We recently received an email from Chad at Reviews.com concerning extensive research into the many popular home security systems available on the market today. Chad writes “Our team at Reviews.com has completed an extensive study comparing the Best Home Security Systems for 2018. Our resource not only rates some of the best home security options of 2018 but it also includes a review of ADT security service and advice for ordering, installing, and using the top home security systems. After testing and comparing these security systems for 3 months we created our resource as an assistance guide.”
If you are considering having a home security system installed and are finding the choices overwhelming, this resource may be of great assistance to you in making the right decision. Click the link to find out more. Home Security System Research Results.
Ford announced in October 2017 that they will be recalling 1.34 million 2015-17 Ford F-150 and 2017 Ford Super Duty trucks in North America to add water shields to side door latches. The company said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries associated with the issue but said because of the fault, the door may appear closed, increasing the risk of the door opening while driving.
Ford said the safety recall is due to a frozen door latch or a bent or kinked actuation cable in the affected vehicles, that may result in a door not opening or closing. Ford spokeswoman, Elizabeth Weigandt, said customers would be notified in November but did not have a timetable for when parts will be available. Dealers will install water shields over the door latches and inspect and repair door latch cables if needed.
Ford has now recalled more than 5 million vehicles for varying door latch-related issues since 2016, but the company said the issue in the new recall is different from prior ones.
The Stanley Security Solutions manufacturer out of Taiwan has issued a voluntary recall on their commercial grade 1 heavy duty cylindrical locksets due the latches failing causing the risk of entrapment. Approximately 70,000 units are affected. The concern is that the latches could fail and the door would not unlock from the inside. This can cause serious issues in the event of fire or other emergency requiring a quick exit. There have been 4 separate reports of the latches failing but no injuries have been reported to date.
The series BMHA/ANSI locksets recalled include brass, bronze, nickle, chrome and satin chrome finishes and were sold by Stanley Commercial Hardware and other lock distributors and retailers nationwide and online at Amazon and Grainger from February 2016 through September 2016. The locks are sold under various brands including Advantage, Arrow, Cal-Royal, Delaney, Dorma, Dorex, General Lock, Hager, SDC, Stanley Commercial Hardware, Taymor, Tell, TownSteel, USCan, and some no brand name products. Part numbers/ models are listed below.
Brand
Model/Part Number
Advantage
007-FA8990060AD, B48-FC60300B70KD090, B48-FC60301B70KD090, B48-FCO60312B70KD090, B48-FC60351B70KD090 and B48-FCO60302B70KD090
Arrow
B67-FCS0300B7000090, B67-FCS0312B7000090, B67-FCS0362B7000090, B67-FKS0300B7000090, B67-FKS0300B700009-M, B67-FKS0362B7000090 and B67-FKS0362B700009-M
Cal-Royal
007-FA8990060CR, 313-FL60300B70KD090, 313-FLO60312B70KD090, 313-FL60362B70KD090, 313-FLO60315B70KD090 and 313-FL60361B70KD090
Delaney
Y62-FC90300B70KA090, Y62-FC90362B70KA090 and Y62-FCO60312B70KA09
Dorma
B70-FB30S62B70KD06-B, B70-FL60362B70KD06-B, B70-FL90300B70KD06-B and B70-FLO90312B70KD06-B
Dorex
007-FA8910060DO, 356-FL70300B70KD090, 356-FLO70312B70KD090, 356-FL70361B70KD090 and 356-FL70362B70KD090,
General Lock
007-FA8990060GL, B39-FC60300B70KD090, B39-FCO60312B70KD090, B39-FCO60315B70KD090 and B39-FC60362B70KD090
Hager
007-FA891007CHG, 007-FA8910060HG, B33-FL60300B70KD090, B33-FLO60312B70KD090, B33-FLO60315B70KD090, B33-FLO60302B70KD090 and B33-FL60362B70KD090
B31-FL60300B70KD000, B31-FL60300B70MK000, B31-FL60362B70KD000, B31-FLO60312B70GK000, B31-FLO60312B70KD000, B31-FR60300B7000000 and B31-FRO60312B7000
Y23-FL60300B70KD090
Y40-FU90300B7000000Y40-, FU90312B7000000 and Y40-FU90362B7000000
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, consumers should immediately stop using the recalled locksets. Consumers using Stanley Commercial Hardware branded locksets should contact Stanley Commercial Hardware from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday-Friday at 855-885-1296, for all other brands consumers should contact Stanley Security Solutions Taiwan for free replacement latch or to schedule an appointment to have the latches replaced free of charge if they have already been installed.
Did you know that if your car uses a Standard key, (Meaning it does not use a computer chip (transponder) key or programming) then 1 Able Locksmith can save you a lot of money if you have lost your key here in Citrus County, FL. We get several calls a week from people who own vehicles that do not use the transponder system. Although we would love to have their business, we send them to the dealership. It is our policy to save our customers money and we will not charge them to make a key that they could get much cheaper elsewhere. Let me explain.
