a screwdriver and tweezers. Be sure to hang on to the keys to the lock you are changing to use to remove the cylinder in the old lock.

Be sure to get the right kit and read the directions carefully since there may be variations between the brands. The first thing you will do is take the knob off the door using the wire tool in the kit. Insert the wire in the hole of the knob and push the clip to release it. You can now pull off the knob. Next, use the original key to ensure the door is unlocked. Next remove the lock cylinder.

You can now remove the retainer ring. Using the retainer ring tool, push against the ring and pop the ring off the lock cylinder. With the ring tool from your kit, force the thin ring off the cylinder. Keep the ring since you will need to replace it later. You can now remove the retainer ring.

Removing the cylinder plug is next. Use the old key to insert and turn in left or right. You can now use the plug follower in the kit to remove the plug. You can do this by pushing the follower all the way through the cylinder. Keep pressure between the plug and the follower to keep the pins and springs from flying out.

Once the pins are removed, insert the key from the kit. Use tweezers and color guide in the kit to match the new pins and insert into the cylinder. When this step is finished work in reverse to reassemble the lock. Before you begin this project make sure to have all the tools at your finger tips.




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