A home safe is designed to be the ultimate in asset protection. It’s the place in your home where you can rely on your valuables, paper records, and emergency money to stay safe and secure. However, even the best model won’t be effective if you never do the essential maintenance on the safe. Dust piles up, hinges rust, and before long, that once-reliable lock snaps the key when you go to give it a turn. Ignoring routine maintenance turns a critical home safety feature from a reliable device into a liability. Routine safe Maintenance and Combination Changes keep all locking components running smoothly, and changing the combination is a good best practice to prevent unauthorized access.
The Importance of Regular Safe Maintenance and Combination Changes
Give Lock Mechanisms Maintenance Attention
The core of the safe is its locking mechanism. Like any mechanical component, you need regular maintenance practices to keep it working correctly. Over time, equipment failure can happen due to:
- Dust and debris accumulate in keyholes
- Electronic keypads deteriorate
- Dial locks become stiff and unresponsive
Disregarding the signs of degeneration in the locking mechanism increases the chance of mechanical failures. Don’t risk locking yourself out of your safe. Maintenance planning helps you identify potential issues and ensures a properly working safe.
A jammed door or a misplaced combination can stop you from opening your safe and accessing your valuables—or your firearm.
Cleaning the keypad area or the dial with a soft-bristled brush avoids dust and dirt buildup. And a touch of lubrication in the locking bolts keeps them in good running order.
Electronic safes’ batteries must be replaced occasionally so they don’t die and leave you locked out.
A bit of seasonal upkeep, such as testing the lock, helps you spot problems before they become more significant.
Regular Inspections, Safe Maintenance and Combination Changes —Does it Really Matter?
Hopefully, you change your email and online banking passwords occasionally. That’s just good opsec practice and essential to keeping your data out of the hands of hackers. The same is true for the protective equipment in your safe.
You never know who managed to get their hands on your safe combination. Don’t leave it to chance; change it up occasionally. We recommend changing the combination every six to 12 months.
Oh, and with your online passwords, don’t use obvious combinations like:
- Birthdays
- 00000
- 12345
Those are the first options thieves consider when looking to crack a safe, and for good reason. Many people leave these default options untouched or use basic codes to avoid forgetting the combination.
Environmental Factors Can Damage Your Safe
Environmental factors can weather your safe, including:
- Humidity
- Temperature variations
- Water penetration into the basement or garage
These factors can rust and damage the locking mechanism, hinges, and pins.
Do you live in overly humid or rainy conditions? A dehumidifier or silica gel pack inside the safe keeps moisture at bay.
Safes in environments that see swings from hot days to cold nights can experience metal expansion and contraction. This can cause doors to stick and locks to become misaligned. Keeping the safe in a stable environment reduces wear and tear.
Preventive Maintenance Is Easier—and Cheaper—Than Repair or Replacement
A well-maintained safe doesn’t just protect valuables—it pays dividends in the long run. Hiring locksmith services to drill out a faulty lock or replace a damaged keypad or set of hinges can be expensive.
Routine inspections and maintenance schedules go a long way to preventing unnecessary and costly repairs or replacements. A safe technician should service your safe to ensure it functions properly. Like anything else in your home, a bit of maintenance today gives you peace of mind for tomorrow.
Avoid any potential issues with your safe by doing the basic maintenance activities needed.
Carl Jarl Locksmiths | Home Security Systems Omaha, NE
Carl Jarl Locksmiths can secure your business with panic bars, exit locks, card access systems, and more. We guarantee our locks and offer 24/7 service to keep your business safe at all times.
Always use the services of a trusted local Locksmith/Home Security Company. Carl Jarl Locksmiths offers products and services to make your home safe and secure. Your Security is our top priority.
- We are licensed, bonded, and insured
- Provide immediate response
- We have a 24-hour locksmith dispatch center
- All our employees are background checked, wear uniforms, and arrive in our own identifiable service vehicles
Choose experience and peace of mind. Carl Jarl Locksmith’s prompt and dependable Locksmith Service is just a phone call away.
