Home Security Tip – Keyless Lock, the security rules.

by David Skeet

I changed the old rim lock on our house door to a dead bolting keyless lock. Everything was fine for about a week, then as I was entering the code I noticed a number written in ball pen on the door frame.

The number seemed familiar, it should have because it was the same number I was entering into the lock. Yikes! What was the code for our keyless lock doing there for all the world to see?

The culprit was easily found, it was our 13 year old son. We had drilled into him the importance of not telling anyone the number and how important it was to remember the number. We would have trusted him with a key, so saw no problem with trusting him with the code.

He took the warning about remembering the code to heart, he did not want to be shut out. He had written the code on the door frame in case he forgot it. When it was pointed out that anyone could read the code and so open the lock, he replied that a burglar would not know the number was the code. Oh the innocence of youth!

The code has been changed and my son now knows not to write it down anywhere. My tip is that when you install a security device, such as a keyless lock, make sure that all members of your family not only know how it operates, but understand all of the security rules. Youngsters without the experience of life may not think in the same way as adults.