Emergency
Broken key stuck in a lock? Extraction at the door
A key snapped in a door lock, a padlock or the ignition: we take out the broken piece and can cut a new key.
Where
South-eastern Pennsylvania
What we cover
Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Lancaster County and Philadelphia
How we work
We are a mobile locksmith. We come to you.
What this covers
Broken key extraction is for a key that has snapped off inside a lock: a house door, a business door, a padlock, or a car door or ignition. The broken piece has to come out before the lock can be used again, and pushing at it can drive it deeper. We work to remove the broken piece and, if you need one, cut a new key so you are not left with half a key.
How we approach it
Keep both halves of the broken key if you can. The half in your hand shows how the key was cut, which helps with a new key, and the way it broke tells us something about the lock. We look at the lock before starting, because a key that snapped in a worn or binding lock may point to a lock that needs repairing too.
Where it stops
Extraction covers the broken key and the lock it is stuck in. If that lock was already worn or has been damaged, it may need repairing or replacing afterwards, and we will say so. When the key broke in a car's ignition, we check that the ignition turns and starts the car before we finish.
What broken key extraction covers
Remove a broken key from a door lock, a padlock or an ignition, cut a new key when the old one broke.
Worth knowing
When a key breaks in a lock, stop. Do not push the broken piece further in, do not try to hook it out with a paper clip or a small tool, and never put glue anywhere near the lock. Each of those can turn a simple extraction into a lock that has to be replaced.
Keys break for a reason. A key that has worn thin, a key that was bent and straightened, or a lock that has been binding for months all put extra strain on the blade. If a key snapped because the lock was hard to turn, the lock needs attention too, or the next key may go the same way.
Retire keys before they break. Hold your key next to a spare: if the ridges look rounded, or the blade shows a crack or a bend, stop using it and have a new key made from the spare, not from the worn one. A copy of a worn key copies the wear.
Broken Key Extraction: questions before you call
My car key snapped in the ignition and the steering wheel is stiff. Does that change the job?
It can change the first step, because a tight steering wheel can leave pressure on the ignition. Tell us whether the key broke while you were turning it to start, to shut off, or just to unlock the wheel. That detail helps us judge whether we are dealing with a broken piece lodged in place or a lock that is also being held under strain.
I broke my front door key off after half a turn. What should I tell you on the phone?
Tell us which side of the door the key broke on and whether any part is still sticking out. Also say whether it is the knob lock, the deadbolt, or a mortise cylinder in the door. A key broken after half a turn points to a different position inside the lock than a key that snaps before it turns at all.
The key snapped in my shed padlock while it was locked. Do I need to have anything ready before you get there?
Have the lock itself clearly visible and, if the padlock secures a chain or latch, leave that setup as it is so we can see how the shackle is sitting. If you still have both broken key pieces, keep them together. A short tip broken off near the point tells us something different from a break at the bow where your fingers hold it.
My truck key broke in the door lock, not the ignition. Is that the same job or a different one?
It is a different lock position, and that matters. The door lock and the ignition do not place the key under the same kind of turning load, so tell us exactly where it broke and what the key was doing at the moment. For example, a key that snaps while unlocking the door can leave a piece at a different depth than one broken in the ignition.
I turned my apartment lock and the key came out with part of it missing. How can I tell if the piece is still inside?
The clearest sign is what the lock does next. If the remaining key will not go in to its normal depth, or it stops short at the same point every time, there may still be a piece inside. Tell us whether this is a bored cylindrical lock, a rim cylinder, or a mortise lock, because the opening and keyway shape differ from one type to another.
