It has come to our attention that GM is recalling 249,269 midsize SUV’s sold in 20 states. The states involved in the recall are those states considered to be in the “salt belt”. Even though Florida is not one of the states specifically involved in the recall, we here in Citrus county have many residents who live here on a part time basis, or have traveled here and have purchased their vehicles from one of the states involved.
According to GM, the recall covers 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer EXT and GMC Envoy XL, as well as 2006-2007 Trailblazers, Envoy, Buick Rainier, Saab 9-7x and Isuzu Ascender sold in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia are all part of this recall.
GM has said that fluid can get inside the drivers door module and cause corrosion that can cause a short in the circuit boards and potentially cause a fire. Some reports indicate that fires have started from this problem while the vehicle is keyed off and unattended.
We here at 1 Able Locksmith are always on the lookout for locksmith news that may affect our customers here in Citrus and Marion County. It has come to our attention that Honda is recalling more than 321,000 small SUVs and cars across the globe, because the doors may not close. The recall affects 314,000 CR-V small SUVs from the 2012 model year and about 7,300 Acura ILX small luxury cars from the 2013 model year.
Honda says that if the inside driver or passenger door handles are used at the same time as the power or manual door locks, the inner door latch may not work. This means a door may not latch, or it could latch and open when the locks are used. The company says no crashes or injuries have been reported because of the problem.
The recall includes 166,600 CR-Vs and more than 6,200 ILXs in the U.S.
Looking for a Good Automotive, Commercial or Residential Locksmith in Hernando, Inverness, Crystal River, Dunnellon, Homosassa, Lecanto, Floral City or Beverly Hills, Florida?
Doug & Cheryl Aerts
1 Able Locksmith
A Division of Aerts C Incorporated
The security of your vehicle is also important to us. For this reason we have submitted to extensive background checks and have registered with the National Automotive Service Task Force. The NASTF provides automotive information to automotive service technicians while holding that technician to strict standards of vehicle ownership identification. We support this organization because it is one more way of protecting you and your vehicle.
We are members of the Society of Professional Locksmiths, NASTF and are Pro Compliance Certified.
We are Bonded, Licensed and Insured. We take your security seriously and we do all we can to ensure it!
Electromagnetic locks were introduce in the U.S in the 1970’s and continue to be popular today. They are used to secure emergency exit doors and when connected to a fire alarm system, the locks power source automatically disconnects when the fire alarm is activated to allow people inside to exit quickly.
The operation of an electromagnetic lock is different from that of a conventional locking device. Unlike a mechanical lock, an electromagnetic lock does not rely on the release of a bolt or latch for security. It instead uses electricity and magnetism. It is the magnetic power of these locks that tend to make them stronger than their mechanical counterparts and because the components of an electromagnetic lock are normally installed inside the door and casing, as opposed to being mounted on the outside of the door as is usually the case with mechanical locks, the screws can not be tampered with when the door is in the closed position.
Standard electromagnetic locks consist of two components in order to secure a door. The first component being a electromagnet and the second being a metal strike plate. The electromagnet is installed in the doors header and the strike plate is installed on the door. When a door is closed the two components line up. The electromagnet is usually powered by 12 to 24 dc volts at 3 to 8 watts and when the door is closed and the electromagnet is powered, the door is secured and has a holding power of 300 to 3000 pounds, depending on the type of electromagnet lock you selected.
So what if the power goes out or a burglar cuts the wires?
Standby batteries are usually installed with the lock to provide power in the event the power goes out. The locks can’t be tampered with from the outside the door as all the components are installed completely inside the door itself. Thus eliminating the chance that a would be burglar could cut wires or gain entry through the door.
Fire code requirements for Electromagnetic locks.
Electromagnetic locks meet the safety requirements of the North American building codes because they are fail-safe, which means when there is no power to the door, the door will not lock. In order to comply with most United States building fire codes, there is also a couple of additional pieces of hardware that must be installed when installing electromagnetic locks. There must be a “PUSH TO EXIT” release button and either a PIR motion detector or an electrified exit release bar also known as a crash bar. Also if the building has a fire alarm system the electromagnetic locks must be tied into the fire control system so the locks will automatically unlock in the event of a fire. The code states “There must be a minimum of two devices used to release the electromagnetic lock. One device Must be a manual release button that has the words”PUSH TO EXIT” labeled. This push button must provide a 30 second time delay when pushed, and the time delay must act independently of the access control system (the delay must work on its own, not tied into any other access control system)
The downsides of Electromagnetic locks
Electromagnetic locks do have a couple of disadvantages. One is the cost of the electromagnetic locks when compared to other high security mechanical locks. Electromagnetic locks can cost four to ten times more than a mechanical lock. The second downside is that many people find the electromagnetic locks less attractive than conventional mechanical locks.
