Whether you need to repair your broken safe or to buy a new one altogether, be sure to visit A1 Lock and Safe to see how we can help you protect your home. We sell safes where you can store your most prized possessions at home or at work. A1 Lock and Safe specializes in changing locks, making duplicate keys, and more for your safety. Let our Durham locksmiths know you need a new safe, locks, or keys, and you can count on us for an affordable price. Contact us today to get started!

A small home safe is a lockable steel box that’s supposed to store your items. As the name suggests, it’s meant to keep your valuables safe, whether cash, jewelry, or important paperwork. However, it can be alarming to find yourself unable to open your safe. You’ll probably be frantically worrying and immediately wanting to get a locksmith service. 

Go ahead and give us a call, but you might want to know why your safe isn’t opening before you get in touch with a technician. Check these five possible reasons below and see what steps you can take to open it.

1. Dead batteries

When your safe doesn’t open, you may go ballistic only to find later on that the culprits are the dead batteries. Even your keypad normally beeps and lights, so make sure to check the batteries first. They may have remaining power but not enough to pull off the bolt work. If the batteries are completely dead, change them immediately. When doing so, opt for brand name batteries to ensure they will last for as long as possible.

2. Lockout mode or time delay

Remember that your home safe may get into a penalty lockout mode if you have entered a lot of wrong codes. When it isn’t opening, wait for 10–20 minutes before entering the right code. Also, your safe may have a time delay, which is typically ten minutes. In that case, you may need to wait before you re-enter your code.

3. Jammed bolt work

There’s a possibility that your safe has a jammed bolt work. The jam can be the main reason your safe won’t open as you hear the motor trying to retract the bolt work. Here’s what you can do: press firmly on the door a few times to loosen the bolt work. But make sure not to press on the keypad and handle. From there, pull the handle in the opposite direction than you usually do and enter the code.

4. Disconnected or damaged wiring

Another culprit is either a disconnected or damaged wiring. For disconnected wiring, remove the keypad and check the wires to see if they are loose. If so, connect them or perform a simple fix. If they are intact but aren’t working, chances are they may be damaged. When the wires are damaged, you may need to contact a technician.

5. Deactivated code

Many safe owners tend to neglect this part—your code may have been deactivated. That’s why the safe isn’t opening at all. What you can do is to have someone try his code to see if it works. If not, then you may need to get a locksmith service.

Conclusion

There are a handful of reasons your safe won’t open. As outlined above, it could be due to dead batteries, lockout mode or time delay, jammed bolt work, disconnected or damaged wiring, and deactivated code. Take some of the valuable steps mentioned above. If the safe isn’t still opening, you can call a locksmith for assistance.