A key rarely breaks for no reason. Usually it has been getting harder to turn for months, the cylinder is worn or corroded, or the key itself is a thin copy that was cut a little off. Then one morning you give it the same twist you always do and you are holding half a key.
The good news: a broken key is almost always a short job. The piece comes out, the lock is checked, and you get a working key back. The bad news is that the most common DIY fixes push the fragment deeper or damage the pins, and that is when a cheap extraction becomes a lock replacement.
What not to do
- Do not put the broken half back in to "push it through". It jams the fragment further in and can bend the pins it is sitting on.
- Do not use superglue. The idea is to glue the two halves and pull. In practice the glue runs into the keyway, sets around the pins, and the cylinder has to be replaced.
- Do not jab at it with a screwdriver, paperclip or knife. You will scratch the keyway and usually wedge the piece at an angle, which makes it harder to grip.
- Do not spray oil into it. A heavy oil or a water-displacing spray makes the fragment slippery and collects grit later. If anything goes in the lock, it should be a dry lubricant, and only after the piece is out.
- Do not keep turning the knob or lever hard. If the key broke with the lock half turned, forcing it can damage the cam at the back of the cylinder.
What you can safely try
If the broken end is sticking out far enough to see clearly, you can try gripping it with thin needle-nose pliers and pulling straight out, with no twisting. Check first that the cylinder is in the locked or unlocked position where the key went in. A key will only come out at that point. If it does not slide out with a gentle pull, stop. Every extra attempt makes the job harder.
If the door is your only way in and it is locked, treat it as a lockout. Do not try to break in through a window or slider. The glass, the frame and the screen cost more than the visit.
How a locksmith gets it out
Extraction uses thin hooked or barbed tools that slide in alongside the fragment, catch its cuts and draw it out without disturbing the pins. On most residential locks this takes a few minutes. If the cylinder needs to come out of the door to get a clean angle, that is usually quick too.
Once the piece is out, the question is why it broke. If the lock turns smoothly with a good key, we cut you a new key and you are done. If the cylinder is worn, corroded or the pins are damaged, that is the time to rekey or change the lock, and we will tell you which one it needs before touching anything.
Why keys break more in South Florida
Humidity and salt air are hard on lock cylinders, especially on doors that face the ocean, the Intracoastal or a canal. As corrosion builds up inside the cylinder, the key needs more force to turn, and that extra force is exactly what snaps a key. If your key has been sticking, have the lock looked at before it breaks. It is a cheaper visit.
Worn copies are the other usual cause. A copy of a copy of a copy loses a little accuracy each time, and the key starts to bind. If you only have old copies left, ask for a key cut to the lock's code, not copied from another key.
What it costs
Every job is quoted before any work starts, and the quote is what you pay. There is no dispatch fee and no charge for coming out to look. If the lock turns out to need more than an extraction, you will hear the price for that before we do it. For reference, KSB's starting prices are $59 per cylinder to rekey and $95 for a lock change.
Need a broken key out?
KSB Locksmith works across Broward County only, and when you call you reach Joe, the owner, who does the work himself. Hours are Sunday to Thursday 9 AM to 7 PM, Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday 9 AM to 6 PM. Call 954-994-1984 and tell us what kind of lock it is and how much of the key is showing.