HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR LOCKS

Your home’s security is obviously of utmost importance to you and your family. You certainly want your place of residence to be a sanctuary, where you always feel comfortable and safe. Therefore, you must keep your home’s locks in topnotch shape. You’ll continually keep your family and your valuables secure when your locks are solid and durable. Accordingly, make sure all your locks are functioning properly, with superior resilience.

Things sometimes can go wrong with your keys and locks. Although a good locksmith will be available day or night, 24/7 ~ such as the mobile expert locksmiths on staff at Buckeye Locksmith AZ, located in Buckeye, Arizona ~ it’s still best to be pro-active instead. That way, you’ll be able to prevent most potential mishaps.

How do you know when it is the right time to replace your locks? Here are important points you ought to consider:

New Tenants or Roommates

If you rent out space from your home or apartment, or have rental properties of any kind, it’s essential that you absolutely must replace locks each time you change tenants. Even if the former occupants returned their keys to you, you cannot be fully certain that they didn’t make copies. If a break-in ever were to happen, you certainly don’t want to have any doubts about previous residents. Keep your property totally secure and protected with the reputable brand-name locks.

A New Home

Of course, if you just moved into a new place of residence, the same rules that apply to your rental properties apply to your home. It’s crucial that you get your locks changed. You simply never know who may still have an old key jangling around somewhere.

Normal Wear and Tear

Worn-out locks are a major weakness in your home security. The truth is, old or rusted locks are easier to break and pick, and they grow more difficult to open as time passes. If a lock has rust, a bad tarnish, or is showing any other signs of wear, it is probably time to replace it. If the lock is becoming increasingly difficult to open with the key, especially in cold weather, then you ought to replace it.

Damaged Locks

If you are unfortunate enough to have had your locks vandalized, tampered with, or damaged in any other way, then it’s time to get new locks. Don’t take any risks! Replace your locks right away. It’s not a good idea to keep a damaged lock for an extended period, because it will make it susceptible to additional damage or robbery.

Rusty Locks

You and your family and friends go in and out of your doors countless times every day. Over time, the locks will surely become worn-out, and can even get to be rusted, which means they’ll break more easily. If there are indeed any visible signs of rust, you’ll start to notice that you’re beginning to have trouble putting the key in the lock mechanism, or getting it to turn. If so, it’s time for lock replacement.

Break-ins

If you have experienced a burglary, it’s imperative that you replace your locks. The force involved in a break-in usually compromises the integrity of a lock mechanism. A damaged lock will put you at greater risk of another robbery, and mechanical malfunction may leave you locked out. Furthermore, you don’t know if your keys could have fallen into the wrong hands. Don’t risk it! Replace all your locks immediately.

Lost Keys

If you’ve truly misplaced your keys, it may take awhile to admit it; but if your keys are lost for good, then change your locks as soon as possible. You don’t want a stranger to have access to your home. All your outdoor locks, which would allow access to an intruder, should be replaced. After you’ve fully secured your outdoor locks, then replace any inside locks according to your personal security priorities.

Stuck Keys

It doesn’t occur too often, but it can happen: A key can get stuck or even break off in a lock. When any issue comes up with the internal mechanism, the key won’t slide as effortlessly into the lock. If you feel any resistance when you turn the key, this is a sign that it’s getting to be time to replace the lock.

Combination Locks

Are you always losing your keys? Then you might want to consider replacing your regular lock with a combination door lock. Combination door locks are opened by inputting a code. Most combination locks have a keyed lock too, in case the combination input ever malfunctions, or so you can gain entry if you ever forget the code. Remember, change the combination if you ever think its access could have been compromised, just as you would replace a normal lock if you lost your keys. Moreover, as a rule, it’s a good idea to change the code periodically.

Deadbolts

If you’re feeling particularly vulnerable at your property for whatever reason, any locksmith professional will tell you that replacing your locks with deadbolts will definitely enhance your level of security.

Peace of Mind

Locks don’t necessarily have to show obvious signs of damage or wear and tear for you to have to replace your locks. As time goes by, you could forget how many friends, family members, and neighbors have been given copies of your keys, and may not have returned them. You may want to replace locks periodically, as a way to wisely maintain your home, thus augmenting your security. You’ll have peace of mind, when you know you’re providing better protection for your family, your property, and your possessions.