I hope you have found this article helpful when considering electromagnetic locks.
Anyone who has spent more than five minutes in their favorite local hardware lock section knows the choices available can be overwhelming. After all, the choice you make will determine the security and piece of mind you and your family enjoy in your home. So how can you choose the best lock for your home? In this article I will discuss the various types of locks available and describe the differences and applications. Armed with this knowledge, you can then make the best choice when deciding on the right locks for your particular needs.
Not all locks are created equal. The American National Standards Institute or ,ANSI, rates locks on 3 common standards, Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3. These ratings are based on a range of performance features. ANSI rates how well the locks resist forceful entry tests, and whether their finishes hold up well over extended periods of time.
Grade 1 locks are heavy duty commercial locks.These locks are typically not a good application for home use.
Grade 2 locks are designed for light commercial use but would provide good protection for homes as well.
Grade 3 locks are rated for light residential use. Grade 3 locks are what you typically find at your local hardware store. (along with a lot of locks that carry no ANSI rating at all)
Most locks sold to homeowners are grade 3 locks or have no ANSI rating at all. ANSI graded locks often cost a little more than locks that dont have an ANSI rating or no rating at all but the added security is well worth the money.
There are certain companies who offer high-security locks. A high-security lock is one that provides a high level of security to most types of attack such as drilling, sawing, wrenching, picking and bumping. In most cases, these high security locks will be more expensive and will carry an Underwriters Laboratory or UL rating. High security locks will have two or more means of protection. They contain hardened drill resistant inserts and have patented keys. Medeco, ASSA and Mul-T-Lock are a few examples of high security locks.
Whether you choose to install Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 or even high security locks your local locksmith can provide you with the locks, installation and information you need to secure all the things that matter most to you.
I hope this article has been helpful in deciding which lockset is the right choice for you.
For many years my wife and I served as volunteer firefighters. As you can imagine, the training involved in becoming a firefighter was extensive. Each and every class always started the same way. Safety, Safety, Safety. It was drilled into us from day one and it stuck with us as we entered each and every burning building.
You may wonder what an old firefighters training has to do with deadbolts. The answer to this question just may save you and your families lives.
Imagine this very real and very possible scenario. You and your family are sound asleep in your beds when the smoke detector (please tell me you have one!) goes off. As you are waking up you smell smoke and as you open the bedroom door you see flames engulfing your living room. You immediately race to the kids room to wake them up and get them out. (If you have an elderly person who may only get around by wheelchair, or is on oxygen this scenario gets even worse). As you run down the hallway the flames are getting hotter and spreading into the kitchen. The family struggles to find shoes and perhaps a coat to go out into the night and escape the flames and smoke. The kids dont want to leave behind the beloved pet, stuffed toy, barbie doll and you must keep pushing them to hurry and get out. You finally get them up and moving toward the door as the smoke burns your eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Tears are running down your face from the smoke making it hard to see and time is running out.
Not a pretty picture is it? It is at that moment that you will be thankful for this article and the advice it offers. You see, if you get to that door and that door has a double sided deadbolt, you now need to go back to where ever you keep your keys, because without that key you cant get out through the door.
We never recommend installing double-sided (keyed on both interior and exterior sides) deadbolts. Some homeowners desire double-sided deadbolts when there is glass in the door or in close proximity that would allow a potential intruder to break the glass, reach in, and unlock a single-sided lock. Other than the fact that a key must be used to unlock the door from the interior, double-sided locks provide no greater security than a single-sided one.
Ultimately, of course, the choice is yours. We just thought you’d like to know…
Did you know that your door knob locks and your deadbolt locks can be rekeyed cheaper than they can be replaced? We here at 1 Able locksmith are on a mission to save our neighbors here in Citrus county Florida money. That is why we tell our customers about our rekey services.
1 Able Locksmith gets several calls a week asking us to replace locks because the keys have been given to someone who shouldn’t have a key. We tell our customers that if the locks are functioning properly, we can rekey the existing locks so that the lock will no longer work using the old key. This saves our customers money over having to purchase and install new door locks while providing the security of having new keys for your old locks.
