Oh no! Your key just snapped in when you went to turn it in the lock! Now what do you do?!

First off don’t panic. While this is certainly cause for concern, if you freak out, the damage can be made even worse.

Don’t try to open the lock with the broken piece in it. This can force it further into the lock causing it to jam even more, and can even damage the lock.

Secondly, unless it’s easy to grab and remove, we recommend not trying to take the broken piece out yourself. Again, any unnecessary force can cause damage to the lock mechanism. If you can get the key out easily, and you have a spare, see if the lock works ok.

If it doesn’t, and seems to be having issues, there’s a chance that something is still in the lock. The lock could also have damage that either just happened or could have something else going on that contributed to the damaged key.

If you can’t get the key out, or if the lock seems to not be working correctly, your best bet is to call a professional. They can extract the key, repair the lock, and save you from a major headache down the line.

Also, there’s a good chance a locksmith can make a spare from the piece stuck in the lock, so by leaving it alone and not trying to dig it out, you also keep the damage to a minimum to the key itself. This increases your chance of a successful key copy being made.

So if you find yourself in this situation, call us and we’ll get you back on track!