It’s a remarkably specific feeling: the key turns, you feel it bind, you push harder, snap. Half the key is in your hand. The other half is somewhere inside the cylinder. The lock is now jammed, often half-engaged so the door won’t open or close properly.
This is one of the easiest jobs we do — but only if you don’t try to fix it yourself first.
What NOT to do
- Don’t use pliers through the keyway. They crush the broken end into the pin chamber, mangle the cylinder, and turn a £15 extraction into a £90 cylinder replacement.
- Don’t try super-glue on the broken end and pull. It glues the broken half to the pins inside. Then we have to drill the cylinder.
- Don’t keep trying to turn it with the other half of the key. You’ll force the broken piece deeper.
- Don’t kick the door while it’s stuck. UPVc doors don’t tolerate that — you’ll be paying for a multipoint gearbox AND the cylinder AND the extraction.
What we do
We use specialised broken-key extractor tools that grip the broken piece by its serrations and slide it out. The cylinder stays intact, your other key still works in it afterwards. The whole job is usually 5-10 minutes.
What it costs
From £15 for a standard extraction where the cylinder doesn’t need replacing. If the cylinder was already failing (worn pins, bent broaching) before the snap and now needs replacement, we’ll quote on top — but we’ll always try extraction first.
If you’ve already tried pliers/glue, the price goes up because we’re working around damage. Tell us honestly on the phone.
Why keys snap
- Cheap key copies — high-street £4 keys are softer than originals; they bend and snap under load
- Worn cylinder — pins inside have worn down, requiring more force to turn the key
- Misaligned UPVc door — door has dropped, key is forcing the multipoint through misalignment
- Frozen lock — winter ice expansion stresses the key
- Twisted key from years of use — old keys develop a slight twist
If your key snapped because of door alignment or worn cylinder, we’ll diagnose that while we’re there. Fixing the underlying cause stops it happening again next month.
Need a replacement key cut?
We carry blanks for all common UK key types — Yale, Union, Chubb, ERA, Banham, Mul-T-Lock, restricted profiles where allowed. Cut while you wait if you have the original or another working key. £8-£20 depending on type.
Areas covered
Southampton, Hythe, Totton, Fawley, Eastleigh, Romsey, Lyndhurst, the New Forest, Bournemouth, Christchurch.
Call: 07453 327708 — same-day, often within 30 minutes.