How to Fix a Door Knob That Turns but Doesn’t Open
We’re sorry to hear that you’re experiencing difficulties with your doorknob! Not many things are more frustrating than a broken doorknob. Door knobs are ubiquitous, and they need to be in good condition. It’s terrible when you can’t open your door because the knob is broken or stiff, but it doesn’t have to happen. Today I will discuss some easy techniques to fix a doorknob that turns but doesn’t open.
Summary: There are a few things that can be done in order to try and fix the door knob. Firstly, you could try lubricating the moving parts with a light coating of oil or WD-40. If that doesn’t work, you could try using a plunger to push and pull on the knob in order to move it. If all of those options fail, you may have to get a new door knob.
A Process on How to Fix a Door Knob That Turns but Doesn’t Open
The first step is easy: check for stripped screws or anything else out of place on the hardware. For instance, if the screw holes are filled in, and there’s no sign of damage from another object like pliers, it could mean someone has been tampering with the lockset, which may be causing your issues.
- Suppose everything appears normal, but you can still turn without opening up an inch or two at most. In that case, we recommend checking and repairing any loose hinges because they can lead to misalignment when closing doors and problems with turning knobs. Sometimes simply tightening some screws can fix the problem.
- If you still have difficulties checking for loose hinges and tightening screws, consider lubricating your door knob’s shaft with a little WD40 or oil to help things move more smoothly. If this doesn’t work, it may be time to replace the lockset to eliminate unnecessary wear and tear on your hardware while maintaining safety and security.
- If you still have difficulties lubricating the shaft or replacing the lockset, your door may have a problem. First, make sure it’s not just catching on an uneven floor by lifting one side of the door and checking for any gaps between the bottom hinge and ground; if this is what appears to be happening, then shimming underneath should solve things.
- If the door is still not closing properly, try adjusting how tightly the hinges are screwed in place. If they are too tight, they can cause the door to be difficult to open and close. A good rule of thumb is to turn the screws three times from loose before tightening them again. Always check both sides of the door with all four screws to be sure.
- If the knob doesn’t turn, it could be that your lock is jammed and needs adjusting or replacing. But before you conclude this, check to see if anything is binding up the door itself. Remove any furniture that’s too close to the threshold–sometimes, it can catch on hardware and prevent the knob from turning properly.
- If nothing seems out of place, then check for damage like cracks or warping along either side of where hinges would attach; if those exist, replace both sides rather than just one so things will stay aligned while opening and closing doors until new parts arrive (you can get creative with hammers and saws if you need to).
Finally, if the doorknob has gone rogue and is in a place where it won’t turn anymore, then unscrew or undo any bolts holding up the hardware. Once this is done, use pliers on the end of the broken-off metal shaft (or a screwdriver) and tap gently until loose enough that an object can be used to pry out–a butter knife could work for this.
Precautions of How to Fix a Door Knob That Turns but Doesn’t Open
There are a couple of precautions that you need to take before fixing the knob. First, it’s important not to apply too much pressure to freaks off or pin inside. There may be a mechanism on the other side of the door that opens when force is applied. In this event, turning can work even though pulling doesn’t, but it also means it will turn more easily without any resistance because nothing blocks its way anymore.
Use one hand and put your weight against the door while using your fingers and thumb from your free hand to move back the latch with enough force for both hands to open up–not so hard as to break anything! With practice, you’ll better know just how much force works best. Of course, this may be trickier if the doorknob is at a wider angle or too high.
Practiced enough, and you can fix it with one hand! If there’s no crack in the latch or damage to any of those parts that don’t move up and down, then take your nail clippers and cut out the part of the latch that got bent over (though not excessively), so it’ll close tight again. Make sure to push firmly on both sides when closing–in case some other pieces are loose from turning too much before opening–or else they might break off as well.
Should I Replace The Door Knob if it Turns but Doesn’t Open?
If your doorknob turns but doesn’t open, you may need to replace the lock. The most common cause for this issue is a broken spring or handle that has come loose from its original attachment point in the door frame. We recommend replacing the entire assembly if necessary, so it comes with all of the parts needed for installation.
Replacement locksets are available that only require screws and can be installed without removing any existing parts of your current hardware (though you should still check out any pre-existing damage). You’ll want to ensure that whichever solution you go with will work with your current setup before purchasing anything; otherwise, it could just turn into another problem down the line!
Check it out to learn to fix a door knob hole that is too big.
Final Thoughts
For most common doorknob problems, it’s clear what can be done to solve them. If you’re having trouble with a stubborn lock, try using a lubricant (like WD-40) on the keyhole and around all moving parts before trying again. Sometimes these little fixes are all that are needed! You can easily have a fixed doorknob by following the instructions provided here. Thank you, and have a good day!
You may also read – How to Fix a Stripped Screw Hole in Metal Door
Angela Ervin
Angela is the executive editor of DIY quickly. She began her career as an interior designer before applying her strategic and creative passion to lifestyle and home. She has close to 15 years of experience in creative writing and online content strategy for housekeeping, home decorations as well as other niche efforts. She loves her job and has the privilege of working with an extraordinary team. She lives with her husband, two sons, and daughter in Petersburg. When she's not busy working she spent time with her family.
