A customer in Walton-on-Thames got in touch because the cylinder on the flat entrance door had become difficult to use and they also wanted it changed for security reasons.
Once on site, I confirmed that one of the internal pins was behaving intermittently and the key needed excessive force to move past it.
I also noticed that the existing cylinder required a key from both sides.
For a flat entrance door, that is not always the most practical arrangement because somebody may need to leave quickly in an emergency. I discussed this with the customer and explained the option of using a key-and-thumb-turn cylinder instead.
The customer agreed that the thumb-turn arrangement was more appropriate and chose a British Standard fire-rated option.
I removed the failing cylinder, fitted the replacement and checked the rest of the locking mechanism before finishing.
The key was operating smoothly again from outside, while the inside could now be released without needing to find a key first.
