Replacing a door knob

[Metspitzer]

The front door has quit locking. For a few days, when you tried to
lock the door, twisting the lock would catch half way. You could
steady the door knob and it would lock. Well now it doesn't do
anything. It will turn but the door never locks.

I went to Home depot to get a replacement knob and all of the knobs
had life time warranties. It then occurred to me that maybe the
current knob was also a life time warranty.

I came home to discover the knob may be made by Harloc. Googling it
doesn't really come up with any warranty info or any way to contact
Harloc. The guy at Home Depot said the company may no longer be in
business.

I assumed since most of the building materials were high quality that
the door knob was too. I took pictures of the knob. It doesn't
really look like high quality at all.

I also googled how to repair a door lock, but didn't find any showing
how to get to the lock itself.

http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F

[Daring Dufas: Hypocrite TeaBillie on welfare]

WD40

[Stormin Mormon]

Having been in the locksmith trade for 20+ years,
I find Harloc to be the worst junk made. Worse even
than some of the Taiwan junkers. I'd replace that
one today, if not sooner. As to what's a good brand,
my house has Kwikset (NOT THE SMART KEY) and also
my parents house. The knob locks wear out in ten
year or so, but that's good service.

I've not seen a Harloc in a lot of years, and I
rather like it that way.

--
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 1/20/2014 5:33 PM, Metspitzer wrote:

> I came home to discover the knob may be made by Harloc. Googling it
> doesn't really come up with any warranty info or any way to contact
> Harloc. The guy at Home Depot said the company may no longer be in
> business.
>

> http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F
>

Some Harloc are installed in non standard door prep.
Might have to enlarge the edge hole, and the cross
bore might not be standard 2 1/8 inch.

Might have to depress the retainer I see in photo
3 to get the inner knob off. Then pry off the trim
and remove the phillips screws.

[philo]

Even if it's under warranty you'd have to send it back and go without a
door knob. Since a new one is not terribly expensive, just get a new one
and don't worry about it.



Here is how I found out my front door no longer locked:

A drunken college student was found on my couch one morning.

When we woke him he was waaay more scared than us.


As he ran out the door he said: "Sorry, I thought I was in my friend's
house."

[Oren]

On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 17:33:29 -0500, Metspitzer <Kilo...@charter.net>
wrote:

>I also googled how to repair a door lock, but didn't find any showing
>how to get to the lock itself.
>
>http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F

Look around on the backside of the knob. There may be a tab that you
depress too pull the knob off. Remove the escutcheon trim plate.

Remove the screws and put a brand spankin' new lock on that door.

YMMV

[Stormin Mormon]

On 1/20/2014 7:05 PM, philo wrote:
>
> Here is how I found out my front door no longer locked:
> A drunken college student was found on my couch one morning.
> When we woke him he was waaay more scared than us.
> As he ran out the door he said: "Sorry, I thought I was in my friend's
> house."

Well, that's a first. I'd never heard that one.
Add that to my list of anecdotes and experiences.

[N8N]

just replace it, Schlage is a decent consumer grade lockset, and inexpensive enough that it's not worth trying to repair what you have. If you are concerned about security go to a real locksmith shop and see what they recommend. Likely you will be told that any key in knob setup like what you have is relatively insecure and that you should consider adding a deadbolt. Medeco/Assa Abloy is a step up from most of the stuff you will find at the big boxes, but you'll pay for it.

good luck

nate

[Stormin Mormon]

On 1/20/2014 7:18 PM, Oren wrote:
>>
>> http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F
>
> Look around on the backside of the knob. There may be a tab that you
> depress too pull the knob off. Remove the escutcheon trim plate.
>
> Remove the screws and put a brand spankin' new lock on that door.
>
> YMMV

Harloc are often found in non standard mounting
holes, so the new install might not be as easy.

[DerbyDad03]

A similar thing happened in my daughter's dorm room. She was living in a
suite with 4 bedrooms and a living room area. She awoke one Saturday
morning to find an unknown girl sleeping on the couch. She ignored her,
assuming it was a friend of one of her roommates. As each roommate woke up,
they all let her be, each thinking it was a friend of another. Eventually
they started asking each other and that's when they realized that no one
knew her.

When they woke her up she admitted that she was really drunk the night
before and didn't really remember how she ended up on the couch. As she was
leaving, they all suggested she get some help.

