Business Lockout Service: getting ready

After last night's power flicker the card reader beside the clinic door shows nothing. Fobs do nothing, the electric strike stays locked, and the small brass override key that came with the system is in a desk drawer on the far side of the door.

Worth answering before the call

Are there other doors, a roll-up shutter, a gate or a padlock you also need opened? Can you send a photo of the lock face and the edge of the door? Which door are you locked out of, and what does the lock on it look like?

What is an interchangeable core, and how do I know if we have one?

An interchangeable core is a small, self-contained cylinder that slides out of the lock with a special control key and drops back in on a new combination. Look at the keyway: a figure-eight shaped face on a lever or mortise housing is the usual sign. Buildings choose them because a lost key or a staff change is handled by swapping the core rather than taking the lock apart, and a locksmith can carry cores pinned to your system.

My key turns all the way but the door stays locked. What has failed?

Usually the link between the cylinder and the bolt. On a storefront lock the cam behind the mortise cylinder can wear or slip out of position; on a lever or mortise lockset the tailpiece or a spring in the deadlatch gives up. Your key is fine and so are the pins, so once the door is opened the fix is a new cam, tailpiece or latch, and your existing keys carry on working.