Freezing gate locks FAQ

Keeping them warm and dry.

Sounds more like inappropriate use of the locks -- were they marked "for interior use only" ??

A standard deadbolt lock is not really designed to prevent water from infiltrating, but you can try lubing it with a Teflon spray like Tri-Flow, and then taping over the key holes with some electrical tape.

snipped-for-privacy@milmac.com (Doug Miller) wrote in news:hin8la$i9r$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

You are too lazy.

At my walk thru gate, I keep aluminum foil over the hinges and also foil over the padlock. Reposition as needed. Of course you may be too lazy to do this.

Assume you mean the key mechanism of the lock and not internally?

Graphite works well for the same thing here, but ... more moisture afterwards means more freezing. Plus I hate the mess. Often I'll just use WD40 to give it a good cleaning, then something like light sewing machine oil or cutting oil to cover the mechanisms with an oil surface. If you see zero or below weather, beware of using motor oil; it can get pretty stiff, even the 5-40W stuff. Before someone asks, no, WD40 is NOT oil! It evaporates readily unless you soak it too much. I've also used the stuff made to keep car door locks from freezing lately and it seems to work, but is costly.

If you mean the lock's internal mechanisms, there I use the car lock stuff and spray it good in around the openings when the lock is unlocked. I've only done this with padlocks, but it does seem to work well. It's rather expensive. It seems to coat and prevent the freezing fairly well but like I said; I've only used it on padlocks.

Twayne

In article , "news.eternal-september.org" wrote: [...]

Not *entirely* oil, no, but it is partly oil, somewhere between 17% and 25% according to the MSDS:

When the lock on my trailer freezes up, I grab a propane torch and heat it up until it opens.

Low cost and I get to use fire.

Silicone spray seems to be working well here on padlocks. Also something to deflect moisture coming down from above can be useful; just make a simple 'roof' above the locks from some galvanised metal.

Silicone is great stuff but it is worthless as a lock lubricant in cold and wet conditions. This is the opinion of a journeyman locksmith.

weird... the ones on our garage kept freezing last winter - so I sprayed some silicone on them in the fall (I didn't want to use 'wet' oil because it'd attract dirt) and no problems so far this winter. Maybe I'll have to do 'em again sometime, but if it ends up being just once a season I don't mind.

I was unaware of this until I went on a service call where a key would not work. The customer had a can of silicone spray and I had left my lube in the truck so I sprayed the lock but the key would not go in to the keyway. I returned with my tool box and prior to drilling out the lock I was able to get the key inserted with a little tapping and coaxed it open. With the door open I was able to get the lock disassembled and inside the knob was a pool of silicone lube. I gave it a shot of Teflon and the lock worked slicker than snot on a door knob.

I had another customer we had installed a deadbolt on a gate and he called up asking for warrantee service. When I took the lock apart there was nothing wrong but it was dry so I lubed it again with the Teflon. Further inquiry revealed that he had been using silicone spray to lube it.

I surmise that the metal in the lock has more affinity for moisture than it does for the silicone, but the Teflon does not seem to have that problem.

Silicone spray works very well. Use lots. I also use it on the rubber seals around my car doors and I haven't had a door frozen shut in years.

when they freeze after a

not lubed them. What

really dont want to

cheap locks.

and

'Roll me'