01/09/2018
Problem: We have 2 vinyl sliding glass doors, one in the kitchen out to the deck, and one in the basement walkout to the backyard. They were both installed with keyed locks. Right after professional installation, they worked well. It was good for peace of mind to know that there were other ways to get in and out of the house other than the front door. However, a few years in, the locks stopped working properly, wherein the keys wouldn’t turn easily. I don’t remember exactly why, but my brother and I took it upon ourselves to try and “fix” them…basically the wrong way. By no means should you ever use WD-40 inside locks!!!!!! DON’T DO IT.
Anyways…here was my quest to replace the key cylinders, only necessary because the front door’s latch and deadbolt were acting up in the frigid cold and we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to get back into the house! What’s the point of having a lockable back door when you can’t even use it?? Also, resale in the future.
1. Assessing the problem: In one lock, the key refused to turn. In the other, the key wouldn’t even go in all the way. The only way to pinpoint the problem was to take apart the door handle apparatus. The setup was surprisingly simple, and it was immediately apparent that it wasn’t the mortise lock that was the problem.
2. Research: As usual with any DIY, I’m on the internet looking for how to accomplish my goals. And as usual, I find nothing that is exactly what I’m looking for. There are videos and websites specific for Andersen doors which do not have the same lock and handle set. There are plenty on how to change mortise locks, but almost nothing on changing the key cylinder. So, per custom, I shall be half winging it and half using as much information as I could find.
3. Buying: I start looking for replacement cylinders and make a run out to Lowes, Home Depot and Walmart looking for it. No luck. No one stocks key cylinders. The Lowes door guy said they don’t stock parts. All places have the generic replacement patio door handle, but only one has a lock and it looks like garbage. ONLINE BUYING TIME. Basically, there’s only one and it sounded correct, so debating between Lowes and Amazon, I went with the faster ship. I bought this: The Prime-Line E2000. I had no clue which model to choose, so I just went with this one.
4. Item: The next day, I receive them! That was fast! I wasn’t even expecting it, so of course, what do I do? I prepare to INSTALL!!! Whoo!! Comparing with the old cylinder which I had removed and messed with, it looks right…except for breakaway tailpiece where the increments are much wider apart than in the picture. Everything else was the same and it came with keys.
5. Installation:
A) Tools I needed: Screwdriver, safety glasses, pliers, metal file (not really necessary), rotary tool with metal cutter disc, tape and headlamp (I was doing this at night)
B) Unscrew screws holding in the handle. Don’t lose the screws!
C) Remove piece holding in the cylinder.
D) Break away the tailpiece of the new cylinder to the same size as the old one. Hopefully yours is on the increments. This is where the discrepancy in breakaway points got me into trouble. I tried a metal file, the pliers, to cut a half increment and in the end managed to break too much off and made it completely useless. Then I got the bright idea of fitting the old breakaway into the new one. So, using the pliers, I opened up the back end and found that the new washer was ridiculously flimsy compared to the original one, so it would work out better!! Except…the pin and a spring fell out and rendered it completely useless, where the key wouldn’t turn at all. That’s how I learned why the original cylinder stopped working. Same problem. On the second one, I used what I should have used to begin with, which is the rotary tool. Holding onto it tightly with the pliers for guide and safety, donned safety glasses and cut carefully. Then I filed down the end to rid the sharp parts. How simple was that? Waste of time and a perfectly good cylinder.
E) Now for the frustrating part: Replacing it all. **Important!! Make SURE that the mortise lock is sticking out in the “lock” position before you do this and that the cylinder lock remains vertical so that you can pull out the key! If you don’t, you’ll have to redo it all again. Like me. ** Align the outside portion into the slanted hole in the mortise lock. I recommend lots of patience as I had the worst time doing this in the dark with my headlamp and very cold temperatures outside. Then do the same with the inside portion. I used tape to steady the exterior part while inserting the interior. Make sure both are flush to the door. If not, then adjust the tailpiece. Test both lock mechanisms and replace the screws.
F) Yay! It’s all put back together! Test the lock inside and outside! There’s a little stick now at the extreme of the lock, but it works! I can get back in with the key if I get stuck outside…and climb up onto the deck from underneath…
The product isn’t the best quality in the world, and it differs a tad (tailpiece increments and key shape) from the listing on Amazon, but I couldn’t find any other cylinders and it works for me. I worry that the washer inside will break in the near future. What should have taken maybe 15-20 minutes ended up taking me 1 hour and 20 minutes. Minor errors and technical mistakes are always a big killer for me, but…no pain no gain!! As usual with my DIY projects. I’d like to say that once I receive another cylinder that the other door will be a cinch, but I know better than to expect that. Also, I found that it’s pretty amazing how simple the lock mechanism is. At least for now, we have something that works.