When a vehicle is manufactured, it is given a number. This number is known as a Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. The VIN is located on the drivers side dash and can be viewed from the outside of the vehicle through the front drivers windshield of the vehicle. It is also on your title and registration. The information that is contained within the VIN can be very valuable to the owner of the vehicle if they have lost their car keys because it contains the Key Code for their vehicle along with other important information concerning the vehicle. A dealership can type the VIN in their computer and give the owner ( free of charge) this information, as it belongs to them as the owner of the vehicle. The dealership will ask for the registration and drivers license to determine ownership. Once ownership is established, the owner should request what is known as a Key Code. We suggest you write this code in your owners manual or keep it somewhere with the vehicles other important papers as this information can save the owner a lot of time and money should they lose the key to their vehicle. But wait, it gets better!
If a vehicle owner looses the key to their vehicle, the dealership can also cut a key on the spot for much cheaper than a local locksmith can as there is no service fee or time spent to determine the code or cuts of the key manually. What would otherwise cost the owner $125.00 and up from a local locksmith, the dealership will usually charge between $5.00- $12.00.
It’s one more way our customers save time and money!
We thought you’d like to know……
We get a lot of calls from people who have lost their car keys and need to have a new key made. Some of our customers save money by using our service but many times we direct them to the local dealerships. Here’s why. If your vehicle uses a standard key, meaning there is no computer chip in it, then your vehicles VIN, when entered into the dealerships computer, will tell the dealer the cuts of the key. This information is free to the vehicle owner and the dealership can cut a key from the VIN much cheaper. You will need your vehicle registration and your ID to prove you own the vehicle when you go to the dealership, but this is a good way to save a lot of money. This works for older model cars that don’t use a transponder key and don’t require programming. If you are unsure what type of key your vehicle uses, you can check your vehicle’s year, make and model on our blog. Just click the page that pertains to your vehicle.
If your vehicle uses a transponder or high security key it will probably be cheaper to go with an automotive locksmith, as anyone making the key will need to be at the vehicle to program this type of key. This means an extra towing bill to get it to a dealership, but a good automotive locksmith can come to your vehicle and that saves you money. The dealership can still help save you money by providing the “Pin Code” and the “Key Code” from the VIN. We encourage you to obtain these codes and write them in your vehicles owners manual. This information is free from the dealership to the owner of the vehicle, but costs a locksmith a lot of money to obtain. Knowing your Codes will save you both time and money in the event you need to call a locksmith to make and program a new key.
BEWARE OF RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES: Over the past few weeks our county along with surrounding counties like Marion and Levy, have been experiencing a series of residential daytime burglaries. Doors have been forced open, and jewelry, medicine and handguns have been taken. Please secure your valuables, and report any suspicious persons who may knock on your door “looking for someone” who does not reside there, or solicitors without marked vehicles with company identification. In addition, report any suspicious vehicles in your neighborhood to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. All of these incidents have been occurring during the daytime hours so please make sure you watch out for your neighbors’ homes if they are away. If you have any questions you can contact Detective Serocki at 352-422-0518. Thank you.
So your car is acting up and your mechanic has just told you that the problem is a common one for that vehicle’s year and model. Now there is a quick simple way to check to see if your vehicle is involved in a recall.
The website is called safercar.gov and is sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA. The new website lets you search for recalls just by typing in your vehicle identification number or VIN. This number is found on your title or vehicle registration or is visible through the windshield of your vehicle on the drivers side dash.
We have received 2 calls in the past two days from people here in Citrus county who have been broken into and robbed. First, a business in Hernando and then a residence in Floral City. Both happened at night and both times gates or the door were forced open. Might be a great time to think about installing an extra deadbolt on your doors to keep forced entry from becoming a quick way into your home or office.
Did you know that the Citrus County Sheriffs Office has designed a program to help residents stop auto theft here in Citrus County? They call this program C.A.T (Combat Auto Theft). We here at 1 Able Locksmith go to great lengths to insure that the person who calls us out to make a car key is the rightful owner of the vehicle before we replace a lost or stolen key, so we applaud the sheriffs office for their efforts to keep your vehicle safe.
This anti-theft program was designed to recover stolen vehicles in
timely manner. For people who leave their vehicles parked outside at night, for those who travel frequently, or vehicles left in parking lots during late evening hours, this program is beneficial for you. If the vehicle is stolen or taken without your knowledge, the bright yellow decal allows law enforcement throughout the state of Florida, and some other states, to stop your vehicle if seen out between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. This allows the law enforcement officer to determine if the driver is authorized to have the vehicle.
The Sheriffs Office website has a form you can fill out to request a sticker that you place in the lower left corner of the rear window of your vehicle. This sticker tells Sheriffs Deputies that your vehicle is not normally driven between the hours of 1:00 am and 5:00 am.
It is important to note here that if a law enforcement officer observes a person operating or occupying a vehicle with this sticker during these hours, they will reasonably suspect that such person is in possession of said vehicle without proper authorization. This knowledge permits the officer to stop the vehicle and conduct an investigation. In these instances, police action will include the necessary precautions generally taken to protect officers when approaching a potentially stolen vehicle. If you work the night shift or normally drive between the hours of 1:00-5:00 am, this program may not work well for you.
