When a key breaks off in the lock most people go right for the tweezers.
My key broke in my door lock.
The reason why your key has broken and snapped in your lock will be any of the following.
Insert a stiff wire into the cam slot at the back of the cylinder and push the key out.
As a last resort remove the lock cylinder.
It s a frustrating experience.
If necessary take the entire cylinder to a locksmith or have a locksmith come to your home.
Holding the key whilst pushing the door open causing it to bend and then break.
Attempting to use an incorrect key.
If the key broke inside lock before the door was shut you ll be unable to lock the door thereby leaving your home car or office at a greater risk of theft.
Insert a screwdriver into the lock and turn it back to its default vertical position.
If the key broke off in lock after you ve closed the door you may be unable to reopen the door until the issue is resolved.
Most tweezers are inappropriately sized for this task and will just end up pushing the key farther into the keyway.
What s visible to you the face of the plug is the small circle.
Attempting to force open a jammed lock.
You re in a hurry and turn the key too hard when locking the door.
Use needle nose pliers to extract a broken key.
Try to grip the broken key and pull it out.
Insert the tip of a pair of needle nosed pliers into the keyhole.
The broken key can also actually cause damage to the lock.
The keyhole plug in a pin tumbler lock found in deadbolts and key in knob locks is just one part of a larger locking cylinder.
Your main concerns should be the thickness of your tweezers and how far the broken key is in the lock.