471 posts, read 359,105 times 26,534 posts, read 57,221,272 times Originally Posted by chet everett The lockset cost about $150. IMO, that's too much to just throw away if I can repair it easily, but calling a locksmith would be just about as expensive and I'd still have the old lockset. Thus I'm trying to find out whether others have solved the problem successfully. 533 posts, read 983,385 times 8,131 posts, read 10,580,861 times 3,592 posts, read 5,493,566 times If you find that it is sticking and not broken, use ONLY dry graphite to lubricate it. Do not use silicone, WD-40, or any other wet type of lubricant. We have been selling Schlage locks for many years with very few issues. Here is a link to the current Schlage residential warranty with information on how to make a warranty claim. 14,931 posts, read 22,824,717 times Originally Posted by IggierTheir customer service is second to none. I got all the cores of the locks at my home replaced free of charge.
I explained a problem I had with one of my locks, they asked me to tell them the key number (s) for the locks, and they mailed me six cores plus 6 matching keys, with a set of instructions on how to remove the old cores and install the new ones. 4,764 posts, read 7,673,848 times Originally Posted by nybblerI will take it apart again & see whether I can identify the part that sticks. Originally Posted by rrtechno Thanks rrtechno, I looked at the warranty -- it appears I have to send the lockset back to them at my expense for repair or replacement -- but then I don't have a front door handle for however long it takes to get it back to me. If it's something simple, I'd like to just do it myself. I will call them after the holiday though and see what the options are. Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Doorknob set screws can wear out. The part of a doorknob that you grasp with your hand connects to a rod that extends though the door to the knob on the other side. The rod passes through a spring-loaded mechanism that connects it to the barrel, and when you turn the handle, the rod turns the mechanism which retracts the bolt. If nothing happens when you turn the knob, it's usually because the set screw holding the knob to the rod has worked itself loose. If the bolt moves, but not enough to allow the door to open, the mechanism probably needs lubrication. Look for the set screw on neck of the knob, between the handle and door. It may be on the underside of the knob. Tighten the screw, using the appropriate flathead screwdriver or hex wrench. That should restore the operation of the knob. If the knob is old, the screw may be stripped or stuck. Pull off the handle and spray lubricant onto the screw to get it to turn more easily. Replace the handle and tighten the screw. Disassemble the knob to lubricate the spring mechanism if the barrel doesn't retract all the way.
Loosen the set screw on one of the handles and remove the two screws holding the knob together, using a Phillips screwdriver. Alternatively, if you can't see any screws, look for a notch under one of the rosettes. Insert a flathead screwdriver into the notch and pry off the rosette to expose the screws. Pull the handle and rosette off of one side of the door to expose the barrel and spring mechanism. Spray the mechanism with spray lubricant while you operate the barrel with the other handle. The spring should loosen enough to allow the barrel to retract. Reassemble the knob when you're satisfied with its operation. Don't forget to tighten the set screw on the handle that you removed. This just started today. I have to turn the knob in order for the latch to retract. Before, I could just push to door shut and the latch would retract when it hit the plate on the door frame. But now it just hits hard against it. Other than that, the door knob works perfect. You may have a deadlocking latch bolt, which in addition to a normal door latch has a plunger.
When this plunger is retracted (which happens when the door is closed), the spring loaded mechanism on the latch is disabled. This prevents someone from using the credit card trick to open the door from the outside, so the only way to open the door is by unlocking it and turning the knob. In other words, it's for security. My guess, assuming this is an external locking door, is that this plunger is either jammed or some of the internal mechanisms that it activates have jammed. You can unscrew the door knob and remove both sides, then unscrew the latch and pull it out of the door. From there, try some lubricant (silicone spray and graphite powder are my preferred lubricants for locks, WD-40 will quickly dry and attract dirt). And if it still doesn't work, it's probably time to go to the store to pickup a new doorknob. The answer provided by @BMitch is good, but here's another suggestion: Check to see that the plate on the door frame is actually making contact with the angled part of the latch.
It's possible that due to thermal expansion or contraction of the door or frame, the plate is now striking the latch on the non-angled part causing it not to retract. The exact same thing happened to us last week. We called Schlage, the manufacturer, and they said that part of the internal mechanism was broken. Because they warranty the mechanism for life, they sent us a new mechanism with instructions on how to install it. It arrived just a few days later, and installing it was a simple task. Now we can just push the door shut again without having to turn the knob. The latch bold was sticking on my front door. It's a schlage dead latch. I called the company after fiddling with it. Something had clearly gone wrong with the latch itself. After a little time on hold I got through to customer service. She was able to determine what model I had because there is no model number anywhere on the thing. Long story short my product and possibly yours has a life time warranty on parts.
She put the order in and true to their word 5 business days later the latch showed up and I just finished installing it. No problems, it's not hard to do. FYI Customer service number is 1-888-805-9837. and there was no charge. The part you are refering to is a hardened pin designed to prevent someone from cutting the latch with a hacksaw to gain entry. It is a part of the backset mechanisim. The backset will need to be replaced. Most are lifetime guaranteed for mechanical defect, and commonly replaced by the manufacturer, or purchased at most building supply stores. I work in such a place on Vancouver Island in Canada. This is a very common problem, with a very easy remedy. The tongue of the door latch leading from my garage to the kitchen began malfunctioning just as described above. It would retract when either knob was turned, but not when attempting to close the door without turning a knob. After reading everything written above, I concluded that I was looking at replacing some or all of the internal mechanism.