You’re on your way out of the house for a busy day ahead, ready for all of the exciting hours ahead. As you go to lock the front door, however, your key snaps, and you’re now stuck with a tough situation in which you must remove the broken piece before being able to put your spare to use – hopefully, you have a spare to put to use.
Barrel locks function much differently than your typical pin tumbler lock and at first, can seem quite confusing. First of all, the key you use to unlock a barrel lock doesn’t look at all like the key you would use to open the front door of your home. The keyway is actually round in shape. It might look unpickable, but that’s not necessarily the case. If you are the owner of a utility or other piece of hardware secured by a barrel lock and you can’t access it, be sure to call the professional locksmiths at Rapid Locksmiths Ottawa. We specialize in barrel lock repair, installation and getting keys made for every type of barrel lock.
In this article, we’ll learn more about the unique nature of barrel locks, how they work and why they are the preferred lock choice for many companies and industries.
Where Are Barrel Locks Used?
When it comes to security for home and business utilities, barrel locks are the best choice. You’ll most often find them on electricity meters but they are also used on gas and water meters. Barrel locks are often used to secure the hasps, clasps or fasteners which lock a utility meter’s cover, thus preventing any tampering with the device.
Many companies rely on a solid barrel lock system to protect financial interests. A proper barrel lock system can be used to secure cabinets, utility meters and other important hardware within a facility. However, relying on barrel locks to secure your most important amenities can be quite a task because you need absolute control over how many keys are made and who has access to them.
For decades now, utility companies have used barrel locks as the main security feature to protect field devices. The barrel lock is uncommon to so many people and by nature deters the average person from attempting to tamper with, for example, an electricity meter on their home.
But is the barrel lock and key system really as secure as it seems? Some utility companies are now starting to re-think the traditional barrel lock. We’ll talk more about that a bit later in the article.
How Do Barrel Locks Work?
Although there are several varieties of barrel locks on the market available for you to purchase, they all work in generally the same fashion. Using a key that’s shaped like a screw or a large nail, you insert the key into a circular keyway.
The barrel lock sits inside its designated housing and cannot be removed unless the ball bearings located inside the device can be retracted. For extra security, the barrel lock has been designed to turn in the housing without resistance, which makes it harder for would-be tamperers to successfully pick.
Your key will either resemble a plunger-type or screw-type that turns into the lock with the help of the handle attached. As the key takes hold of the barrel, the key then frees the catch from the ball bearings. The key is moving the spring mechanism holding the ball bearings in place, which in turn releases the catch. Once this happens, you can remove the lock cylinder and now your lock is open because that barrel was working as a bolt to keep the hinge from moving.
How To Pick A Barrel Lock
These locks were designed to deter tampering and picking, however because of their popularity, people have undeniably discovered various design flaws and weaknesses.
It’s important to note that you should never tamper with a barrel lock that you do not own or that you do not have permission to tamper with, but most of them can be picked using a simple screw. To work effectively, the screw must fit in the keyhole tightly. Once inside the keyhole, you must turn the screw so the screw’s serrations can properly catch the spring mechanism and free the barrel from its housing. The screw method probably won’t work on every single barrel lock that you encounter, but you can also buy special tools that will give you access to many additional barrel lock systems.
How To Make Barrel Locks More Secure
Companies who have investigated their security systems internally have determined that more and more barrel lock keys are getting broken, lost or even stolen. That’s why many businesses are looking for a system unique to their needs. Some have turned to the plunger-style barrel locks, but this still hasn’t proven to be secure enough for many.
That’s why there is the disk-style barrel lock and key to consider. Each of these types of barrel locks has a unique combination. These systems have rotating disks which make up a secure combination that only one key can access. Now you have the ability to produce thousands of different combinations. Now companies can have a barrel lock system that is much more secure and truly exclusive to them and their staff. It also allows a company to produce a master key if there are multiple barrel locks needed.
Barrel Lock Help
Now that you know what a barrel lock is, what it looks like and how it works, you may be able to even pick one if you needed to. However, we advise that you leave it up to the professionals at Rapid Locksmith Ottawa. If you are the owner of said barrel lock and the utility box that it’s securing, one of our expert locksmiths will come right to your location and work quickly to fix your lock, make you a new lock or install a new lock completely. Contact us today for a free estimate.
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