Many people may find themselves stranded as the weather worsens. Not because of a car accident or because of power outages caused by ice storms. Instead, frozen doors and locks keep them from getting into their cars and homes.
So, if your door won’t budge this winter or your key won’t get past the lock, what can you do? Try the techniques by Locksmith Grange listed below.
Frozen Doors
You notice that your car doors are covered in a thick layer of ice when you go outside to get ready for work in the morning. Holding the door handle tightly and yanking it with all your might could result in a pulled muscle as well as damage to your car’s door.
Put your hands on the edges of the door frame instead of leaning into it. By doing this, you will be able to break the ice around the seal, allowing you to safely enter.
If pressure doesn’t work, a commercial de-icer can be used on the door. De-icer should be sprayed along the frame’s edges, where the ice is thickest. Although it may take several minutes for the de-icer to melt away enough ice to allow you to enter, it is one of the simplest ways to safely thaw a door.
Is there no de-icer on the premises? With an ice scraper or a small hand tool, chip away at the thicker layers along the frame (a butter knife or even a credit card works well). If you have a blow dryer at home, connect it to an extension cord and use it to warm the door.
Many car owners suggest melting the ice with warm water as well. Keep in mind, however, that if the temperatures are cold enough to freeze your door shut, the water is unlikely to penetrate the deeper layers of ice on your door. Any water that makes it deep enough may freeze again, exacerbating the problem.
Frozen Windows
Perhaps you thoroughly scraped your windows this morning. You didn’t have any trouble getting into your car doors, so you weren’t rushed on your way to work. You have a few minutes to look through your mail. When you arrive at your neighborhood mailbox, the windows refuse to roll down when you press the button.
Do not continue to press that button! The window is most likely frozen to the car’s outside weatherstrip. If you keep pressing the button, the window motor may become strained or even damaged. Because replacing the window motor can be costly, you should be cautious about how you break the ice.
A frozen window can be thawed in the same way that a frozen car door can be. A de-icer can help, and you can also use a plastic credit card to break up the ice between the window and the weatherstrip. However, turning on the heat inside your car is the quickest way to defrost frozen windows. Your windows will heat up as the interior heats up.
Frozen Locks
Door locks are likely to have frozen as well if your doors or windows have frozen shut. Despite the fact that most car door locks do a good job of keeping water out, moisture and condensation can still get into the delicate locking mechanisms.
As with car doors, don’t force the key into the lock, as this could damage both the key and the lock. Instead, de-ice the lock with a commercial de-icer. Spray the de-icer into the lock, let it melt for a few minutes, and you’re good to go.
However, de-icers are costly, and if you leave your de-icer in your glove compartment, it won’t help you if you’re stranded outside.
You can use a lighter, match, or hair dryer to warm your key if you don’t have access to a de-icer. Before the ice melts, you may need to heat the key, insert it into the lock, and repeat the process a few times, but it will eventually let you into your car safely.
If none of these items are available, you can try thawing the lock with your own body heat. For several minutes, press your hands against the lock and keep your key pressed against another warm part of your body. Once the key and lock have warmed up, you can insert the key into the lock. Despite its time-consuming nature, this method can prove valuable in an emergency.
Help! I’m still outside, locked up.
While these methods will help you break up the majority of the ice, the cold will still mess with your car door and locks. In some cases, it is preferable to risk damaging your car or home door by calling a professional locksmith Grange. For a dependable locksmith in Grange, call 1300-205-512.
Stronghold Locksmiths is a Grange locksmith who serves the Australian region. We take pride in taking care of your commercial or residential locksmith needs with our many years of experience. Stronghold Locksmiths offers a diverse range of keys, locks, and other security products for your home or business. Stronghold Locksmiths can help you upgrade the security of your home or business, as well as resolve security issues. Give us a call right now.