Going Digital

Would you rather go high-tech? Then replace your traditional locks with digital locks. It’s a great way to secure your home without any keys at all! Keyless locks ~ which work with remotes or with smart devices; keypads; alarm systems with remote codes; and so forth ~ have opened new horizons in home security technology. Once you get accustomed to it, they’re easy to use, and most include an attractive selection of features providing you with exceptional security and convenience.

Article source here: HOW TO KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO REPLACE YOUR LOCKS

Buckeye Locksmith AZ: Transponder Key Problems

The crew at Buckeye Locksmith AZ has kindly provided instructive information for vehicle owners everywhere, not just in Buckeye, Arizona – if you are having problems with your transponder keys, then you might want to take a look at the information provided. All sorts of issues can occur when it comes to car keys, and some of the most common ones have been outlined here. So what can go wrong? Have a look and see if you are dealing with a similar problem!

First of all, for anyone who does not know, a transponder key has a transmitter in its plastic portion. It sends an emission to the receiver, meaning electrical signals are alerting your car that it is okay to start when you use said key with your vehicle. Here are some things that can go wrong…

1. The transponder key simply isn’t working. If the transponder key has stopped working, meaning it is unable to emit the frequency needed to work, it might be lacking in electrical power. If there is low power, then the key might emit a different signal of frequency that is not recognizable to your vehicle. When that happens, often times just a new battery is needed. This is something that is simple to obtain, and it is something that you should do right away. Why? Because it provides security that you need. When it comes to dead batteries, it is such an easy fix, that it is pointless to wait and potentially have to pay for a locksmith or the dealership to unlock or help start your automobile for you. Check the battery! It is part of your car’s anti-theft system, and you want it to be working all of the time, not just some of the time.

1. There is chip damage. The transponder chip can end up becoming damaged, and when this happens, you might end up needing a brand new transponder key. This is something that you can contact your dealership for, and they can make sure that your old key is deactivated.

1. The transponder key is locked. Say that you bought a refurbished transponder key in an effort to save money. The chip has been harvested from another key and inserted into the new key. What could go wrong? Well, with some cars, once the chip is programmed, you are unable to reprogram it. So basically you are left with a key that is locked. For this reason, it is not necessarily the best idea to try to buy new transponder keys online, or at least, refurbished ones. There are many lock and security providers that will refuse to deal with a refurbished transponder key, so it is important to make sure that if you buy one, it comes from a company that you can trust. Make sure the business is reputable and has great reviews. It should be in good standing.

1. The transponder key was programmed incorrectly. If you go to someone without experience, they might not know precisely what they are doing. There are certain tricks that a lock and security professional will know about to ensure everything is done properly. To ensure proper transponder key programming, do your research or call a professional from the get go.

1. The transponder key might be surrounded by too much metal. This might sound strange, but if you have an excessive amount of metal surrounding your transponder key, it could be blocking the transponder from picking up the appropriate signals. At the very least, if you are unable to figure out what is wrong, this is something that is worth looking into as a possible problem.

For the most part, transponder keys come with a great deal of convenience, no matter what you happen to drive. But occasionally, issues can arise. Sometimes, it is as simple as having the battery switched out, which is something that many car owners do themselves. Other times, the issue has to do with improper programming. It is easy to avoid problems by fixing them as soon as signs start to come up. For instance, if your transponder key only works sometimes, or if you can see that there is a light flashing frequently, it might be alerting you that the battery is dying. When you do notice that something is wrong that isn’t in your realm of do it yourself expertise, remember to hire a reputable company for the job. If you are in Buckeye, Arizona, you can call Buckeye Locksmith AZ, but if you are anywhere else, do your research. Look up local locksmiths that are licensed and insured and that have great reviews. Or go to your dealership. Even if these things cost you more at first, you will find that you save money by avoiding potential problems down the road.

There are far too many stories of people buying parts off of places like eBay, only to realize they bought the wrong parts, or that they were misled into buying something not actually needed. There are too many stories of people using so-called experts off Craigslist who weren’t licensed or insured and ended up causing damage to their vehicle or to their car keys. Do things right the first time, even if you think you could save a little bit of money cutting corners. Use an expert who only cuts keys, not corners, no pun intended! Remember that the majority of keys for cars that were created after 1995 use transponder chips. So if your car was made after 1995, you should keep this information in mind because it might come in handy at some point in time.

Watch your transponder key for signs of problems, and if you notice problems, have them dealt with right away! You will be glad that you did later. Remember that this is part of your car’s anti-theft system, so it is your security that is at stake.

Article source here: Buckeye Locksmith AZ: Transponder Key Problems