When You Need To Replace Locks

There are certain situations that will come up in life that warrant a lock change. It is important that you are mindful of security, and aware of when it is important to swap out old locks with new ones. Our team is asked this question all of the time. The team receives phone calls from locals in the Ahwatukee, Arizona area who want to know if their safety would be at risk if they didn’t change their locks. Realistically, you can look at it this way: if you are asking the question about lock replacement, then it is very likely that you should really look into doing so. Here, you will find information that points you in the right direction. Just remember that locks need to be replaced every few years or so primarily because of wear and tear. But some of the situations described below are a bit more urgent.

Replace your locks if they are starting to be problematic.

Worn out locks mean it is time for a replacement. How can you know they are starting to become worn? One sign is that your key doesn’t go in smoothly – you have to wiggle it around a little for it to work. You can also sometimes see signs of wear and tear in the coloration and in pieces falling apart.

You need to replace or rekey locks if you have moved into a new house

One of the main times that you need to consider rekeying the locks is when you have relocated into a different home. Think about how many people might have had access to your locks and keys. You likely had a realtor, contractor and other individuals who were in and out of the house, at least at some point. And who is to say that no keys were misplaced? They could have then been picked up by the wrong hands. Rekeying your locks, or replacing them altogether, is something that won’t set you back financially but it will help you tremendously in terms of safety.  

If someone new is moving in, change the locks!

Perhaps you are a landlord that owns a property you rent out. If this is the case, then you should change out the locks in between tenants. You don’t want someone who no longer lives there to have access to the property. And sure, they might have been a completely trustworthy person, but that doesn’t mean that at some point, an individual with bad intentions didn’t make a copy of the key. The person who previously rented from you might not even know if someone else somehow made a copy of their key.

If someone broke into your property, don’t wait – change those locks!

If you had a break in, then you know that this is an absolutely terrible thing to have to deal with. You feel that your privacy and comfort have been completely violated, because they have been. But keep it in the front of your mind that it is important to change your locks fast. This is something a 24/7 emergency locksmith will be able to help you with. Your locks might have been damaged during the break in anyway, which is the first sign they need to be replaced. But if you had a spare key sitting anywhere in the house, it is important that regardless of lock damage, you have it replaced.