Did you know that the average person walks around with almost a dozen keys on their keyrings at any given moment? They have everything from house keys to car keys to keys for their businesses on them. Most of the keys will last for a long time without giving people any issues. Since keys are usually made out of durable metals, they shouldn’t pose any problems for those who rely on them. But it’s not out of the ordinary for older keys to wear down on people over time and stop working. They need to have key repair or even key replacement done to ensure that their keys work for them at all times.
There are some signs that’ll let you know that you need to have key repair services performed on your keys. You should look out for them so that you don’t end up walking around with keys in your pocket that don’t actually work.
Check out seven signs that’ll show you that it’s time to have key repair or replacement done below.
1. Key Is Visibly Chipped or Broken
When is the last time that you took a good look at the keys on your keyring to see what kind of condition they’re in? If it’s been a while since you’ve done it, now would be the perfect time to inspect your keys to see whether or not you might need to take advantage of key repair services.
You might notice that one or more of your keys have fallen into a state of disrepair simply by spending a few minutes looking at them. Over time, it’s not uncommon at all for keys to chip, crack, or even break altogether.
You might be able to get away with using a chipped, cracked, or even broken key for a little while. But eventually, this kind of key is going to break completely on you and stop working altogether.
You’re going to want to call on an automotive locksmith, a residential locksmith, or a commercial locksmith right away to have your keys repaired or replaced if you spot any signs of trouble with them. The cost of key repair or replacement will be well worth it when you consider the alternative, which is your keys not working and locking you out of your car, home, or business.
2. Key Doesn’t Slide Smoothly Into Ignition or Lock
When you stick a key into the ignition in your car or into a lock in your home or business, it should slide right in without any problem. You shouldn’t ever feel like you’re forcing a key into an ignition or lock at any point.
If you find that one of your keys isn’t sliding into an ignition or lock as smoothly as it used to, this could be a pretty clear-cut sign that you’re going to need to do key repair or replacement in the near future. If you don’t, it’s only going to be a matter of time before you’re finding yourself in a position where a key won’t go into an ignition or lock at all.
Even though you might not realize it, locks are fairly complicated devices that need to have the right keys in order for them to work. If you try using a key in an ignition or lock that is broken in any way, the ignition or lock isn’t going to recognize it. And it’s going to lead to you having to push the key into the ignition or lock way harder than you should have to.
This could, unfortunately, result in you breaking a key, an ignition/lock, or both! You’re better off recognizing an issue with a key ahead of time and having key repair or replacement done before it gets to that point.
3. Key Doesn’t Work in Ignition or Lock Without Jiggling, Shaking, Etc.
Have you found that you have to jiggle or shake a key inside of an ignition or lock to get it to turn almost every time that you use it? This is not going to be a good sign for a key or for an ignition/lock.
Once you put a key into an ignition or lock, you should be able to turn it without putting too much effort into it at all. If you can’t do this, it’s usually because your ignition or lock doesn’t recognize the key and, therefore, isn’t going to allow the key to turn easily.
Far too often, people get into the habit of jiggling and shaking their keys when they’re inside of ignitions and locks to get them to work. And they think that, because they’re eventually able to get their keys to work, there isn’t a real problem with them.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth! If you have to jiggle or shake a car key, house key, or key to your business to get it to do its job, there is a pretty good chance that you need to have key repair or replacement done.
If you continue to go about your business while shaking and jiggling the key all the time, there is going to come a time when this method won’t work anymore. It could very well prevent you from starting your car or getting into your home or business if you’re not careful.
You should try to avoid allowing things to get to this point. You should pay the key repair cost or have new keys cut so that you don’t have to continue tinkering with your old ones.
4. Key Gets Stuck in Ignition or Lock on Regular Basis
When you’re finished using a car key, a house key, or a key to your business, you’re obviously going to remove it from your ignition or lock and put it into your pocket. But what happens if you go to take a key out of an ignition or lock and find that you can’t get it to budge?
