Night Latch Door Lock = left hand or right hand?

[usignuolo]

We recently had our front door lock replaced with a security night latch (by ERA). Our front door lock is on the left (seen from the street). This means it is on the right seen from inside.

The ERA night latch is designed to operate by pressing down the handle when the lock is installed on the left inside side of the door, the opposite way round from ours. To fit it onto ours, we have had to have the lock installed the other way up. This means the handle has to be lifted to open the door, not pressed down.

However the ERA lock also has a security feature, which operates when the handle is turned anti clockwise - it activates the deadlock snib (mini catch). This is fine if your lock is installed on the left hand side of the door inside, but if like us your lock is on the right hand side, you have to lift the handle to exit, and this is in fact pressing it anti clockwise so it deadlocks the door.

This is driving us mad. We have decide the lock has to go and be replaced by one which works the right way round for our door.

Most of the locks we can find, all claim to be suitable for fixing either side, but in reality only work by pressing down the handle if you install them on the left hand side of the door (seen from inside). We need one to work on the right. Can anyone recommend a night latch with a handle which presses down to open the door from inside, when installed on the left hand side of the door (seen from inside)?

 

[badgerchief]

most night latches are able to be fitted either way left or right
some i`ve fitted depend on the position of the key in the lock or in your case the handle when the latch is attached to the door have you got the model number for your current lock or a picture as i`m quite certain you need to remove and fit correctly rather than buy a new one

 

[usignuolo]

Well I have had a look at the ERA website and there is no part number, but it seems to be the first one in their Nightlatches section marked BS3632:2004 The website is www era-securityDOT comslash acrobat files slash nightlatches DOT pdft.

It does have installation instructions on the site, but the example used is for a left hinged door, and while there is a mention of drilling out the cylinder barrel for a left or right door, there is no mention of any other adujustments.

Looking at it it is hard to see how it could be adjusted. The instructions say turn anti clockwise to deadlock, and that assumes you have it fitted on a left hand door. All the ERA examples show left hand locks and there is no mention either of right hand versions.

,

 

[badgerchief]

i`ll have a look at the site and read instructions what i would try though is remove the latch body turn the key the opposit way before replacing the latch it`s normally as simple as that

by the way you can copy and paste links on this site unlike others!!

 

[badgerchief]

Well I have had a look at the ERA website and there is no part number, but it seems to be the first one in their Nightlatches section marked BS3632:2004 The website is www era-securityDOT comslash acrobat files slash nightlatches DOT pdft.

CAN`T FIND?

 

[usignuolo]

Here is the relevant page on the Era site:

http://www.era-security.com/nightlatch_chain.html

it is the second item on the page. "Double Locking Nightlatch"

And here are the installation instructions

http://www.era-security.com/instruction pdfs/Double Locking Nightlatch.pdf


Thanks

 

[badgerchief]

MMMMMM!
not much help i`m afraid

if the key is inserted into the inside barrell when latch is removed can you turn the key through 180` before replacing it ?

i didn`t relise you could insert the key into the latch aswell not that this should make a difference just means a better quality lock and therfore more likely to be adjustable

if what i`ve mentioned doesn`t work phone the technical support team
01992 490 050
and post the outcome the picture on the site shows it on the left so surely there is a way otherwise i`d complain as it says it will fit both ways!!!!

 

[HandyHands]

Deadlocking should be via the internal key (in the handle), not by moving the handle - otherwise anyone could release the deadlock by breaking a glass panel and reaching through. This leaves the handle to retract the bolt by either an up/down movement. I'm having trouble seeing how you're having a problem with this.

 

[badgerchief]

Deadlocking should be via the internal key (in the handle), not by moving the handle - otherwise anyone could release the deadlock by breaking a glass panel and reaching through. This leaves the handle to retract the bolt by either an up/down movement. I'm having trouble seeing how you're having a problem with this.

do you agree then it should be able to be fitted as i`ve suggested by altering the position of the key in the cylinder ? that`s all i`ve ever had to do

 

[HandyHands]

All the internal cylinder does is deadlock the handle, so it cannot be moved, and therefore it cannot retract the latch bolt. These locks are not handed, and are designed for either left/right handed installation. Either it's been fitted incorrectly, or the user cannot operate it correctly.

 

[badgerchief]

mmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[usignuolo]

OK - I don't know how we should be using it any differently. The problem we have is that when we press the handle down to open the door, it engages the secondary latch, and locks it open - just as if you were putting it on the latch. Then we cannot shut the door. Pressing the little button on the lock to keep it "on the latch" has the same effect.

According to the instructions, which are for fitting on a left hand door, pressing the lever down opens the door, pressing it up locks open the secondary latch. This is what we seem to be doing only in reverse, on our right hand door.

I have seen pictures of the lock's packaging, and it shows examples of the locks fitted on both right and left hand doors. On the right hand door the fitting itself is shown clearly rotated 180 degrees from the left hand example.

This makes me think there must be some internal adjustment needed to reverse the way the handle is used, to make it press down without locking, for use on right hand doors.

ERA's website is no help and I have emailed their technical support. I wonder if it may actually be a faulty lock, I did read somewhere they have had problems with some of their locks in manufacturing.

 

[usignuolo]

PS I think I may be confusing the issue by referring to the problem as being deadlocking - it is in fact that the secondary latch on the latch lock is locked in the out position whenever you open the door by pressing down the handle.

Deadlocking is achieved by turning the key in the lock twice, which means even if a thief breaks the glass, they cannot reach in and open the door using the lever.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

ERA's website is no help and I have emailed their technical support.

As mentioned, just ring 'em up, thats what their technical helpline is there for. Ask for their technical department, if they ask, say your a builder and want some technical advice on fitting one of their locks, otherwise the bint who answers the phone might fob you off.