Basics of Property Management: Screening Potential Tenants

When Does Your Safe Need Professional Maintenance?

30 December 2014

Jesse Obrien

What would you do if your safe suddenly wouldn't open? Like every other piece of machinery in your shop, your safe has moving parts that have to be maintained in order to keep them in good working order. Whether you open it two times a day or a dozen, each turn of the dial or yank on the handle adds a little more wear to the metal parts inside. A professional locksmith like those at A-AAA Locksmiths, LLC can do routine maintenance on your safe, extending its life considerably, but should you put his visits on a schedule? Since every store owner uses his safe differently, how do you know how often to call for safe maintenance?

Signs Your Safe Needs Service

In general, most business safes that are used daily will need safe maintenance every two to three years. The safe technician will clean and lubricate all moving parts and replace any small parts that are showing signs of wear. If you want to be secure, schedule your safe professional to come every two to three years to do a routine maintenance check, unless your safe begins to show signs of wear. Some of the telltale signs are:

• The combination doesn't work as well as usual. You need to set the dial slightly to the side of the numbers for it to work, or must repeat the combination multiple times before it registers and opens
• The handle is harder to use, jams, or hangs up when closing the safe door
• The combination dial is harder to spin, looser on the spindle, or won't stay in place once you dial it to a number

Information You Need

Once you determine that you need to have safe maintenance done, call a safe professional and make an appointment. In order to help him be prepared for the visit, be prepared to tell him the safe brand, the dimensions of the safe, the lock brand and description and, if possible, a photo you can email to him. This will allow him to familiarize himself with the particular needs of your safe before he arrives in your store, saving him time and you money.

Having a small problem with your safe dial or handle might not seem like a big deal, but live with it long enough and it can become a major concern. If you put off a maintenance call long enough, you may end up having to have the safe drilled just to get it open. It's much better to endure a short maintenance call and a small interruption in your day than to face the alternative.

Share