Yale latch jammed

[sj]

One of my housemate's Yale rim latch has jammed shut, and I am not sure what the problem could be. The latch looks identical to this one:
http://www.metrolocks.co.uk/images/rim01.jpg
except the cylinder is Evva.

The key turns the barrel, but it a bit sticky where it would normally disengage the bolt, in both directions. The door opens about 1cm, but then stops. Normally these doors are very easy to slip the latch, but when I try to do this, I can make contact with the bolt but can't move it.

Any ideas what has gone wrong and how it could be fixed?

Thanks in advance.

[acl]

Snibs dropped id imagine.I take it this is an internal door?
Andy

[sj]

Snibs dropped id imagine.

Yes, that sounds plausible - the occupant thought he had put the snib on when he left, but evidently it wasn't. Maybe it was partially on. Would that explain the door opening a little bit? The doors aren't hung very well so it is possible it does that anyway, but it seems a lot worse than the rest of the doors in the house.

I take it this is an internal door?

Yes, that's right.

Is there anything non-destructive that can be done, or is it a matter of drilling out the screws holding the latch on? If it is non-destructive I will do it myself if I can, but anything else will need the landlord's permission. Although it is the landlord's problem, nothing will happen likely happen until Monday and the occupant would like to get back in sooner.

[quicklocks]

if the snib has dropped theres a few things you can do heres a couple +1
1. does the door have a letter box. if it does you may be able to move the snib with some wire or a pipe with thw correct bends on it.
2. this one is destructive and you will need to replace the whole lock. drill the retaining screws from off the cylinder so it can be removed then you will be able to see the lock case through the hole take a 32mm steel hole saw and drill the lock case till you just break through. throgh this hole you can with alittle bit of fiddleing move the snib up and draw the latch back
you will need to replace the whole lock
3. call a locksmith

[gazzaull25]

it could be the bar that connects to the back of the night from the lock may of popped out the hole where the bar goes into the latch. ive been to a really worn 1 like that b4 and that was the proplem
had to take out the screws from the outside holding the cylinder in place

[acl]

Would probably slip in that case. Doubt its got a letterbox if its internal door. Unlikely this is going to be nondestructive although i would persevere with the mica .
Andy

[Shrub]

Make sure you are not slipping the latch that stops the main latch moving,

If the door is moving a bit it says to me that the fit isnt all that good, you may find that a crow bar wrapped in cloth or even better an air wedge could move the door to the hinge side enough to open it.

[acl]

Id say the reason its moving a bit is that the latch will sometimes give a bit even if the snibs on ,get a tough bit of mica and rock the door backwards and forwards fairly hard.
I have slipped 3 Yale No 2s this week alone .Does anyone fit these things properly?
Andy

[Shrub]

If that fails perhaps a steel ruler or somthing if you can get it in,

[sj]

does the door have a letter box. if it does you may be able to move the snib with some wire or a pipe with thw correct bends on it.

Unfortunately not. It does have a peep-hole and I have heard of tools which can go in through there and perhaps lift the snib. I don't have one of these though.

this one is destructive and you will need to replace the whole lock. drill the retaining screws from off the cylinder so it can be removed then you will be able to see the lock case through the hole take a 32mm steel hole saw and drill the lock case till you just break through. throgh this hole you can with alittle bit of fiddleing move the snib up and draw the latch back
you will need to replace the whole lock

Yes, I was thinking something like that might be the only way, but I'll have to leave that to the landlord's descretion.

call a locksmith

That may be what will happen. The landlord does have a maintenence guy, but I don't know how good he is with locks.

[sj]

Make sure you are not slipping the latch that stops the main latch moving,

The locks in this house don't have these. if they did I wouldn't be able to slip the latch in them.

If the door is moving a bit it says to me that the fit isnt all that good, you may find that a crow bar wrapped in cloth or even better an air wedge could move the door to the hinge side enough to open it.

I am not sure exactly what this door is like normally. If it always opened 1cm then the fit is incredibly bad - much worse than the other doors in the house. That was why I thought the lock might have popped off, or the bolt has come off the rails inside the lock. The crowbar suggestion is good, but I don't think I can risk the damage.

[Shrub]

If you cant get the peephole to unscrew smash the glass they are very cheap to replace, use a wire and fish for the snib, i also know there is a way/tool to do this through the peephole but i dont know it either sorry.

[sj]

Id say the reason its moving a bit is that the latch will sometimes give a bit even if the snibs on ,get a tough bit of mica and rock the door backwards and forwards fairly hard.

That might be worth a shot - I'll try it out. Another possibility, which is a little destructive, is to push through door stop, which would allow something a lot stronger then mica to get through. Again not something I would do, but if the landlord's maintenence guy is looking for suggestions, I could mention that.

[chopitup]

What is this snib you speak of?

[Shrub]

Its a little button on the back of a nightlatch which if moved when the latch is open it holds it open and if moved when the latch is released it stops the latch moveing to the open position.