[Up Donegal]

I have an external hardwood door with a locking mechanism like what’s used on PVC doors (lift up the handle to lock). Yesterday, when I tried to open the door, the handle became very loose and I couldn’t open the door. When I took off the handle, I saw that the inside of the hole for the square rod that connects the outside and inside handles had become rounded and was broken so that when the handle was used, the rod had nothing to grip on to. So, the door is closed (not locked) and I can’t open it. I can’t get at the edge of the door where the locking mechanism is because it’s just the door and frame in the wall because there is no room to use a screwdriver or anything else to have a go at it from there. Any suggestions as to how I might get it opened?

Thanks in advance.

[BryanF]

Take off the handle. Attach vice grips to the barrel and turn as you would a handle

[Up Donegal]

Originally Posted by BryanF

Take off the handle. Attach vice grips to the barrel and turn as you would a handle

Thanks for the reply but it's the square hole in the part of the lock that's in the door that the square rod which connects the outside and inside handles that's broken. The handles are fine.

[Gen.Zhukov]

I would think you could get a large screwdriver (most of which will be tapered) into the rounded hole and try to get it to bite at some point on the hole. I would doubt the hole is perfectly rounded so it should catch at some point.
A little tap of a hammer should help too.

[Up Donegal]

Originally Posted by Gen.Zhukov

I would think you could get a large screwdriver (most of which will be tapered) into the rounded hole and try to get it to bite at some point on the hole. I would doubt the hole is perfectly rounded so it should catch at some point.
A little tap of a hammer should help too.

It's the square hole in the centre of the lock that takes the square connecting rod that's broken. When I first took the handle off the door, a piece of this part fell out. It broke almost diagonally.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...SR500,500_.jpg

[Mike3549]

This happened to me a couple a months ago. The handle and the square hole was turning 360 degrees and couldnt open. Had to remove the hinges to open the doors. Inside the lock there was this round thing around the square hole that was worn. There was another one under it, so i swapped them. Its working again but ill have to change the lock very soon before the same thing happens again

Edit: our lock had 2 square holes like this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lockmaster-Milamaster-Centre-Gearbox-Spindle/dp/B005WTW7F0?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_8