How often do you need a "safe guy" to come to your house for service? I've got a Remington safe that is about five feet tall. I've had the safe for probably 10 years. I had someone out here three times and I think I might need service again. My safe might get opened maybe three times a month. Certainly not hard use. It is now getting to the point where I need to do four or five attempts to open it before it will work. So I'm thinking possible service again. Does this sound normal to you folks, or should I be able to go much longer between services considering that it hardly gets used?
How often do you service your safe?
- Thread starter wbwanzer
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a1abdj
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Once you start having difficulties opening your safe, you know something is wrong. Sometimes these problems are caused by servicing itself, if the person servicing the safe doesn't know what they're doing. I can't tell you how many "professionals" I have seen that have no idea what they're doing.
I would get somebody out to look at your lock. The pricing of new locks is low enough that you're probably better off just having the lock replaced. I would also make sure that the person doing the work is a bonafide safe tech as opposed to a general locksmith.
I would get somebody out to look at your lock. The pricing of new locks is low enough that you're probably better off just having the lock replaced. I would also make sure that the person doing the work is a bonafide safe tech as opposed to a general locksmith.
shootniron
Member
I have never had mine serviced...and to be honest, I have never thought about it.
Captains1911
Member
I have a Liberty safe, do I need to have it periodically serviced? What exactly would be serviced?
Gator 23
Member
Zanotti safe - no service required in 5+ years.
BigN
Member
I've had several for about 5 years and servicing never crossed my mind.
Well, service may not be required if the safe unlocks every time you try to open it. Every couple of years, mine gets to a point where it takes four or more tries to get it to unlock. What the guy usually does is lubricate the plates that are being rotated in the lock. Last time out he replaced the 'guts' of the lock. But now it's getting difficult to open again.
Just wondering if everyone experiences this. Apparently not.
Just wondering if everyone experiences this. Apparently not.
a1abdj
Member
The technical answer is that every lock should be serviced. In commercial service, once a year, in residential service, once every 5 years. Most of the owners manuals will state that for the life time warranties of these safes to remain valid, the lock must be serviced once a year.
A brand new S&G 6730 lock body (no dial or ring), should cost +/- $100 to replace. I charge $125 an hour for labor, and rebuilding a lock would take around an hour.
Improper lubrication is one of the more common reasons of lockouts. Somebody using the wrong lube, in the wrong places, or in the wrong amounts can be causing more problems than they are fixing.
I have seen these locks go 30 years without service before they fail, but I wouldn't suggest waiting that long. =)
A brand new S&G 6730 lock body (no dial or ring), should cost +/- $100 to replace. I charge $125 an hour for labor, and rebuilding a lock would take around an hour.
Improper lubrication is one of the more common reasons of lockouts. Somebody using the wrong lube, in the wrong places, or in the wrong amounts can be causing more problems than they are fixing.
I have seen these locks go 30 years without service before they fail, but I wouldn't suggest waiting that long. =)
Thanks a1abdj. I think that the guy who has been coming to my house knows what he's doing. But what do I know? As far as lube goes, the locks always work fine for at least two years, probably longer before they start acting up. But again, my safe doesn't get opened a lot, in my opinion. I would think daily opening such as in a business would be considered heavy use. I open mine possibly three or four times a month, at most. Light use, in my estimation.
osprey176
Member
Mine won't open every time either.It may need service.....or maybe I need to find my reading glasses.
a1abdj
Member
Speaking of glasses, and seeing the dial.....
Different models of locks have different tolerances. Some may only open if you are within half a number when you dial it, where others may let you be a full number off in either direction. Sometimes, difficulty opening a lock can be attributed to sloppy dialing instead of lock issues. Make sure you are using slow steady pressure, and stopping exactly where you need to stop.
JO JO BANG
Member
Do you really have to service safe?
opsman
Member
Growing up around locks, I agree with a1abdj in that if you have to have it serviced, it is an indication that something is wrong. Especially if you have to have it done more than once. Seriously consider replacing the lock not just parts.
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