[philo]

On 01/20/2014 06:22 PM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
> On 1/20/2014 7:05 PM, philo wrote:
>>
>> Here is how I found out my front door no longer locked:
>> A drunken college student was found on my couch one morning.
>> When we woke him he was waaay more scared than us.
>> As he ran out the door he said: "Sorry, I thought I was in my friend's
>> house."
>
> Well, that's a first. I'd never heard that one.
> Add that to my list of anecdotes and experiences.
>

That's what I get for living near a university.

I originally bought this house when I was working and going to night
school. That was 35 years ago and the property value has skyrocketed so
I'm staying put.

If I did not already own the house there is no way I could afford to
live in this area.


BTW: I did not buy a new lock...I just found an old one in the basement.

[philo]

On 01/20/2014 06:29 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:

>>X

> A similar thing happened in my daughter's dorm room. She was living in a
> suite with 4 bedrooms and a living room area. She awoke one Saturday
> morning to find an unknown girl sleeping on the couch. She ignored her,
> assuming it was a friend of one of her roommates. As each roommate woke up,
> they all let her be, each thinking it was a friend of another. Eventually
> they started asking each other and that's when they realized that no one
> knew her.
>
> When they woke her up she admitted that she was really drunk the night
> before and didn't really remember how she ended up on the couch. As she was
> leaving, they all suggested she get some help.
>

I'm from Milwaukee and if a problem drinker asks for help, it's just
assumed they need money for another drink.

[Metspitzer]

Maybe I should forget about fixing the lock for a while and see if
this happens to me.

[Oren]

On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 19:24:14 -0500, Stormin Mormon
<cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On 1/20/2014 7:18 PM, Oren wrote:
>>>
>>> http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F
>>
>> Look around on the backside of the knob. There may be a tab that you
>> depress too pull the knob off. Remove the escutcheon trim plate.
>>
>> Remove the screws and put a brand spankin' new lock on that door.
>>
>> YMMV
>
>Harloc are often found in non standard mounting
>holes, so the new install might not be as easy.

Never heard the Harloc brand. Fixing the mounting hole seems to have
various ways to fix the problems.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 1/20/2014 7:33 PM, philo wrote:
>
> That's what I get for living near a university.
>
> I originally bought this house when I was working and going to night
> school. That was 35 years ago and the property value has skyrocketed so
> I'm staying put.
>
> If I did not already own the house there is no way I could afford to
> live in this area.
>
>
> BTW: I did not buy a new lock...I just found an old one in the basement.

What are the odds, the lock that failed
was Harloc brand?

[philo]

On 01/20/2014 07:30 PM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
> On 1/20/2014 7:33 PM, philo wrote:
>>
>> That's what I get for living near a university.
>>
>> I originally bought this house when I was working and going to night
>> school. That was 35 years ago and the property value has skyrocketed so
>> I'm staying put.
>>
>> If I did not already own the house there is no way I could afford to
>> live in this area.
>>
>>
>> BTW: I did not buy a new lock...I just found an old one in the basement.
>
> What are the odds, the lock that failed
> was Harloc brand?
>

It was not a Harloc as far as I recall...but I am sure it was not an
expensive one.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 1/20/2014 7:23 PM, N8N wrote:
>> http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F
>
> just replace it, Schlage is a decent consumer grade lockset, and inexpensive enough that it's not worth trying to repair what you have. If you are concerned about security go to a real locksmith shop and see what they recommend. Likely you will be told that any key in knob setup like what you have is relatively insecure and that you should consider adding a deadbolt. Medeco/Assa Abloy is a step up from most of the stuff you will find at the big boxes, but you'll pay for it.
>
> good luck
>
> nate
>

Schlage changed their design a couple years ago.
I don't much like the new ones.

[Oren]

On Mon, 20 Jan 2014 20:45:05 -0500, Stormin Mormon
<cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Schlage changed their design a couple years ago.
>I don't much like the new ones.

...buy a Colt 1911 .45

[willshak]

I haven't seen the new Schlages, but my Schlage front door lock looks
like and is in the same condition as the OP's and it works as well as it
did when first installed in 1984.


