In the heart of the winter, a lot of things can go wrong. One of those things is a frozen lock. Imagine for a minute that it’s 10 degrees Fahrenheit outside and you head out to your car. You insert the key and soon realize the lock is frozen. Your first instinct might be to panic. However, that’s not necessary. You see, there are several ways you can deal with a frozen lock issue.
7 Options on How to Unfreeze a Lock
Faced with unfreezing a lock that’s frozen, you will be happy to know there are at least 7 reliable ways to unfreeze the lock or locks in question. Here’s a look at the 7 best options.
1. Lubrication
Lubricants can work wonders under a lot of different circumstances, including when unfreezing a lock. The lubrication will act to lessen the friction between the key and the locking mechanism, making it easier for lock parts to move.
2. Hair Dryer
If a hair dryer is hot enough to dry hair in a matter of minutes, it should also be hot enough to thaw ice on metal. The biggest challenge might be finding an outside electrical outlet for the hair dryer.
3.Heat Your Key
Using a lighter, match, or boiling water, you can heat your key (not too hot). When the hot key comes in contact with the locking mechanism, it will initiate thawing and make it easier to move lock parts.
4. Direct Heat
Using a match or light, you create enough heat to initiate a thawing process if applied directly to the lock. However, be careful not to damage paint or anything rubber or plastic around the lock.
5. Use Soapy Warm Water
If you use soapy warm water, the soap will act as a lubricant while the warm water acts to thaw ice. You would need to pour the concoction into the keyhole. After a few minutes, the locking mechanism should move.
6. Try the Spare Key
While duplicate keys are cut the same way, they don’t necessarily act in the same way. It would be a long shot, a second key might be able to create the results that the first key was unable to create.
7. Lock De-Icer
Lock de-icers work very much like lubricants. They are typically manufactured with alcohol and water, which are effective ingredients for melting ice. This option takes time and should be considered as a last resort.
Ways to Prevent Locks From Freezing
If “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” the best way of dealing with a freeze might be to simply prevent it from happening. With that in mind, here are a few ways to prevent lock freezing:
- Occasionally apply a lubricant to the lock casing and keyhole (Vaseline, WD-40, etc.)
- Keep the keyhole covered with a magnet
- Weatherproof the lock – pre-maid weatherproofed locks are available
- Keep the garage reasonably heated
Armed with this information, you are now ready to go to battle with frozen lock aggravation.
