On all of them I've dealt with, you just separate the lockset into the three main pieces, install the plunger/latch into the edge of the door, stick the outside part (knob or deadbolt) in from the exterior side of the door, mate the interior part (knob, deadbolt, or turn lever) onto the rod from the front part, then spend a lot of time getting the screws started. Tighten everything up, and you're done.
The only difference between l-h and r-h locksets is which way the plunger/latch points, and they're generally made to fit either way. No need to pull the cylinders or anything like that. Locksets that only fit one way are usually clearly marked as "l-h only" or "r-h only".
That is the most ignorant way I've ever seen to designate hand. Now tell me just what is the difference between a right hand reverse and a left hand?
The handing designations of doors was old and established when I started out as a cub (I am due to retire). I do not know the origination.
In most residential settings it makes little or no difference. I tell my fellas, to reduce confusion, to put their back to the hinges and see which arm would be the door.
Right and left hand reverse makes huge differences in mortise locks, panic bars, and closers; though most of these have become more user friendly through the years. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DanG A live Singing Valentine quartet, a sophisticated and elegant way to say I LOVE YOU! snipped-for-privacy@okchorale.org (local)
good. If the key's teeth point down, someday half a century down the road when one of the tumbler springs breaks or loses tension, you could be locked out of your house when one of the tumblers jams. If the teeth point up, then gravity will help the springs and as long as the lock isn't gummed up, it will open with the correct key even if there are
Yes, I want the key to be "right side up". :) That means the flat part of the key blade is downward and the notched part of the key is upward.
If I rotate the whole lock/knob assembly 180 degrees laterally, the keyhole is on the INSIDE of the house instead of the OUTSIDE. If I rotate 180 degrees horzontally, I'd need a two-foot-long entry door latch coming out from the hinge side instead of a five-inch entry door latch protruducing from the door-lock side of the door. :)
I hope that explains things a bit. Good luck to you,
Hi there Stormin Mormom, I do appreciate your expert advice.
The old lock jammed probably because the old five-inch long entry latch bent inside somewhere.
So, just before Home Depot closed for the evening, I stopped by, asked for help, and picked up a four-lock set (two deadbolts and two entry lock knobs) for about fifty dollars. I figured it would take all of a half hour to replace something as "simple" as a lock (I know.... I know ... it wasn't so simple in the end but I didn't know that so it didn't play into my decision tree).
To be frank, I could have bought just one lock or even just one five-inch latch. The main reason I didn't buy just the latch is that I didn't know what else would break so I wanted to replace the whole configuration. The main reason I bought four locks instead of just one is I wanted to do a good job by replacing them all, instead of just repairing the one broken entry lock. I want one key for the whole house (including deadbolts and entry knobs).
I started the job by nightfall assuming it would be done before dinner and as you can tell, it was midnight before I finally gave up for the night.
I guess I COULD have called a locksmith to install the four locks, but they'd have to get here before midnight to do me any good. Again, since I erroneously believed the "fits all doors" and "easy installation" claims of the package, I erred by not realizing that it didn't fit all doors (not without removing the cylinder) and the installation instructions were silent on this key task!
In the end, I simply installed a new five-inch latch and put the old lock back on. It's not as good a job, but I will have to get the right tool first.
Thank you for your expert advice.
My intention was to replace the lock and deadbolt on the outside door
I took the advice of the Home Depot salesman. I didn't inherently have any gut feelings either way for Yale, Schlage, Kwikset, etc.
I do now have a very bad instinctive "feeling" about Kwikset. Basically, they lied blatantly on their package. That puts them at the very bottom of the pile now for me as that shows they don't have any ethics.
That in and of itself does not mean their locks are any worse than the competition. It just means I deplore their marketing practices and I can easily vote with my dollars in another direction.
The key question is whether the OTHER manufacturers are as bad? Are they?
Which manufacture is most honest about how "easy" it is to install their locks in the proper configuration?
Not having done it, that was the hard part about the job that I failed at last night.
I removed the stud easily by pressing on the "hidden" tab but when I pressed on that hidden tab to push out the lock cylinder, nothing budged. Of course, my one hand was pressing on the tab with the screwdriver, my other hand was pushing with a pen stuck down the center hole, and my third and fourth hands were trying to keep the whole thing from falling to the floor for yet another umpteenth time. :)
I think the inexpensive tool is worth it. I just hope Sears has it or Home Deport or Orchard Supply ...
Thank you for the advice. Gary Heston gave a good writeup and SMS provided a fantastic set of photographs & documentation direct from Kwikset.
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" These are wonderful and they won't only help me but they will help many others install their locks correctly.
I still wonder about the ethics of Kwikset but I do not have any more than a single data point so I do not know if the other lock companies are as unethical as Kwikset in their "fits all doors" "installs in minutes" "complete instructions" claims, all of which are not true for a very average homeowner such as me.
If we don't need to pull the Kwikset lock cylinder, then why are all the OTHER posts showing pictures of a cylinder removal tool in order to rotate the configuration from a left hand to a right hand lock?
Proper lock installation / orientation has the bitting on the keys up when you insert the key. This has to do with dust, dirt, and debris not getting in the pin holes as much. If you don't care, the lock will work without turning the cylinder over.
I believe you said earlier that you considered it more professional to turn the keyway over. I agree, unless the owner/user says "I don't care".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DanG A live Singing Valentine quartet, a sophisticated and elegant way to say I LOVE YOU! snipped-for-privacy@okchorale.org (local)
Since you're going back anyway, see if the guy in the lock department knows how to do it. Maybe he will do it for you. If he can't, get your refund.
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