Whether you forgot your safe combination or you lost your keys, you must not try to open it yourself. The most important thing to do in this situation is to remain calm and do the necessary steps to help you gain back your access:
1. Gather Necessary Information
Before you contact your locksmith, you need all the right information at hand. You’ll need to know the following information about your safe:
- Brand name and series
- Model and serial number
- Manual dial entry or electronic keypad
2. Check For a Key Override
Check whether or not your safe has a key override. Key override is an alternative method that will let you access the safe. Think of them as spare keys. A lot of people who own a safe aren’t aware that they have a key override; therefore, it pays to read the manual.
Another thing is, not all safes advertise that they have an override key. This is to ensure their customers that there’s no easy access to the safe. If you’ve found yourself locked out of your safe and unsure if the safe has a key override feature, then now is the perfect time to check the owner’s manual.
3. Find a Locksmith
If a key override did not work, then it’s time to call a locksmith. But what will a locksmith do?
The first step is the diagnosis stage. Once you’ve given all the necessary information, your locksmith will diagnose the safe. There are various methods that your locksmith may do to open the safe such as:
- Safe Manipulation – this method works best for safes with combination dials and it is one of the most popular ways that a locksmith uses to open a safe. This is because, through this method, it allows the locksmith to gain access to the safe without damaging any components. Only a professional locksmith can carry out this procedure because this requires the right skills and patience to make it work.
- Professional Drilling – this method is often the last resort as in the case of Allied Lock and Door and some locksmiths gaining access your safe without drilling is very possible using the latest technology. For information sake professional drilling is usually done by drilling through the safe. There are different ways to achieve different results—but this is something your should truly leave to the professionals to see if you can avoid it, or get it done in the safest way possible without sacrificing the integrity of your safe.
Conclusion
Not being able to access your safe could cause you some panic, but thankfully, there are methods available to help you solve the problem. And when nothing works, you can always hire a locksmith to help you out.
It’s also handy to be prepared for this type of situation. So, as early as now, be on the safe side and research a good locksmith in your area. This way, you’ll have a go-to locksmith should you need them for an emergency situation. You never know—you might forget your keys to your home or car too, hence it’s best to be prepared.
Our locksmiths at Allied Lock and Door are one of the most reliable locksmiths in Cincinnati. If you require an emergency locksmith service in Cincinnati, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. Please keep in mind, in most cases, our professional locksmiths will not need to drill into your safes in order to help you regain access to them. We have the latest technologies that allow us to access them otherwise, so you can feel good about scheduling a service call with us first!