Digital locks on gun safes are great…most of the time. They provide quick, easy access to your gun safe, jewelry safe, home safe or business safe with the added benefit of allowing you to choose your own combination. But, when they don’t work it can be very frustrating. The good news is that U.L. rated high security digital locks are extremely reliable and the most common problems are things that you can address yourself, without waiting for, or paying for a technician.
The 4 most common problems with security safe or gun safe digital locks are:
- Low battery
- Improper handle position
- Delayed handle turn
- Lock out mode
The most common problem in security safe digital locks is low battery. Most gun safes have high security digital locks that are powered by one or two 9-volt batteries and are stored in the external keypad. Batteries typically last 12 to 18 months, but can last shorter or longer based on usage. A low battery condition may offer enough power to generate lights and tones, you may even hear the familiar click as the lock attempts to open your security safe. But, a low battery condition does not provide enough power to fully disengage the lock. To solve this problem access the batteries by either rotating the keypad counter clockwise a quarter turn or by giving the keypad a slight upward push. This releases the keypad from the front of the safe allowing you access to the batteries. Be sure to use fresh Energizer or Duracell batteries and be gentle when removing the old and replacing with the new. Often the wires that connect the batteries are quite delicate. When new batteries are installed, reattach the keypad to your security safe and your lock should be ready to operate under full power and your custom combination should still be in memory.
Another common problem with non-functioning security safe or gun safe locks is related to the handle position. If the safe handle is pressed fully in one direction or the other it can jam the lock making it unable to release when the correct combination is entered. The solution is to find the mid-point in the play of the handle and enter the combination, your gun safe, jewelry safe or home safe should open.
Newer users of security safes and digital locks are the ones most prone to the problem of delayed handle turn.
One of the security features designed into gun safe high security locks is response time. Once the combination is entered the handle must be turned within a few seconds, the precise time varies by manufacturer but is generally in the range of a few seconds. If the combination is entered and that time passes the lock re-locks and the combination must be re-entered for the security safe to be opened.
Lock out mode is another safety feature designed into high security digital locks. If the incorrect combination is entered three or four times, the number varies by manufacturer, the security safe goes into lockout mode for 10 – 20 minutes. The combination is not able to be entered during this time. After the lock out period is complete a single entry of the incorrect combination will put the security safe back into lockout mode, but the correct combination, entered on the first try, will open the home safe, jewelry safe or gun safe.
High security digital locks and good quality security safes, gun safes, jewelry safes or home safes provide peace of mind that is well worth the investment. If you are not sure that your safe is good quality or if you need a safe, call or visit Maximum Security Safes. We are experts in helping you select the safe that best meets their needs at a price you can afford.
