How to keep locks from getting frozen?

In chi.general Ajanta wrote: : For those of you out of Chicago, it is 12 degrees here tonight. How do : I keep the locks on our outside back-gate and car-door street parking) : from getting frozen?

: Anything work better than WD-40 (which is all I can think of trying)?

If your already locked out, WD-40 will unfreeze it, but it's going to freeze again... so if you can avoid using it, your better off in the long run...

Get some lock deicer from your local auto parts store (I think walgreens and CVS carry them too... never lube it with liquid, use graphite instead... if there is a michaels near you, they also sell it (and i think most autoparts stores have it)

Many times I've been at work and just had to warm up the key in my hand, and put it in the lock and repeat until i got the cylinder warm enough to turn... especially bad after something like last week where it goes from sleet to snow and then cold...

I've got three house locks that are frozen right now too. I think it's because we had those really warm days last week, then torrential rains for a few days then it went arctic on us. Unusual weather pattern is to blame.

Later today I'm taking the lock sets off and bringing them inside to thaw then dry out then I'll reattach it all. It should be fine then.

ahhh the joys of winter... ! heat up your key with a lighter (don't melt the plastic...!)

It works a lot faster if you warm the key up with a cigarette lighter.

prob is that doesn't get rid of the water

Neither does warming the key in your hand. The point is, though, that the faster you can get the lock thawed out, the sooner you can get rid of the water.

I can tell you that if you use WD-40, you shall have frozen locks fer sure. That stuff does freeze.

The lock-thaw mentioned in these posts is alcohol in a pressurized can, and it will thaw your locks, but will not keep them from freezing again.

The correct procedure is, if it's already frozen, use the lock-thaw to get into the car/open the gate lock, whatever, then when the alcohol has all evaporated, 5 minutes max, squirt in graphite lock fluid.

Graphite lock fluid can be found at all hardware stores and most drug stores. It comes in pressurized can or plastic squirt bottle. It is black (that's the graphite) and you insert the nozzle, squirt it in, move the key around a few times, and the liquid carrier drys leaving the lock innards coated with graphite.

One good application, and the lock is good for the rest of the winter.

speaking of locks, there was some slight drama in my alley last night. Guy dumped a stolen car in my alley and got into another stolen vehicle to get away from someone chasing him. He leaves the first stolen vehicle running. I called police and when they show up they show me how he got it started.

you take a screwdriver thingie that's knurled like a drill bit and jam it into the keyslot of the ignition. Once it's jammed in there you hit it with a hammer then take a visegrips get ahold of the jammed driver and pull the guts of the keyslot out of the steering wheel. You then short the wire leads to start the car. Cop reenacted it for me which was cool.

How old was the car? When some scumbags tried to do that to my '99 Silverado, the gas pump shut off so they couldn't get anywhere.

Michele

Stolen car left in front of my garage running was a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The thief had crunched the left rear quarter panel probaly going around an icey turn. The second vehicle he got into which was also stolen was a fullsize van...conversion van with the ladder and the pleated curtains in all the windows. The daughter saw the van and the van's driver, not me.

how does powdered graphite in a lock keep it from freezing? if the polwder is in the cylinder, then water get also gets into the cylinder then it freezes wouldn't you just have a frozen cylinder that doesn't turn?

neither do I, but the recent rains saoked my garage locks.

Powdered graphite (sold in small tubes near the key stuff and lock de-icer) should prevent recurrence.

-- Todd H.

Dunno, but I will say I use powdered graphite at the first sign of lock stickiness in the cold, and I haven't had a lock freeze on me.

I don't go round pouring water into my lock cylinders though. :-)

-- Todd H.

kenji wrote in news:Q9adnfkFcOXyw-nYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@ripco.com:

You need an awning over your garage-side door(s).

awnings are oh so 1960's

kenji wrote in news:hvOdnZhn7ZHfBunYnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@ripco.com:

But standing out in the cold while your locks are frozen is a timeless tradition!

duh, I use the overhead doors

actually the main prob is I went to a gable roof and the slope drains over the service door...I haven't installed gutters yet.

Ah ha!

I hereby update my recommendation from "graphite can help to prevent recurrence" to "graphite or gutters can help prevent recurrence."

-- Todd H.