WhatsApp a picture of your safe to 07443 613652
Please include the fault and area the safe is located.
We will reply as swiftly as possible with a fixed quote.
Frequently asked questions
I have listed below some of the most common questions I am asked when people enquire about work they would like done on their safe.
Question 1. Can my safe be picked open or will you have to drill?
The short answer is highly likely. Markey Locksmiths & safe engineers have a thorough understanding of safe lock picking along with a vast array of safe picks. Anyone who states they have never drilled a safe as they have always picked them open probably hasn't opened that many safes.
Picking a safe lock is a skill that is mastered over hundreds of hours of practice. Some locks will always pick easier than others. Just because a safe has a lower security rating does also not necessarily mean it will be easier to pick open. When picking a lock many factors come into play. Probably the one that is often overlooked is the position of the safe. If it is in a fixed awkward position then this will instantly make the picking process harder.
When picking any lock we are using the tolerances of the internals to our advantage.
There will be occasions when a safe lock cannot be picked open. This could be for a number of reasons. Some locks are generally very hard to pick and the time spent trying may not be conducive to the amount the customer wants to pay. If there is a fault with the lock picking may not be an option.
Or the engineer has tried to pick open the lock and just cant pick it!!!
In any of the above examples the lock may have to have a small hole drilled into it. Now this does not mean the safe will be damaged beyond use or full of holes.
The idea of drilling a small hole is purely to enable the manipulation of the internal levers in order to throw the bolt.
If done properly the lock will be fully functioning still and re-usable. The engineer will usually re-key the lock so the old keys no longer work. You will be handed Two new keys to the safe lock.
The hole in the safe can then be repaired in many different ways but should be left so the safe is the same if not harder to enter again through the same hole.
I hope this has re-assured some of you that the majority of the time in a lost keys scenario a safe can be picked open. However there will be occasions when a hole will need to be drilled. This is perfectly acceptable and is carried out only where necessary. No-one wants to drill a hardened safe unless they have to.
Please include the fault and area the safe is located.
We will reply as swiftly as possible with a fixed quote.
Frequently asked questions
I have listed below some of the most common questions I am asked when people enquire about work they would like done on their safe.
Question 1. Can my safe be picked open or will you have to drill?
The short answer is highly likely. Markey Locksmiths & safe engineers have a thorough understanding of safe lock picking along with a vast array of safe picks. Anyone who states they have never drilled a safe as they have always picked them open probably hasn't opened that many safes.
Picking a safe lock is a skill that is mastered over hundreds of hours of practice. Some locks will always pick easier than others. Just because a safe has a lower security rating does also not necessarily mean it will be easier to pick open. When picking a lock many factors come into play. Probably the one that is often overlooked is the position of the safe. If it is in a fixed awkward position then this will instantly make the picking process harder.
When picking any lock we are using the tolerances of the internals to our advantage.
There will be occasions when a safe lock cannot be picked open. This could be for a number of reasons. Some locks are generally very hard to pick and the time spent trying may not be conducive to the amount the customer wants to pay. If there is a fault with the lock picking may not be an option.
Or the engineer has tried to pick open the lock and just cant pick it!!!
In any of the above examples the lock may have to have a small hole drilled into it. Now this does not mean the safe will be damaged beyond use or full of holes.
The idea of drilling a small hole is purely to enable the manipulation of the internal levers in order to throw the bolt.
If done properly the lock will be fully functioning still and re-usable. The engineer will usually re-key the lock so the old keys no longer work. You will be handed Two new keys to the safe lock.
The hole in the safe can then be repaired in many different ways but should be left so the safe is the same if not harder to enter again through the same hole.
I hope this has re-assured some of you that the majority of the time in a lost keys scenario a safe can be picked open. However there will be occasions when a hole will need to be drilled. This is perfectly acceptable and is carried out only where necessary. No-one wants to drill a hardened safe unless they have to.
Question 2. I have an electronic safe how will it be opened?
Some of the cheaper safes will have a key override facility which will allow the safe to be opened without putting a code into the keypad.
In this instance the override lock which is usually hidden under a badge or label can be picked open. The batteries can then be replaced and the user can continue to use a code to enter the safe.
If your safe does not have an override facility and the batteries are inside then there will be a way of powering up the keypad from the outside. There may be external contacts or a hidden battery connector outside the keypad.
You will need to apply power to this connector or contacts to power up the keypad and input the code.
The other scenario is that the electronic lock has malfunctioned and will not open due to a fault and not power loss.
In this instance there may be a few options dependent on the safe, but it is highly likely that the engineer attending will have to drill a hole into the safe and the lock in order to gain entry.
Many electronic locks can then be replaced and any holes in the safe repaired and may not even show.
On rare occasions where an electronic lock is now obsolete, or the safe is a cheaper electronic safe it may not be economical to replace the lock against the purchase of a new one.
Some of the cheaper safes will have a key override facility which will allow the safe to be opened without putting a code into the keypad.
In this instance the override lock which is usually hidden under a badge or label can be picked open. The batteries can then be replaced and the user can continue to use a code to enter the safe.
If your safe does not have an override facility and the batteries are inside then there will be a way of powering up the keypad from the outside. There may be external contacts or a hidden battery connector outside the keypad.
You will need to apply power to this connector or contacts to power up the keypad and input the code.
The other scenario is that the electronic lock has malfunctioned and will not open due to a fault and not power loss.
In this instance there may be a few options dependent on the safe, but it is highly likely that the engineer attending will have to drill a hole into the safe and the lock in order to gain entry.
Many electronic locks can then be replaced and any holes in the safe repaired and may not even show.
On rare occasions where an electronic lock is now obsolete, or the safe is a cheaper electronic safe it may not be economical to replace the lock against the purchase of a new one.