If you are having issues with the cylinder part of your lock it can often be more cost effective to just replace the one part of your lock rather than the full locking mechanism. We have various kinds of cylinders available including Euro, Oval and Rim cylinders.
Here at Locks and Hardware Direct we have a huge range of cylinders, which can be viewed below. If you have any further queries about any of our products then please get in touch with our team of experts by phoning 0800 304 7355.
Are Cylinder Locks Interchangeable?
We often hear that people are looking to replace their cylinder with the exact model that they currently have installed. Whilst this can often make getting the right cylinder easier it may not necessarily be the best option for you and there are often different sizes of the same lock available.
Instead you may be better off finding out the specifications of your current cylinder and then ordering the best cylinder for your needs based upon this. For example, you might want to upgrade to an anti snap cylinder if you haven’t had one before. This can provide extra security to your property as they stop an exploit often found in older locks where they can be snapped to reveal the locking mechanism.
In order to see which cylinder can be interchanged with your current one, you will first need to identify the type of cylinder you have, this can be seen by the profile of the cylinder. The next is to take some measurements, for a euro cylinder the main measurements you will need to take are from the centre of the mechanism to each end.
Different Kinds Of Cylinder Locks
Euro Cylinder Locks – Euro cylinders are the most common type of cylinder found on entry doors in the UK. They can be identified by their classic keyhole shaped profile.
Oval Cylinder Locks – Oval cylinders are fairly similar to euro cylinders, with the main difference being the profile of the lock. As the name suggests the profile of these cylinders are an oval shape.
Rim Cylinder Locks – A rim lock can usually be identified by its circular shape.
How To Replace A Euro Cylinder
A euro cylinder is fairly easy to replace if you have taken the time to get the right measurements to get the right measurements. The replacement can be done in 6 steps:
- Open the door, leaving the key in the door and the lock in an unlocked position.
- Remove the fixing screw which can be found under the latch on the edge of the door. If there are multiple screws, the fixing screw is likely to be the one which looks different to the others.
- Whilst pushing on the opposite end of the cylinder, turn the key. When the cam lines up with the cylinder it will release the cylinder. This is usually at around 25°. Fully remove the cylinder.
- Get the replacement cylinder and align the cam and the cylinder, by turning the key, so that the cam no longer sticks out.
- Insert the replacement cylinder.
- Fit the fixing screw to the cylinder to ensure that it is secured and cannot be easily removed.
Your cylinder should now be replaced. You can test that the cylinder has been installed correctly by turning the key and checking that the locking mechanism is working correctly.