Articles & Product Reviews
Prefer video? Checkout our YouTube channel Locksmith Recommended. We have many product reviews, “How to” videos, and videos demonstrating security flaws that you can address on your own to greatly improve your home and business security.
Our Locksmith blog contains security articles, how to articles, and product reviews for safes, residential, automotive and commercial businesses.
If you’re looking for anything lock and/or key related and you’ll likely find that information here. Just enter your query into the search field or select the category you’re interested in.
For product reviews on safes, door hardware, locks and keys that you can purchase from Amazon, visit our Amazon Locksmith Recommended page.
We’ve been providing locksmith services for over 30 years to the Phoenix valley. We hope you find our articles, and reviews valuable.
-
Why is Your Ignition Hard to Turn? Causes and Fixes
Last Updated on June 11, 2026 If your ignition is hard to turn, it is an early warning, that something is failing and one day your key won’t turn at all. There are three causes: a worn key (most common),…
-
How to Unlock a Bedroom or Bathroom Door (5 Ways)
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 To unlock a bedroom or bathroom door from the outside, use the small hole or slot in the center of the knob. A privacy lock has no keyhole, just that hole, which reaches the…
-
Best Lock Lubricant: What Locksmiths Use & What to Avoid
Last Updated on September 10, 2026 The best lock lubricant is a Teflon (PTFE) dry lube such as Tri-Flow. It frees the lock without attracting dust, so the cylinder keeps turning smoothly for years. Powdered graphite works on a clean…
-
How to Get a Replacement Safe Key in Phoenix
Last Updated on September 11, 2026 To get a replacement safe key, find the key code stamped on the lock or printed in your manual, then order a key from the manufacturer (Sentry, Stack-On, and others mail keys by code)…
-
Best Combination Padlock in 2026: A Locksmith’s Picks
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 The best combination padlock is the Abus 190CS/60. Most combination locks are easy to bypass, but the Abus 190CS fixes the usual weak points with a tough body, a protected dial, and a hardened…
-
How to Reset a Kwikset Smart Lock (With or Without Code)
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 To reset a Kwikset smart lock, slide off the interior cover, pull out the battery pack, then press and hold the Program button while you reinsert the battery. Keep holding about 30 seconds until…
-
Yale Lock Reset: How to Factory Reset a Yale Smart Lock
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 To reset a Yale smart lock, pull the battery cover and batteries, remove the inside back plate to reach the reset button (just right of the PCB cable), then press and hold that button…
-
How to Factory Reset Schlage Smart Locks (Encode, Connect, Touch, BE365)
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 To reset a Schlage keypad lock, open the inside cover, disconnect the battery, then press and hold the Schlage button while you reconnect the battery until the keypad flashes and beeps. You do not…
-
How to Rekey a Lock Yourself to Match an Existing Key
Last Updated on September 10, 2026 You can rekey a new lock to match an existing key, as long as the new lock uses the same keyway (key brand) as your current key. A locksmith repins the cylinder to your…
-
How Much Does a Safe Cost in 2026?
Last Updated on June 19, 2026 A safe costs anywhere from $50 for a small fire box to several thousand dollars for a high-security burglary or TL-rated safe. Typical price ranges are: basic home and fire safes run $300 to…
-
Digital Safe Won’t Open With the Correct Code: What to Try
Last Updated on September 11, 2026 If your safe will not open with the correct code, the usual cause is dead or weak batteries. Replace them with a fresh name-brand set, since a weak battery can light the keypad but…
-
Your Dial Safe Won’t Open on the Right Combination: 5 Fixes
Last Updated on September 10, 2026 If your dial safe will not open with the correct combination, the most common cause is dialing technique, dial to each number with the correct number of turns and stop precisely on the dial…
-
Where is the Best Place to Hide a Safe?
Last Updated on May 16, 2024 Why Hide a Safe? | Hide it under a sink | Put it in the laundry room | Hide it in the pantry | Place it under an old box | Use a camouflaged…
-
What is Door Handing?
Last Updated on May 15, 2024 Door handing refers to the direction the door swings when it opens and from which side, left or right, that the door is hinged. You can determine your door’s handing by determining which hand…
-
How to Lock a File Cabinet: A Locksmith’s Guide
Last Updated on September 10, 2026 To lock a file cabinet, you have four options. If a lock is installed, but you don’t have the key, get a replacement key cut from the code stamped on the lock or replace…
-
Best Ways to Lock Cabinet Doors
Last Updated on June 10, 2026 Cam Locks | Double Door Locks | Electronic Cabinet Locks | Magnetic Cabinet Locks | Plunger Locks | Showcase Locks In our article “How to Lock Drawers” we discussed several types of locks that…
-
The 5 Lockset Functions: Passage, Privacy, Entry, Storeroom, Classroom
Last Updated on September 10, 2026 The five common lockset functions are passage, privacy, entry, storeroom, and classroom. Passage never locks, privacy locks from inside with no key, entry locks from either side, storeroom stays locked outside and needs a…
-
ANSI Lock Grades Explained: Grade 1 vs 2 vs 3 (Full Specs)
Last Updated on October 2, 2026 ANSI lock grades rank a lock’s strength and durability from Grade 1 (best) to Grade 3 (basic). The grade comes from how many open-close cycles the lock survives, how many door strikes (hammer blows)…
-
Arizona Pool Fence Code Requirements
Last Updated on September 11, 2026 Arizona pool fence code (A.R.S. 36-1681) requires a barrier around the entire pool that is at least 5 feet tall, with every gate or door to the pool self-closing and self-latching. The latch release…
-
How Much Does It Cost to Rekey House Locks in 2026?
Last Updated on October 2, 2026 Rekeying a house costs about $170 to $395 for three doors in Phoenix when a locksmith comes to you. Locksmiths price a rekey per keyhole, usually $25 to $35 each, or per door. We…