Indicator light for unlocked deadbolt?

[lp2u]

Lots of people (mostly older) often forget to lock their door when entering. I'm looking for an indicator light that flashes to remind the inhabitants the door is unlocked. Can't seem to find anything so I may have to make it using some sort of battery powered light and a switch or 2. Any suggestions?

[lp2u]

It could also be easily powered off the wall by wires going across the hinge side of the door of course. And it could also have other lights in other rooms activated as well. Audio notification (like a beeping) could also augment the system.

[Squelchtone]

I like it, it's something I wanted to build for myself a long time ago. Not sure anyone actually makes this off the shelf but what I would do is have a simple circuit with a switch, resistor, and flashing red LED mounted in the door frame where the deadbolt goes into, and have a plunger switch mounted sideways which is Normally Closed, and changes to Normally Open when pressed, so the LED only flashes when there is no deadbolt pressing the plunger switch. A bad guy could stuff something in the deadbolt hole to turn off the light, but that's more of a concern I had for my install then for your example with old folks.

An easy solution I had was to use red and green nail polish on the thumb turn inside the door, so that either you saw a green dot if the thumb turn was turned with the deadbolt locked, or if the thumb turn and deadbolt were retracted it would cover the green dot of nail polish and reveal the red one, so you can see it from across the room easily without having to walk up and check it.

It would be cool to make something that anyone could add to their door and it had an opto sensor across the airspace the deadbolt normally occupies when extended into the door frame and it could be mounted to the door or door frame with a single screw and use a car alarm battery which would last a long time to flash an LED. if the opto sensor path was broken (meaning if the deadbolt was locked most of the time)

Were you here to ask us if such a product that you need exists already or to throw around ideas about making one?

Thanks
Squelchtone

[Squelchtone]

Hah, check this out, it mounts with foam tape to the thumb turn of most popular residential deabdolts, and it must have a mercury switch inside because you set the switch on top for left hand or right hand door and then it must sense tilt and lights an LED if it is tilted in the open deadbolt direction..

http://www.deadboltbeacon.com/Installation



Here's a patent for a deadbolt plate that has a roller plunger switch which gets pressed when a deadbolt passes by it.
http://www.google.com/patents/US20100313612?printsec=drawing#v=onepage&q&f=false


Hope this helps,
Squelchtone

[LockDocWa]

And if you don't want to look at the door to make sure it's locked:



We can discuss how much you love Kwikset in another post

[lp2u]

> An easy solution I had was to use red and green nail polish on the thumb turn inside the door, so that either you saw a green dot if the thumb turn was turned with the deadbolt locked, or if the thumb turn and deadbolt were retracted it would cover the green dot of nail polish and reveal the red one, so you can see it from across the room easily without having to walk up and check it.

Unfortunately the person in question needs something far more intrusive to alert him from his daytime slumber as he wanders around in a senile haze.

> It would be cool to make something that anyone could add to their door and it had an opto sensor across the airspace the deadbolt normally occupies when extended into the door frame and it could be mounted to the door or door frame with a single screw and use a car alarm battery which would last a long time to flash an LED. if the opto sensor path was broken (meaning if the deadbolt was locked most of the time)

Wow....I sure like that airspace idea. But simple switches are ultra cheap I found, like lever and reed types. And they require almost no effort to push which is crucial in this situation otherwise it will be harder to turn the key in the lock.

> Were you here to ask us if such a product that you need exists already or to throw around ideas about making one?

Making one. There's probably a market for this but its very limited. Online might work but its hard to describe so people can find it easily with a keyword search. There are so many ways of describing something like this unfortunately. And there are a billion websites out there selling cheap stuff for door that flood Google with hits. You've got some good ideas sir.

[ARF-GEF]

I think Bembel had some very bright ideas on the German forum.
I'm not writing them here, because I don't want to steal his thunder:)
They played around with the key so that the inserted key in the lock itself reveals wether it's left in the locked position or in the open.

The kwickset looks nice, a pity that it"s kwickset.. Or aren't kwicksets very insecure? I don't know American made locks which are not high security well unfortunately.
Maybe I'd get one if I could change the core in it to abloy or sth.
And I would feel better if the code would supplement the keyed lock but not overwrite it. But I don'T think that's an option. I think it would also be troublesome to install here in Europe.

red and green nail polish

I like that idea! If you want it to make more obvious paint the whole tumbturn half red half green. That's not too aesthetic but is definitely noticable from far away.

a simple circuit with a switch, resistor, and flashing red LED

Squelchtone if you do build it and you deem it DIY-able would you consider sharing it or would you like to sell them or so?

[fgarci03]

The kwickset looks nice, a pity that it"s kwickset.. Or aren't kwicksets very insecure? I don't know American made locks which are not high security well unfortunately.

If you notice that is a Kwikset Smartkey, wich is a pretty secure wafer with sidebar. Not top stuff. But pretty good. http://www.lockwiki.com/index.php/Smart_key

[2octops]

We've built them before from a small pressure switch inside the strike cut out.

Had a guy with several self serve laundry mats. His employee was supposed to go around and lock the doors at a certain time at night and unlock again in the morning. We hooked them up to a security light near the door. The owner would drive around at night and make sure the light was on (door locked) and again in the morning to make sure the light was off and his laundry was open for business.

Nothing special to buy. I think I got the switches at an appliance repair shop.

[Mikeh727]

And if you don't want to look at the door to make sure it's locked:

I have this same lock on the door leading from the garage into my house. I'm out of town right now so I can't test it but I'm pretty sure that it has flashing indicator lights on the inside to indicate if it is locked or unlocked. I can't remember how it works but I've seen flashing green and red lights. You can set different codes and always open the lock with a key. I'll test it when I get home and see what the lights mean. Flashing red may be low battery but I frankly don't remember. I'll check it when I get home and post it here. It was an easy install and relatively cheap so it may be an option.

-M

[ARF-GEF]

@2octops: thanks for the info
@ FGarci:Thanks for the info too (on Kwickset,) I know Kwickset Smartkey. I have currently an ASSA twin in my door and I don't want to let the standard sink. After all it's my hobby and it would be a shame to have a mediocre lock.
@Mikeh727: Is the core changeable? if yes to what kind of core? Also can it be programmed to require a codeand a key "simultaniously" too?

[Mikeh727]

@Mikeh727: Is the core changeable? if yes to what kind of core? Also can it be programmed to require a codeand a key "simultaniously" too?

I don't know if the core is able to be changed. But I do know that you CANNOT program the lock to require a code and a key simultaneously. It will open with a key OR the code, but you cannot tell the lock to require both. If I remember correctly, you can program it with an additional combination that allows a single access, such as allowing a service person to enter your home once. But it will only work once. The original combination persists.

[LockDocWa]

That particular type of Kwikset does not lend itself easily
to having the cylinder changed out to a higher security
cyl. I guess with enough money and engineering anything is possible.
But, again, this is Kwikset were talking about here. Low Budget Hardware.