Today's Signstek blog is about how to tighten loose doorknobs.

Everything has a lifespan, and doorknobs are no exception. After a period of daily use, maybe a few months or maybe two years, you'll come across a situation where your doorknob becomes loose, which makes it look like it's easy to break, which is certainly not what we'd like.

Fortunately, this is not a big problem, follow these steps and you can fix it yourself.

1. Confirm the type of door knob you have

First, we have to confirm the type of door knob you have, and depending on the type, there will be different ways to deal with it.

Depending on how the door knobs are fixed to the door and frame, the door knobs on the market can be roughly divided into two broad categories, one is exposed screws, and the other is hidden screws.

Door knobs with exposed screws:

The most common and traditional way is to use exposed fixing screws to secure the knob to the door lock set. Tightening this fixing screw of the loose door knob is fairly easy. You can see how the knobs are fixed to the door lock set, and how the entire door lock set is fixed to the door.

For example, Signstek's YL-99 electronic keypad door lock uses this assembly method. The following diagram is excerpted from the installation instructions of the YL-99 keypad door lock, the inner and outer door knobs are connected through the internal parts. Screws are not visible on the outside, and the fixing screws can only be seen inside the door.

Door knobs with hidden screws:

Hidden screw door knobs are a newer method of screwless fastening. It involves fixing the knob to the spindle and using hidden screws to attach the assembly to the door. A device called a detent is used to attach the unscrewed door knob to the screwless. The screws are hidden under the knob cover.

2. Remove the knob

Door knobs with exposed screws:

If you use an exposed screw type door knob, you must find the fixing screw that is usually located on the inside of the door. Using a screwdriver or hex wrench, loosen the fixing screw and remove the knob.

Door knobs with hidden screws:

To show the hidden screws, you must first determine the location of the detent access. A detent is a spring-activated pin that, when you find the pin, use a flat-headed screwdriver to press down on the pin and remove the knob from the spindle.

3. Remove the base

After separating the doorknob from the spindle, remove the base. Carefully pry the ring slowly loose using a flat-headed screwdriver to avoid damaging the back plate as it can damage the entire lock. 

4. Find the screws and tighten them

After successfully removing the ring, you should be able to see the screw set. They enter the outer back panel through the door from the inner back panel, which holds the entire assembly together. Hold the outer back panel to prevent it from moving, tightening each screw separately.

5. Restore the base and reinstall the knob

Snap the ring back to the back panel. You can now place the knob back on the spindle. Once completely on the spindle, turn the knob so that the hole aligns with the detent into place.

 

If you purchased a keypad door knob from Signstek and after completing these steps, you find that the knob is still loose, please feel free to contact us at service@signstek.com to inquire about your door lock issue.