Doorknob set screws can wear out. The part of a doorknob that you grasp with your hand connects to a rod that extends though the door to the knob on the other side. The rod passes through a spring-loaded mechanism that connects it to the barrel, and when you turn the handle, the rod turns the mechanism which retracts the bolt. If nothing happens when you turn the knob, it's usually because the set screw holding the knob to the rod has worked itself loose. If the bolt moves, but not enough to allow the door to open, the mechanism probably needs lubrication. Look for the set screw on neck of the knob, between the handle and door. It may be on the underside of the knob. Tighten the screw, using the appropriate flathead screwdriver or hex wrench. That should restore the operation of the knob. If the knob is old, the screw may be stripped or stuck. Pull off the handle and spray lubricant onto the screw to get it to turn more easily. Replace the handle and tighten the screw. Disassemble the knob to lubricate the spring mechanism if the barrel doesn't retract all the way.

Loosen the set screw on one of the handles and remove the two screws holding the knob together, using a Phillips screwdriver. Alternatively, if you can't see any screws, look for a notch under one of the rosettes. Insert a flathead screwdriver into the notch and pry off the rosette to expose the screws. Pull the handle and rosette off of one side of the door to expose the barrel and spring mechanism. Spray the mechanism with spray lubricant while you operate the barrel with the other handle. The spring should loosen enough to allow the barrel to retract. Reassemble the knob when you're satisfied with its operation. Don't forget to tighten the set screw on the handle that you removed. /Getty Images Suggest a CorrectionMy door knob is stuck and I'm trapped in my room! October 7, 2009   SubscribeBroken keys commonly jam door locks. A good door lock keeps out burglars, not the owner of the home. Nonetheless, mechanisms filled with gunk, broken keys, rust and misalignment may cause jammed door locks.

Depending on the cause, you can fix a jam with just a few minutes and common household items. If you exhaust the list of quick fixes and repairs to no avail, you'll have to call a locksmith or replace a permanently jammed door lock. Coat your door key with powdered graphite or spray graphite into the keyhole. This acts as a lubricant and may unjam lock tumblers that have become clogged with debris over time. Jiggle the lubricated key in the cylinder if it doesn't open on the first try. Use a key extractor -- available for purchase at websites that sell locksmithing tools -- to remedy a lock jammed by a broken key. Spray general-use lubricant into the keyhole and insert the barbed end of the extractor so that the teeth of the extractor face the teeth of the stuck key. Gently move the extractor up and down until you feel it hook the key. Sharply tug the extractor away from the lock to remove the key. Soak your door lock in kerosene for 24 hours if it isn't attached to a door and has been rusted shut.

Remove the cover or faceplate of your mortise lock or surface-mounted rim lock to repair it. These types of lock, commonly used with apartment and home doors, bolt into a large slot on the edge of the door. First remove the cover or faceplate by unscrewing it from the door -- this exposes the cylinder. Turn the cylinder's screws clockwise to tighten them. This helps realign the cylinder when your door frame has settled or become warped, leading to proper lock operation. garage door opener motor runs chain doesn moveWiden the slot on the inside of the strike plate if your lock has become stubborn. frameless shower doors wilmington deShave off a small amount of metal around the rim; 4 door jeep wrangler for sale missouri

make one or two passes and test the latch to see how it catches, widening the slot as need. Rounding the end of a dead bolt with a metal file may help it fit into the slot properly. These repairs also remedy locks that have jammed due to misalignment. Things You Will Need Powdered graphite Lubricant Key extractor Kerosene Screwdriver Rotary tool with metal-cutting carbide bit Metal file Tip References Popular Mechanics: Quick Fixes for Front (and Sliding) Door LocksGold Key Security: How to Remove Broken Keys -- Advice from a Professional LocksmithDon Vandervort's HomeTips: Common Door Lock Problems and RepairsDon Vandervort's HomeTips: How to Fix Locksets and LatchesSecurity Snobs: Types of LocksFamily Handymankeypad door lock youtube: //Getty Images Suggest a Correctiongarage door service durbanTMC is an independent, primarily volunteer organization that relies on ad revenue to cover its operating costs. garage door openers genie parts

Please consider whitelisting TMC on your ad blocker and becoming a Supporting Member. For more info: Support TMC This just started today. I have to turn the knob in order for the latch to retract. Before, I could just push to door shut and the latch would retract when it hit the plate on the door frame. But now it just hits hard against it. Other than that, the door knob works perfect. You may have a deadlocking latch bolt, which in addition to a normal door latch has a plunger. merlin garage door installationWhen this plunger is retracted (which happens when the door is closed), the spring loaded mechanism on the latch is disabled. This prevents someone from using the credit card trick to open the door from the outside, so the only way to open the door is by unlocking it and turning the knob. In other words, it's for security. My guess, assuming this is an external locking door, is that this plunger is either jammed or some of the internal mechanisms that it activates have jammed.

You can unscrew the door knob and remove both sides, then unscrew the latch and pull it out of the door. From there, try some lubricant (silicone spray and graphite powder are my preferred lubricants for locks, WD-40 will quickly dry and attract dirt). And if it still doesn't work, it's probably time to go to the store to pickup a new doorknob. The answer provided by @BMitch is good, but here's another suggestion: Check to see that the plate on the door frame is actually making contact with the angled part of the latch. It's possible that due to thermal expansion or contraction of the door or frame, the plate is now striking the latch on the non-angled part causing it not to retract. The exact same thing happened to us last week. We called Schlage, the manufacturer, and they said that part of the internal mechanism was broken. Because they warranty the mechanism for life, they sent us a new mechanism with instructions on how to install it. It arrived just a few days later, and installing it was a simple task.

Now we can just push the door shut again without having to turn the knob. The latch bold was sticking on my front door. It's a schlage dead latch. I called the company after fiddling with it. Something had clearly gone wrong with the latch itself. After a little time on hold I got through to customer service. She was able to determine what model I had because there is no model number anywhere on the thing. Long story short my product and possibly yours has a life time warranty on parts. She put the order in and true to their word 5 business days later the latch showed up and I just finished installing it. No problems, it's not hard to do. FYI Customer service number is 1-888-805-9837. and there was no charge. The part you are refering to is a hardened pin designed to prevent someone from cutting the latch with a hacksaw to gain entry. It is a part of the backset mechanisim. The backset will need to be replaced. Most are lifetime guaranteed for mechanical defect, and commonly replaced by the manufacturer, or purchased at most building supply stores.

I work in such a place on Vancouver Island in Canada. This is a very common problem, with a very easy remedy. The tongue of the door latch leading from my garage to the kitchen began malfunctioning just as described above. It would retract when either knob was turned, but not when attempting to close the door without turning a knob. After reading everything written above, I concluded that I was looking at replacing some or all of the internal mechanism. With that realization in mind, I decided to just hit the thing a few times with a hammer. Unbelieveably, that seems to have worked, and now the tongue isn't sticking any more. Thank you for your interest in this question. Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count). Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?Browse other questions tagged doors lock or ask your own question.