Push Button Digital Locks

[richlist]

I need some help with push button digital locks.

I have an internal fire door from my entrance hall into my garage which currently has a 5 lever lock fitted. The lock is a buildings insurance requirement and they also require me to lock the door and remove the key whenever we leave the property. This is a bit of a pain so, I was hoping I might be able to fit a push button digital lock.

I know nothing about these locks. Looking at them it seems I would need a code to pass from the hall into the garage but would only need to turn the handle to pass from the garage into the hall........so it wouldn't provide any security against burglary. In other words the lock only works in one direction........am I understanding this correctly ?

[Itsallaguess]

I need some help with push button digital locks.

I have an internal fire door from my entrance hall into my garage which currently has a 5 lever lock fitted. The lock is a buildings insurance requirement and they also require me to lock the door and remove the key whenever we leave the property. This is a bit of a pain so, I was hoping I might be able to fit a push button digital lock.

I know nothing about these locks. Looking at them it seems I would need a code to pass from the hall into the garage but would only need to turn the handle to pass from the garage into the hall........so it wouldn't provide any security against burglary. In other words the lock only works in one direction........am I understanding this correctly ?

Have you checked with your insurance company that a digital lock of this type would be acceptable to them, as a replacement to the 5-lever lock that's currently in place?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[twotwo22]

In which direction is the security required ? Surely once they are in your house it is game over ?
Would a Euro lock with thumb turn in the house key in the garage be acceptable

[jfgw]

Some of these locks are available in a back-to-back configuration where a code is needed both sides. There are a few options on the Codelocks website, http://www.codelocks.co.uk/.

You may find it cheaper to make a back-to-back lock from two single-sided tubular mortice locks as these are more readily available and can be had from such places as Screwfix for a reasonable price.

Julian F. G. W.

[bungeejumper]

I looked at these a couple of years back, including the Yale ones, and didn't buy. My main concern, IIRC, was that it seemed you could enter the four numbers in any order to gain access, which cuts down the possible permutations quite a bit. But the clincher was that anybody could see which numbers they were, because those would be the numbers that had been polished by innumerable finger-touches.

If I'm wrong about either of those points, let me know and I might reconsider.

BJ

[SteelCamel]

The mechanical locks are usually not order-dependent, you need to press all the correct numbers in any order while not pressing any of the wrong ones, then the lock will open. The code doesn't have to be four numbers, it can be any length, and there's usually 13 digits to choose from (0-9, X, Y and Z). For a 13-button lock there are 8192 possible codes, not huge but it's unlikely someone will try working through them. Even if you know the length of the code there's still too many for blind guessing - 1287 five-digit codes for example. You can, and should, change the code regularly, which will stop particular buttons appearing more worn. Still, they're not high-security locks.

[Slarti]

I need some help with push button digital locks.

I have an internal fire door from my entrance hall into my garage which currently has a 5 lever lock fitted. The lock is a buildings insurance requirement and they also require me to lock the door and remove the key whenever we leave the property. This is a bit of a pain so, I was hoping I might be able to fit a push button digital lock.

I know nothing about these locks. Looking at them it seems I would need a code to pass from the hall into the garage but would only need to turn the handle to pass from the garage into the hall........so it wouldn't provide any security against burglary. In other words the lock only works in one direction........am I understanding this correctly ?

I had a similar requirement with the door between my house and granny annex, where my office is located, so I have a box on a shelf by the door and lock the door, remove the key and pop it in the box. The added time for locking up at night or opening in the morning is seconds.

Your requirement will be so as to secure the house, so a hook on the door frame would probably do as I bet they never specified how far you should remove the key.

Slarti

[jfgw]

The code doesn't have to be four numbers, it can be any length, and there's usually 13 digits to choose from (0-9, X, Y and Z).

With some of these (the cheapest ones), you have to insert different tumblers for the buttons you have to press and those you don't. I think you usually get enough of each for a 3, 4 or 5 digit code. You would need to obtain additional tumblers for longer (or shorter) codes.

Julian F. G. W.