Safe & Vault Service in Evansville, Indiana
Safe will not open, combination unknown, dial spinning free? We open safes and service the locks inside them, in most cases without cutting the safe.
Certified Professional Locksmith
Through ALOA, the Associated Locksmiths of AmericaLicensed · Bonded · Insured
Family-run since 1983 · Evansville and the Tri-StateWhat this covers
Safes come to us in a handful of familiar states: the combination was lost with the person who set it, the electronic keypad has gone dead or erratic, the dial turns but nothing happens, or the door opens but will not relock. We open them, diagnose the lock, and repair or replace it. Where possible we manipulate or drill to a scope point and repair the hole properly afterward, so the safe keeps its rating and its resale value.
We also change combinations, retrofit mechanical dials to electronic locks when a family or a business needs several users, and service safe locks on a schedule for commercial customers.
Read more: Inherited a safe and nobody knows the combination · Dead keypad on your safe: three things to try before you call anyone
Safes & Vaults services
- Safe opening and lockouts
- Combination changes
- Electronic retrofit of mechanical locks
Common safe problems
What each one usually means, and what we do about it.
The dial turns but nothing happens.
The dial has most likely come loose from the spindle that runs through the door, so the wheels inside are no longer turning with it. It is a mechanical fault, not a forgotten combination, and it is one of the more routine openings we do. We open the safe, replace the spindle or the dial, and set the combination fresh.
The combination is right, but the handle will not turn.
When the lock accepts the combination and the handle still binds, the lock has done its job and the bolt work is what is stuck. The usual causes are contents pushing against the inside of the door, a door that has sagged on its hinges, or a relocker that fired after the safe was dropped or moved. We free the bolt work and adjust the door so it does not happen again.
The keypad is dead, or it beeps and the door still will not open.
Start with fresh name-brand alkaline batteries in the right orientation and try again; a weak battery is the cause more often than anything else. If the keypad lights up, accepts the code, and the door still does not open, the fault is in the lock body behind the door or the cable between the two, and both are replaced without cutting the safe. If you have just entered several wrong codes, the lock is probably in its penalty lockout: leave it alone for a while and try once more before you call.
Nobody knows the combination.
The safe came with the house, the business, or the estate, and the combination went with whoever set it. We open it, manipulation first because it leaves no mark and a drilled scope point only when that fails, and then set a combination you choose before we leave.
The door opens, but it will not lock again.
Usually the door has dropped on its hinges so the bolts no longer line up with the frame, or the lock itself is worn out and will not reset. Both are repairable. Until it is fixed, treat the safe as an unlocked cabinet and keep anything that matters somewhere else.
It has a key, and the key is lost.
Plenty of home safes, cash boxes, and older commercial safes use a key lock rather than a dial. We open the safe and fit a new lock, or make new keys where the original lock is worth keeping. A photo of the keyway and the label helps us quote the range on the phone.
It was moved or dropped, and now it will not open.
A safe that has been tipped, dropped off a dolly, or hauled up basement stairs can twist the door in its frame so the bolts bind, or trip the relocker that guards the lock. The combination has not changed; the door has. We open it, check the bolt work and the relocker, and reset the door so it closes true.
It went through a fire or a flood.
After a house fire the door seals swell and the fire insulation bakes hard, so a fire safe that did its job often has to be opened by drilling and repaired afterward. After flooding, a real possibility in the low-lying parts of the Tri-State, the lock and bolt work rust and seize. Call before you force it: forcing the door is what turns a repairable safe into scrap.
What to expect
No surprises when we pull up.
What it costs
Safe openings are quoted on the phone as a range, then confirmed once we see the safe. The variables:
Ranges are quoted on the phone before we come out. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express.
Safes and safe locks we service
If the safe has a label, read us the model number and we can usually tell you the lock inside it.
Safes & Vaults questions
I inherited a safe and nobody knows the combination.
Common call. Bring or show ownership documentation and we will open it and set a combination you choose.
Will you have to drill it?
Not always. We try manipulation first. If drilling is required, we drill a known scope point and repair it.
My electronic keypad is dead.
Start with fresh batteries in the right orientation. If it still will not respond, the lock body or the wiring is at fault and we can replace it.
Can you convert my dial to a keypad?
Yes. Electronic retrofit is routine and useful when several people need access.
Do you open small home fire safes and document boxes, or only large safes?
Both. Small fire safes and lockboxes are a regular call, and often the sensible fix is to open it once and replace the lock rather than repair the original. Tell us what you have when you call.
I entered the wrong code too many times and now the keypad ignores me.
That is the lock's penalty lockout, and it clears on its own. Put in fresh batteries, wait it out, and enter the code once, carefully. If it still refuses after the lockout clears, the lock body or the cable is at fault and we can replace it.
Should I change the combination after buying a used safe, or when someone leaves the business?
Yes, both times. A used safe arrives with whatever combination the seller knew, and a departed employee or partner keeps the one they had. A combination change is a routine service call, and on an electronic lock we can delete individual user codes rather than resetting everyone.
What should I have ready when I call about a safe?
Nothing is required. The make, the model, whether it is a dial or a keypad, and a photo of the door and its label let us quote a tighter range on the phone. We confirm the hardware ourselves once we see the safe.
Ready when you are
Call us and see how we can help.
Other services
Service area
Evansville first, then Newburgh, IN · Boonville, IN · Henderson, KY · Mount Vernon, IN · Chandler, IN — and the rest of the Tri-State. See every area we serve.