A customer in Ashford got in touch because the front-door multipoint lock on a uPVC door had become temperamental and they wanted me to investigate.
Once I removed the mechanism, I spotted a small crack in the spindle almost immediately. The lock was still operating from the lower spindle, so the complete mechanism was not necessarily beyond saving.
Because the job was only around five minutes from home, I took the gearbox away briefly. At the time I had a box of useful spare components there and I suspected I might have something that would fit. That box now lives in the van, for obvious reasons.
As soon as I removed the gearbox cover and released the spring tension, the damaged spindle fell apart completely.
Fortunately, the spares box came through. I found a compatible replacement component, rebuilt the gearbox and returned to the customer to refit and test the repaired mechanism.
The existing multipoint lock was saved rather than replaced, which kept the repair simpler and avoided the cost of a complete new system.
