Digital Lock Maintenance & Troubleshooting Tips. Usually, digital locks are pretty reliable. However, similar to any other machine, it sometimes requires some maintenance. The lack of care can affect its operation.
The problem is that most consumers need to be aware of the steps to undertake for digital lock maintenance. Consequently, they need to troubleshoot the digital lock when it doesn’t operate properly. The post below provides a few tips so that the digital locks on your door work as smoothly as possible. Read on – Digital Lock Maintenance & Troubleshooting Tips:
When was the last time you cleaned the lock on your door?
The essential step to maintaining your digital lock is to clean it once every fortnight. I just wanted to let you know that you have yet to clean it actively. There might be a deposition of dust, grime, and contaminants on the lock. Even though most digital locks are designed to handle these, if you fail to clean the safety sooner than later, they will start impacting the working of the wave.
Children often think a digital lock is a toy since it consists of a keypad, locks, and automatically unlocks when the key fob is nearby. That is why; children will often lock and open the door for fun; however, if the lock is designed for a fixed number of safety and unlock cycles.
This number is relatively high, but consistent locking and unlocking can cause wear and tear, leading to problems. As far as possible, discourage children from using the lock to play with it.
Although we mentioned that you should clean the lock, the products and tools you use for cleaning are also essential.
It is best to use a microfiber cloth to remove dust, grime, and contaminants. You can even use a damp cloth if the stains or dirt are stubborn.
It is best to avoid using harsh liquids to clean the lock.
Most digital locks do not require a direct connection from your home. They run on batteries. Fortunately, the digital wave has an indicator for low battery, which will let you know when to replace them. Another essential step in maintaining digital safety is to change the batteries from time to time.
If you ignore this indication, the lock might eventually go dead, and you might have to use a backup key to use it. Instead of waiting for that to happen, it is best to change the batteries in time.
That’s it for the maintenance!
If the code you enter is proper or its crucial fob is in the vicinity of the lock and still not opening, it indicates that the locking mechanism might be at fault.
While a few digital locks have a reset button, not all do. Try resetting your lock; if it still doesn’t open the door, it is best to call a locksmith. The locksmith will check the locking mechanism and fix any issues with it.
In some instances, you can unlock the door quickly. However, when you attempt to lock it again, it might not budge.
With consistent wear and tear, the lock might be out of alignment with the part on the other side of the door frame. In that case, it will attempt to lock the door, but since there is a misalignment, the bolt will not go into the structure properly. Unfortunately, the door won’t lock even though you’re doing everything correctly.
Unfortunately, there is no easy fix to this problem. When you encounter a non-locking issue, only a locksmith can fix the alignment once again.
You would likely have to remove the lock from the door and use different screws to fix it. If the problem is inside the lock, the locksmith will look at the parts that are out of alignment or suffer from wear and tear and aren’t allowing the locking mechanism to function correctly.
In both these cases, it requires specialized knowledge to fix the issue. That is the reason only a locksmith can fix this problem.
Most digital locks still use the deadbolt mechanism inside to lock the door. The lock might use a key, code, infrared fob, or biometric detection mechanism, but the internal operation remains similar due to the deadbolt. Like any other moving part, the deadbolt is also susceptible to wear and tear.
Any problem with the deadbolt means the lock might not engage or disengage properly.
If you do not undertake DIY projects yourself often, you might break something when you follow the above procedure. In that case, it is good to hire a locksmith rather than trying to fix the deadbolt mechanism yourself.
Digital Lock troubleshooting can be pretty intricate. In case you need more clarification on the structure of the lock, take a look at the lock’s manual before performing any of these steps.
The good news is that digital locks are much more reliable than traditional ones. However, at times they still might suffer from a problem, so the guide above can come in handy.