Q. What are oval and euro cylinders?
A. An oval cylinder has an oval shape and is used
in conjunction with an oval mortice lock case. A
euro cylinder is similar only it is shaped like
an enlarged key hole and used in conjunction with
a euro mortice lock case. The cylinder fits through
your door, passing through the lock case which is
mortised into the edge of the door. When using door
handles with these types of locks and cylinders,
you must ensure that they too have the oval or euro
cut out on the back plate to allow the cylinder
to pass through. Q. Are there different
types of oval and euro cylinders available?
A. Yes there are different types as well as different
sizes available. They can be supplied as "double
key" which allows you to lock the door from
both sides by use of a key, or as "key and
turn" which allows you to lock the door with
a key from one side and with a turn from the other
side. They are also available as a "single"
cylinder which allows you to lock the door with
a key from one side only. Normally the cylinders
will be supplied in a brass, nickel or satin finish
to match the door furniture being used.
Q. How do I know what size cylinder I
need?
A. The size of cylinder you need is determined
by the thickness of the door and the type of handles
you are using. For example: If you have a door
that is 44mm thick and your handle back plate
is 10mm deep, the total length needed is 64mm
(44+10+10mm). In this situation you would then
normally use a 70mm cylinder which would allow
for a small protrusion of the cylinder of 3mm
on either side of the door. A small protrusion
is desirable to both enhance the appearance and
allow for slight tolerances in the door thickness
and fitting.
Q. What are the advantages of using a
lock case and cylinder instead of a lever lock?
A. The greatest advantage of using cylinders over
lever locks is the number of key differs available.
There are millions of key differs available which
allows extensive master key systems as well as
a high degree of key security for thousands of
locks. A master key system is where a "master
key" will open a number of locks which also
have their own different keys. The cylinder key
system is therefore well suited to commercial
property where key security may be an issue.
Q. If my keys are lost or stolen, will
I have to replace the whole lock?
A. No. If you do happen to lose your keys or they
are stolen, all you need to do is replace the
cylinder itself. The lock case remains mortised
into the door and a replacement cylinder can be
fitted.
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