At Whitlow’s Security we get countless calls of customers in a panic stating ”I need a locksmith out to open my safe, the combination is not working.” Before making this call there are a few simple things that you can do.
First replace the battery. The most common reason for your combination not to work is a low battery. The battery may have enough energy to power the keypad but not enough energy to activate the mechanism inside the lock. So even if your safe keypad lights up or beeps when entering the combination start with a fresh battery. Not all batteries are made the same; we have found that Duracell and Energizer alkaline batteries work best. Be sure to use fresh batteries not ones that have been sitting in your drawer for years.
Next inspect the wires leading off the battery connection to check and see that they haven’t become frayed or disconnected. This would cause the safe to either get inconsistent power or no power at all.
Your next step is to adjust the handle. Check to see that the handle is not in a partially turned position. This would cause unnecessary binding on the lock and very often can lead to the safe not opening. So move the handle on the safe and try the combination again.
Finally leave the safe for an hour and come back to it. Many safes have lockout functions that can cause the safe to lock-down in the case of too many wrong combination attempts. These lockout times can vary from a couple minutes to a half hour.
If none of these steps work it’s time to call Whitlow’s Security and we will be happy to help you
