What to Do, Jammed Safe

 

If you find that your safe won’t open, you are sure to become very frustrated. What good is a safe if you can’t get into it because it is jammed? Of course, a safe serves a variety of purposes, and it is great to have whether you own a home or even a business property. A safe can help keep your most valuable items hidden away, and it can protect them in the event of flooding or a fire. So, it is a great idea to have a safe, and we are here to tell you what to do if your safe becomes jammed.

What is going on with your safe? Why is it jammed?

1. ) The batteries are dead. If it’s as easy as the batteries being dead, then you are in luck because you have a quick fix on your hands. Try changing the batteries, especially if you are not using batteries that are brand name. For the record, batteries that are not brand name tend to last for much less time than brand name batteries. Even if the keypad is still lighting up, you could still have dead batteries, so this is certainly worth trying out!
2. ) The bolt work is jammed. There are many reasons as to why the bolt work can end up jammed. Let’s say you are attempting to open your safe, and you are able to hear the motor running, attempting to retract the bolt work. If this is happening but the safe is still not opening, you could have a jammed safe. You can actually attempt to hit or gently kick the door safe in this case, but do not touch the keypad or hit the handle. Gently striking the door safe can help to loosen up the bolt work a little bit. The next step is to gently pull the handle, but do it in the opposite direction to how you would typically do so. This should work to release some of the pressure being placed on the bolt.
3. ) Your safe has gone into lockout mode. Maybe you attempted to get into the safe using the wrong code, or someone else mistakenly entered the wrong code. Of course, this is a security feature that works to keep unwanted people out, but what happens if you lock yourself out? If this has happened to you, you are going to want to wait up to 20 minutes before trying again to unlock the jammed safe.
4. ) The wiring is damaged. Over time, this is something that can, unfortunately, happen. If you are comfortable doing so, you can take off the safe’s keypad and take a look at the wires. See if they are tangled, loose, or even cut. If everything looks as it is supposed to, then you can detach the wire from the keypad and then take out the batteries. Wait a few seconds, then put the batteries back inside and reconnect the wiring. Of course, if this is not something you are comfortable with, you can always feel comfortable calling a locksmith for assistance!
5. ) The code has become deactivated. While you might not know why it happened or how, the code for the safe could have become deactivated somehow. If there is more than one code used for the safe, for example, if you have employees who use different codes, try another one to see if it works. 
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These are just some of the reasons as to why a safe might become jammed. But we hope that you now have a better idea of what to do if your safe becomes jammed. There are steps you can take before reaching out to a professional for assistance, but of course you should always feel comfortable calling on the help of a locksmith. Just make sure that when you hire a locksmith, you are choosing an individual who is licensed and insured. This way, you can trust that your property will be in good hands.

If you find that your safe won’t open, you are sure to become stressed out. You need to be able to get into your safe, whether you are trying to grab some important paperwork to bring to a doctor’s appointment, or you need to retrieve cash from the night before at work, to go deposit it at the bank. What good is a safe if you can’t get into it because it is jammed? We know how frustrating it is when this happens. We also know that a safe serves a variety of purposes, so you might have one for your home or even for your place of work. A safe can help keep your most valuable items out of plain sight, which is very important in helping to protect these items against theft, and it can protect your items in the event of a fire or even flooding. Having a safe is certainly a good move, but if your safe is jammed, we know you are going to need someone to call. Be sure to reach out to us if you are in or near Milford, Connecticut. This is just one of many services we offer – unlocking a jammed safe. We also offer safe installation and can help you pick out a brand new safe if need be.

Be sure to look up a locksmith that serves your location if you are not in our service area. If the advice we have provided does not work for you, then it is a good idea to call an expert. Don’t get frustrated and drop kick your safe or break it! An expert will be able to open it. 

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4 Tips to Secure the Privacy of Your Home

Roughly around 325,000 homes across the US are broken into every year, usually in plain view. Altogether there are about 2.5 million burglaries reported and 66% of those are in homes. Most break-ins happen during the day when people are most likely to be out and about.

There are certain things you can do to protect your home in order not to become a statistic. We’ve rounded up 4 tips to protect your home, your family, and belongings better.

1. Keep valuables out of sight

It’s not difficult for anyone to just walk up and take a peek through one of your windows and see what you have lying around if you don’t have thick curtains or forgot to close them on your way out. While some items are not really meant to be moved around, like a TV screen, others are easier to move and keep out of view. Laptops, mobiles, all other small devices, purses, and wallets can all be put away when you’re out of the house. Even if your purse or wallet is actually empty and the mobile is old, a burglar wouldn’t know that, and it would just be too tempting in their eyes.

