- Keypad locks open with a code; smart locks usually add phone features on top.
- Change batteries on a schedule and keep a backup key with a neighbor or relative you rely on.
- A bolt that drags with a key will drag worse with a motor, so fix the alignment first.
Step 1: Know the difference before you buy
A keypad lock is usually a deadbolt or a lever lock with a number pad on the outside. You enter a code, the bolt moves, and you are in. Most models run on batteries and still have a keyhole as a backup. There is usually little to set up beyond the codes themselves.
A smart lock is typically a motorized deadbolt that adds features: locking and unlocking from your phone, locking itself after the door closes, temporary codes for visitors and a record of when the door was used. Many smart locks include a keypad too, which is why the two terms get mixed up so often.
- Keypad lock: code entry, usually batteries and a backup key, no phone needed
- Smart lock: code or phone entry, auto lock, visitor codes and a door history on many models
- Both: a lock that needs a well aligned door to work smoothly
Step 2: Check your door before you buy
Electronic locks are fussier than plain deadbolts about the door they sit on. The motor needs the bolt to slide smoothly, and the inside unit on many smart locks is bulky. A little time with a tape measure can spare you a return trip to the store.
- Door thickness, usually printed in the lock's instructions as a range it fits
- The size of the existing holes in the door and how far they sit from the edge
- Whether the current deadbolt slides in and out without dragging
- Whether a storm door or a nearby wall leaves room for the outside keypad and the inside unit
Step 3: Plan for batteries, codes and the app
Most battery powered locks warn you before the batteries give out, with a beep, a light or a message on your phone. The warning is easy to put off. Choose two dates a year, such as the weekends the clocks change, and replace the batteries then whether the lock is complaining or not. Most models also have a backup key or a way to power them from outside if the batteries die.
Codes are the other half of living with a keypad. Give each person their own code so you can remove one without changing everyone's, and delete a code once the contractor or guest who used it is done.
- Set a separate code for each person or service that needs one.
- Avoid birthdays, house numbers and simple patterns like 1234.
- Delete codes for anyone who no longer needs to get in.
- Wipe the keypad now and then, and change the code once in a while, so smudges and worn buttons do not give it away.
Some smart locks also connect to an app on your phone. Setting up the app and your accounts happens on the phone, and we go through it with you once the lock is on the door; we focus on the lock and the key, which means mounting the lock, aligning the bolt and testing it with the code and, if it has one, the key.
Step 4: Get it installed and tested
Our smart lock installation service covers keypad locks and smart deadbolts, whether you bought the lock already or want advice before buying. We mount it, line up the bolt with the strike so the motor is not fighting it, and test every way in that the lock offers, such as the keypad, the thumb turn and the backup key.
If the door has no deadbolt yet, we start with deadbolt installation, and our guide to choosing a deadbolt for your front door is worth a read first. For offices and back doors at work, our keyless entry systems service puts keypad and code locks on commercial doors.
What to tell us when you call
These details let us tell you on the phone whether your door and your chosen lock are a good match.
- Whether you already bought a lock, and what kind it is
- Whether there is a deadbolt on the door now
- What the door is made of and whether it has a storm door
- Whether the current lock drags or sticks
- The address and town, so we can tell you honestly when we can come
Call us at (484) 488-7719 and we will talk it through with you.
How to avoid this next time
Most keypad and smart lock trouble comes from three things: dead batteries, forgotten codes and doors that drift out of line. Each one has a simple habit to match.
- Change batteries on your two set dates, even if the lock has not warned you.
- Keep a written list of active codes somewhere private, and trim it often.
- Keep the backup key with someone you rely on, not hidden outside.
- If you ever do end up stuck outside, our guide to being locked out of your house covers what to do while you wait.
Questions people ask
Will a smart lock or keypad lock still work if the power goes out at my house?
Expect it to keep working, because most of these locks run on their own batteries rather than household power. The keypad and the motor carry on as usual during an outage. Phone features may pause if your home internet is down, but the code and, on models that have one, the backup key still let you in, so you can still get in at the door.
My keypad lock beeps and will not open, even when I type the right code. What should I do?
Change the batteries first, because a low battery is the most common reason a keypad lock beeps and refuses a correct code. Use your backup key to get in if the lock has one, then replace every battery with fresh ones of the same type. If it still refuses the code, call us and we will check the lock and the bolt alignment.
I already bought a smart lock online. Can you install it on my front door for me?
We install locks you have already bought, as long as they fit your door. Tell us what kind of lock it is when you call, and measure your door thickness if you can. If something about the door does not suit that lock, we explain it before any work begins, so you can decide what to do.
How often should I change the batteries in my keypad deadbolt so it never dies on me?
Change them on two set dates a year, such as the weekends the clocks change, even if the lock has not warned you. Use the battery type the lock's instructions call for, and replace all of them at once. If your lock takes a key, keep a physical backup key with a neighbor or relative, so a battery that fades early is only a small nuisance.
