I'm speaking from my personal experience with Kwikset lock. Like I said, it's cheap version, not z-wave one. It is not tapered. Here's how it works with manual - you try to turn it, it doesn't turn. You pull the door tighter, until it turns. Done. Here's how it worked with this Kwikset - you press the button, lock makes noise, fails to engage, the door stays unlocked. Maybe not an issue for me - I can check. But my parents could forget. Cleaning lady is not likely to check, etc. this is a real issue, not some argument I've read. Not bashing Kwikset at all, BTW. Just prefer manual myself.JonW said:
Schlage Link Deadbolt and Lever handle on sale at Best Buy
- Thread starter dgage
- Start date
drvnbysound
Senior Member
Do you have to pull the door anytime you use the deadbolt (with any deadbolt)?
From your description, it sounds to me like the door isn't set properly... Furthermore, it sounds like there may be some thick insulation used for the door seal - likely pressing the door away which allows you to pull the door tighter and engage the lock.
My front door is set it such a way that I do have to close the door firmly and ensure that the latch from the door knob FULLY engages to allow for easy movement of the deadbolt. However, even if it's not fully engaged the Kwikset lock still engages... just not as easily. I'd estimate that my deadbolt is used about 5x a day on average. I've tried to have this cut down but it's just habit for my wife to lock it all the time. I don't know how this amount of usage compares to anyone else, but I seem to get about 6 months or so out of my batteries before I notice that the deadbolt starts to sound sluggish - at which point I swap them out. They very well could have plenty of life left, but I'd prefer to swap than to have a lock that won't engage because of dead batteries. I've got a rule written in Elk which polls the battery status once a week, but the lock only returns low battery when it's below 30%... my batteries have either never got that low or the rule/status isn't actually working
From your description, it sounds to me like the door isn't set properly... Furthermore, it sounds like there may be some thick insulation used for the door seal - likely pressing the door away which allows you to pull the door tighter and engage the lock.
My front door is set it such a way that I do have to close the door firmly and ensure that the latch from the door knob FULLY engages to allow for easy movement of the deadbolt. However, even if it's not fully engaged the Kwikset lock still engages... just not as easily. I'd estimate that my deadbolt is used about 5x a day on average. I've tried to have this cut down but it's just habit for my wife to lock it all the time. I don't know how this amount of usage compares to anyone else, but I seem to get about 6 months or so out of my batteries before I notice that the deadbolt starts to sound sluggish - at which point I swap them out. They very well could have plenty of life left, but I'd prefer to swap than to have a lock that won't engage because of dead batteries. I've got a rule written in Elk which polls the battery status once a week, but the lock only returns low battery when it's below 30%... my batteries have either never got that low or the rule/status isn't actually working