2. Wire up

It doesn’t matter if you live in a building, a house, or own a shop or any other business, you can use a security system to put your mind at ease. If moving into a new home or looking to sell your old one that’s a good time for when to get a wired security system. Having a wired system can increase the cost of your home when selling, and may also have custom made options that wireless security systems do not always offer.

3. Don’t provide hiding places

Your landscape, tall trees, and bushes are lovely to sit near and under. They provide nice shade on hot days but they also provide more opportunity for thieves and the likes to hide in. Keep shrubs and trees trimmed, at least trimmed enough that they do not block windows. Besides that, don’t leave items outside. Many people will leave a ladder outside after doing some roof repair, for example. This is inviting a would-be thief to the upper floors of a house where windows might be often unlocked.

4. Change locks when necessary

Anytime you or someone else loses a key to the house, change the lock. You can never be sure if the key was actually lost or if someone got their hands on it, giving them more than easy access to your home. If you rent out a home, it’s also recommended to change locks after a tenant leaves.

You can never be too safe

There really is no such thing as being too safe when it comes to protecting your home. Be an alert homeowner and find out more ways to protect your property. Always keep all doors, windows and the garage locked. You can ask someone you trust to keep a watchful eye if you have to leave home for an extended period. As we say, better to be safe than sorry.

Article source: 4 Tips to Secure the Privacy of Your Home

Related Article: How to Protect Your Home While on Vacation

If you want to know more about how to secure your home, visit Milford Locksmith Pro

What To Do If You Lose Your Car Keys

By Ellise Pierce

 

Not so long ago, misplacing—or worse, losing—your car keys wasn’t a big deal. You might even have had a spare attached to your car in a little box, stuck to the inside of the bumper. But as cars have gotten more technologically advanced, so have their keys, which can be more expensive than ever to replace.

Depending on what model and year vehicle you’re driving, replacing a lost or stolen key may involve several steps and several hundred dollars, says Richard Reina, training director at CARiD. If you don’t have a second car key, have a backup made and keep it in a safe place.

Here are the five main types of car keys, and Reina’s suggestions on what to do if yours goes missing.

Traditional Car Key

The standard key used by the auto industry is purely mechanical; put it into an ignition cylinder and turn to start your car.

If you lose it: You could call a locksmith, who can come and make you a new key on the spot. In some cases—an unusual or older vehicle—a locksmith may not be able to help. You might need to buy a new ignition lock cylinder and key from the dealer or an independent repair shop.

Car Key Fob

The first fobs were add-ons and meant to be a convenience. They can lock and unlock your vehicle, but you still use a traditional key to start the car. The key can also be used to unlock the doors.

If you lose it: If you lose just the fob, you’re OK. You can still use your key to unlock your car and start it. Fobs are readily available as aftermarket products and are easily programmable; you don’t need a special tool. You can find them at dealerships, auto parts stores or online. They’re also inexpensive (less than $20).

Car Key Fob And Switchblade Key

After the detached fob was released, auto manufacturers combined the two in a mechanism that would lock and unlock a vehicle with a spring-loaded key that folds into it, like a switchblade.

If you lose it: Pricier than a plain fob, an aftermarket fob with a switchblade key costs about $125 to replace. These are most easily found at a dealership, where they may be cut and programmed on-site; they’re also available online.

Transponder Key

Created to be a better anti-theft device, auto manufacturers came up with transponders in the early- to mid-1990s. Transponders are ignition keys that have a plastic head embedded with a computer chip; they rely on the wireless connection between your key and the car before they will allow the ignition to engage.

If you lose it: If you don’t have a backup key, you’ll need to have your vehicle towed to the dealership and have proof of ownership papers before you can purchase a key. (If one has to be ordered, the wait may be several days.) Then the dealer will need to electronically pair the new computer chip with your vehicle. Besides towing charges, the replacement key will cost $200–$250.

Smart Key

Also known as “keyless ignition,” a smart key is associated with vehicles that have a start button on the dash. Smart-key technology operates via a proximity sensor in the vehicle that automatically knows when the smart key (which is not a key at all, but a paired sensor) is nearby. It then unlocks the vehicle and allows it to be started with the push of a button.

If you lose it: Like the transponder key, you’ll need to tow your car to the dealership if you don’t have a backup key, then order a key (if the dealer doesn’t have one in stock) and have it paired to your vehicle. The costliest of the keys, these can run upward of $320 to replace, with a possible towing charge on top of that.

If you ever need a tow, just ring up Emergency Roadside Service from GEICO—always available on the GEICO Mobile app. Add ERS to your policy today!

Article Source: What To Do If You Lose Your Car Keys

Related Article: How to Replace Car Keys

If You Wanna Know More About Car Keys and What To Do To Prevent Lockouts, visit www. milfordlocksmithpro.com