--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

[DerbyDad03]

willshak <will...@00hvc.rr.com> wrote:
> Stormin Mormon wrote:
>> On 1/20/2014 7:23 PM, N8N wrote:
>>>> http://imgur.com/a/uWG2F
>>>
>>> just replace it, Schlage is a decent consumer grade lockset, and >>
>>> inexpensive enough that it's not worth trying to repair what you >>
>>> have. If you are concerned about security go to a real locksmith shop
>>> >> and see what they recommend. Likely you will be told that any key
>>>>> in >> knob setup like what you have is relatively insecure and that
>>>>> you >> should consider adding a deadbolt. Medeco/Assa Abloy is a
>>>>> step up >> from most of the stuff you will find at the big boxes, but
>>>>> you'll pay >> for it.
>>>
>>> good luck
>>>
>>> nate
>>>
>>> Schlage changed their design a couple years ago.
>> I don't much like the new ones.
>
> I haven't seen the new Schlages, but my Schlage front door lock looks
> like and is in the same condition as the OP's and it works as well as it
> did when first installed in 1984.
>

Are you sure you actually remember how it performed 30 years ago? A gradual
degradation of performance over a 30 year period might not be noticed by
the user unless a side by side comparison of new vs. 30 years old could be
done.

I feel like I perform just as well as I did 30 years ago, but there's a
good chance my wife might have a different opinion. Of course, I don't plan
on having her do any comparisons to find out. ;-)

[hrho...@sbcglobal.net]

Tha lockset looks like crap. Spend the $$ and get something that looks decent and has a reasonable chance of working for a few years.

[micky]

On Tue, 21 Jan 2014 22:45:55 +0000 (UTC), DerbyDad03
<teama...@eznet.net> wrote:

>
>Are you sure you actually remember how it performed 30 years ago? A gradual
>degradation of performance over a 30 year period might not be noticed by
>the user unless a side by side comparison of new vs. 30 years old could be
>done.

My Kwikset front door locks were working just as well when they were 29
years old as when I bought the house and they were 4 years old.

Unfortunately the hospital lost my keyring, and to get into the house, a
friend drilled one of the locks out and replaced both the slamlock and
the deadbolt.

>
>I feel like I perform just as well as I did 30 years ago, but there's a
>good chance my wife might have a different opinion. Of course, I don't plan
>on having her do any comparisons to find out. ;-)

There's a lot more to go wrong with you or me than with a lock.

[N8N]

I was happy with the ones that I bought maybe 2009ish... what's happened since then?

nate

[Stormin Mormon]

On 1/22/2014 7:30 AM, N8N wrote:
>> Schlage changed their design a couple years ago.
>>
>> I don't much like the new ones.
>
> I was happy with the ones that I bought maybe 2009ish... what's happened since then?
>
> nate
>

They went to a one piece molded exterior door knob. The cylinder has a
compressable spring cover, which is easy to come off, but impossible to
put back on. The spring cover will probably fall off, within the lock. I
know I've had one come off, while I was trying to rekey the lock. The
top pins are too short. The locks aren't designed to be master keyed.

[Jeff Wisnia]

Metspitzer wrote:
> The front door has quit locking. For a few days, when you tried to
> lock the door, twisting the lock would catch half way. You could
> steady the door knob and it would lock. Well now it doesn't do
> anything. It will turn but the door never locks.

<snipped>

The subject of this thread prompted me to "show off" what I did a dozen
years ago....I did just that, I replaced about 40 "modern" doorknobs in
our colonial style home with antique cast brass knobs I bought on eBay.

I think they look much sexier than smooth brass knobs, don't you?

http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/jeff/knob.html

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

[DerbyDad03]

Jeff Wisnia <Jwis...@DUMPTHIScomcast.net> wrote:
> Metspitzer wrote:
>> The front door has quit locking. For a few days, when you tried to
>> lock the door, twisting the lock would catch half way. You could
>> steady the door knob and it would lock. Well now it doesn't do
>> anything. It will turn but the door never locks.
>
> <snipped>
>
> The subject of this thread prompted me to "show off" what I did a dozen
> years ago....I did just that, I replaced about 40 "modern" doorknobs in
> our colonial style home with antique cast brass knobs I bought on eBay.
>
> I think they look much sexier than smooth brass knobs, don't you?
>
> http://home.comcast.net/~jwisnia18/jeff/knob.html
>
> Jeff

Nice job and nice pictures.

I can see people getting mad at you for altering the knobs. There are
purists of all sorts out there. In fact, when I retrofit an old item to
work in the modern world I sometimes feel a little guilty as I'm making the
changes. However, once it's together and looking and working good, the
guilt goes away quickly.

[Tekkie®]

N8N posted for all of us...

And I know how to SNIP

> >
> >
> >
> > Schlage changed their design a couple years ago.
> >
> > I don't much like the new ones.
>
> I was happy with the ones that I bought maybe 2009ish... what's happened since then?
>
> nate

It's a Stumped post, he can't find any busted ones to sell as new. The only thing he knows how to
pick is his ass.

--
Tekkie