Lock Repair in New Haven, CT

What shoreline weather does to a lock

Connecticut's average January temperature is 27.2°F, but deep cold is rare on the New Haven shoreline. NOAA counts about one day a year below 0°F in New Haven, against two in Hartford and seven in Falls Village. The more common trouble is meltwater running into an exterior cylinder in the afternoon and turning to ice overnight. A key that will not go in, or goes in and will not turn, may be stopped by ice rather than a failed lock.

Salt and flood water are the second problem. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy's coastal flooding reached 5.3 feet at New Haven. After flooding or salt spray, rinse, dry and relubricate exterior locks before corrosion can seize the pins.

Simple upkeep

• Use a dry lock lubricant such as graphite or a PTFE spray. Oil collects grit and thickens in the cold.
• Never force a key that will not turn. A snapped key turns a repair into a broken key extraction.
• Check that the door closes without a shove. A door that has shifted drags the bolt across the strike plate, and the lock takes the wear.

Rear doors and shared entries

In Newhallville and Dixwell, the one-, two- and three-family houses built for Winchester plant workers after 1870 often have a front door, a back door and separate unit doors, each with its own lock. Back and porch doors often see the most weather and the least attention, so stiff or rusted locks tend to show up there first.

This is general information, not legal advice. Paragraph 302 of the New Haven Housing Code requires every exterior door and basement hatchway in a dwelling to be kept in sound working condition and good repair. If you rent and a shared exterior lock sticks, report it to the owner.

When asking about lock repair, describe the symptom: the key will not enter, turns only partway, or the bolt misses the strike. Say whether the lock is original to an older door. See also New Haven.