(248) 672-0462 • EMERGENCY SERVICE

It’s reassuring to have a home safe which can keep your valuables secure, whether those valuables are jewelry, guns, digital media, cash or other items. In September 2020, Popular Mechanics released a story about a Boston man who had bought a home from a former jewelry store owner who passed away. The man found a 700 lb. plus safe hidden inside the home.1 As often happens, the safe was locked and the man doesn’t know the combination — or what’s inside the mysterious safe. He offered to give the safe’s contents to anyone who can remove it from the home, but after 200 attempts the safe was still locked and inside the home and the home was being re-sold, safe included. A locked safe, combination unknown, is not an uncommon occurrence. If this happens to you, there are some options.

A trusted locksmith with years of experience can help in more ways than one, you’ll see how below.

Importance of Paperwork

An important tip is to make sure you keep the sale paperwork, which should include the manufacturer’s name, the model number and the all-important serial number.2 Having this data can make it much easier to get information on how to open the safe when the combination has been lost.

Some safes will have the model number and make on the body of the safe, but as safes are designed to be difficult to open without the combination, many manufacturers opt not to display this information in an easily viewable location. With the safe’s purchase information, you can call the manufacturer and they may be able to give you the combination to the safe. They will ask you for identification before doing so.

If a safe with a dial/mechanical lock is not open, make sure that anyone else with access to the safe did not change the combination. If your safe came with an emergency/override key, consult the owner’s manual or the manufacturer to determine the steps for using the key. Generally, you would remove the dial panel, insert the key into the small round notch beneath or beside the dial, turn the key until the safe opens, and return the key to its original position before removing it.3

Ways a Locksmith Can Help

A locksmith may be able to make a new emergency/override key in the event that you have misplaced the original key. If that is not possible, the next best solution to open a locked dial/mechanical safe is to call a professional locksmith who may be able to determine the combination and open the safe without damaging the safe. If they are unable to “crack” the combination, which isn’t as easy as it appears on television shows, then they may have to resort to other tactics to get to the contents of the safe.

One option is to cut a hole in the safe which renders the safe unusable. The preferred method is to drill a small hole in the safe and insert a small borescope inside to determine how to open the lock. This method allows the safe to be repaired and remain usable. For safes with a dial/mechanical lock, if the safe is open and you have lost the combination, you are in luck. A locksmith can usually reset the safe with a new combination. Remember not to write the new combination down on a piece of paper that you then place in the safe “for safekeeping.”

Safes with digital/electronic locks also often come with emergency/override keys. Consult your owner’s manual or call the manufacturer to find out how to use the emergency/override key. Basically, you remove the batteries from the battery compartment and place the emergency safe key in the keyhole, turn the key and then pull the handle to open the safe, restoring the key to its original position before removing it.4 If you have lost your emergency/override key, a locksmith can make you a new one.

Some safe’s come with a reset button instead of an emergency/override key. Consult your owner’s manual or manufacturer for specific instructions on how to engage the reset button, which is accessed from the interior of the safe by fishing wire through a bolt opening in the base or back of your safe. This procedure is time consuming and takes skill so it may be best to engage a locksmith rather than attempting to reset the safe yourself.

Once the safe is open it is easier to change the combination on a digital/electronic safe lock than on a mechanical lock. Generally you, or your locksmith, would follow the same directions as you did when changing the code when you first bought your safe. If you are unsure of the combination to your digital safe, don’t keep trying different number combinations. Most digital/electronic safes have a lock-out feature which will render the safe locked for a period of time after a specified number of attempts.

Why It’s Worth Calling a Locksmith

While many people shy away from calling a professional locksmith because of the perceived cost of locksmith services, they often don’t take into account the cost of replacing a safe. There is also the inconvenience factor as safes are usually quite heavy to move and difficult to dispose of when damaged and of no further use. Also, while you are attempting to gain access to the contents of your safe, you can inadvertently destroy the valuables inside. This can happen, for example, when people use a blowtorch to cut the metal of the safe.

It is reasonable to ask for a cost estimate from the locksmith prior to the locksmith performing any work on your safe. That way you can make an informed decision about whether to enlist a professional locksmith’s help.

Action Locksmith has more than 30 years of experience in all aspects of locksmithing. We are a family-owned locksmith company that specializes in both commercial and residential locksmith services throughout Michigan. Our hard work and dedication have made us the most trusted locksmith business around. Questions or need help? Call us to learn more!