The first time this happens, you might be able to jiggle or shake your key to get it loose. That might be all it takes to remove the key from your ignition or lock.
But if you don’t do anything about this particular problem, you might not be able to jiggle or shake your key loose forever. At some point down the line, you might find that your key will get stuck in your ignition or lock for good and that you won’t be able to jiggle or shake it loose, no matter how hard you try.
You do not want things to get to this point! Instead, you want to take note of a key getting stuck in an ignition or lock and do something about it right away. You’ll need to have that key either repaired or replaced so that you’re able to put it in and take it out of an ignition or lock with ease.
You’re going to put your key and your ignition/lock at risk every time you use them if you don’t spring into action and do something about this issue. It’s why you shouldn’t ever turn a blind eye to a key that’s hard to take out of an ignition or lock.
5. Key Seems Like It Could Break Inside of Ignition or Lock
Have you ever accidentally broken a key inside of an ignition or lock? If you have, then you know what a huge hassle it can be to get it out!
The good news is that a locksmith will be able to set you up with the broken key removal services that you need any time you break a key inside of an ignition or lock. They’ll be able to prevent any further damage from being done to your ignition or lock by taking it apart and removing your broken key from it.
But even still, you should try to steer clear of putting yourself into this position by taking notice if your car key, house key, or key for your business is ever difficult to turn inside of an ignition or lock. If you feel like you’re having to put too much effort into turning a key, you might be on the brink of breaking it in your ignition or lock.
You should take your key out of your ignition or lock if you ever find yourself in this position and seek key repair or replacement services. The cost of key repair or replacement is often a lot lower than the cost of removing a broken key from an ignition or lock and then creating a new key.
6. Key Creates Unnecessary Security Threat
If you know that you have a key on your keyring that isn’t working quite right, you might be hesitant to use it. There are some people who will keep doors unlocked all the time because they don’t trust their keys to do their jobs and unlock them when they’re locked.
This might seem like a simple fix and a good way to get around the key repair or replacement costs. But you could be creating a security threat by not using your keys in the way that you should.
Every year, there are millions of home burglaries that take place all across the country. There are also millions of businesses that are robbed and thousands of cars that are stolen.
If you want to avoid becoming the victim of a burglary or theft, you should get into the habit of keeping your home, your business, and your car locked up at all times. And the only way you’re going to be able to do this is by having fully-functioning keys and locks for each of them.
The last thing you want to do is leave your house, business, or car unlocked because your keys for it aren’t working in the right way. You should have your keys fixed so that you can lock everything up and keep your home, business, or car safe and sound.
7. Key Is Extremely Old
Have you been using the same key to start your car up every morning for the last 15 years? Do you still use the house key that you got from the previous owner of your home when you bought it back in 2001? Or did you just realize that the key for your business is as old as your first-born child who just graduated from college?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it likely means that it’s time for you to have key repair or replacement services performed on your keys. Although most keys will stand the test of time, very old keys are more prone to problems than ones that are on the newer side.
Even if an old key isn’t necessarily showing any signs of trouble just yet, it’s better to be safe than sorry. You’ll feel better about using a car key, house key, or key for your business when you know that it’s brand-new and built to last.
You should sit down and take a look at all the keys on your keyring right now and consider how old each of them is. You might be surprised to see some really old keys on your keyring. It would be a great idea for you to replace them sooner rather than later so that you know they’re always going to do their jobs.
Schedule Key Repair or Replacement If You Spot Any of These Signs
Doing key repair or replacement might not be something that you think needs to be at the top of your to-do list. But you can prevent yourself from having to deal with huge headaches by repairing or replacing a key before it’s too late.
Keep your eyes peeled for any of the signs that you might need key repair or replacement listed here. They’ll let you know that it’s time for you to fix an old key or replace it with a new one.
Do you need to have a key repaired or replaced? We would love to lend a helping hand and provide you with the key and lock services that you need. Contact us today to get started.