When it comes to keys, the most unpleasant thing that can happen besides losing your key is to break one off inside a lock. If it’s your mailbox key, and not your house key, you’ll probably be less worried, but you’ll still need to fix it as soon as possible to have access to your mail. Here are a few tips on how to fix a broken mailbox key.
Call a Locksmith
If your mailbox key breaks inside the lock, the first thing that comes to mind is to call a locksmith. But before doing that, you can try to solve the matter on your own to save time and money.
Use a Broken Key Extractor
A broken key extractor is a tool specially designed for extracting keys from locks. There are professional key extractor sets that can be pricy, but you need the simple version of the tool, which is affordable and can be found in most tool shops.
Use a Hooked Piece of Metal
If you don’t have a broken key extractor, you could try using a hooked piece of metal, such as a paper clip or a piece of wire. Your goal is to insert the wire into the key shaft and seize the ragged side of your mailbox key. Once you manage to do that, start wiggling it out, and then use some pliers to pull it out completely.
The piece of metal you use needs to fit inside the opening. If it’s not strong enough, you won’t be able to pull out the key. Also, if your key has only one ragged side, it will be more difficult to grab it than if both sides are uneven.
Use Some Lubricant
To make things easier, try squeezing some lubricant into the key shaft. It will help you pull out the broken mailbox key if you can grab it with the hooked piece of metal.
Use a Magnet
You can also try using a magnet to pull the broken mailbox key out. However, you need a strong magnet, and this will probably only work with a very small key.
If none of the above methods helps you fix your broken mailbox key, you should consider calling a locksmith. TalkLocal can find a local professional right away to get the problem solved. It’s fast and free.
