Please can anybody help me, my upvc back door lock (the main bolt part in the middle) is stuck in its open position. The handle and all the little locks running up the side of the door are working fine but the bolt in the centre is jammed open. The key is stuck in the keyhole and won't turn, I've tried to remove the barrel myself but it won't come out as it seems to be stuck on something.
Some helpful advice would be really appreciated, I've been ripped off in the past by locksmiths...it cost me nearly £200 to have a barrel replaced once, if only I'd looked on the web first I would have found out that it's so easy to do & would cost about £6 to do myself!!!!

LittleB, February 2009

L am stuck in the house ,
door locked shut can't open it.

Irene, April 2015

the barrel is secured in place by a screw located directly in line with the bottom of the barrel on the side of the door and also by a lug which is in the barrel itself. when the key hole recess is in the vertical position (i.e when there is no key inserted) the lug will be in an offset position so it can not be pulled out even when the screw in the side of the door has been removed.
the key needs to be in the 1 or 11 o clock position (depending on which side of the door it is) in order for the lug to be central with the barrel thus allowing the barrel to be removed.
as your key is stuck, the barrel will have to be drilled out. to do this you need to drill through the barrel directly under the key hole using an 8mm steel drill bit, drilling a pilot hole is recomended first. this will drill through the retaining lug hence the barrel will now come out.

save you a couple of 100, March 2009