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Fitting a smart lock you have already bought
The lock is in its box. What you need is somebody to check it suits the door, fit it properly, and set it up so the household can actually use it.
Before you open the box
Most locks we are asked to fit were bought online, and most of them will go on the door. The ones that will not usually fail on one of three things: how thick the door is, the distance between the handle and the keyhole on the existing mechanism, or the cylinder.
Every lock lists what it needs on its spec sheet, and we measure the door against it. Send the model name off the box and a photo of the door edge with the door open, and we will tell you before booking whether it fits. If the box is still sealed, keep it that way until then — it is far easier to send back.
What differs between Yale, Nuki, TTLock and Tuya
Yale. Yale's UK smart locks for uPVC and composite doors, such as the Conexis range, replace the handles and work the multipoint mechanism already in the door, so that mechanism has to suit them. We check the gearbox and the handle spacing first.
Nuki. A Nuki fits over the cylinder on the inside of the door and turns the key for you; nothing changes on the outside. It needs a cylinder that still works with a key left in the inside, and not every cylinder does, so we check and change it if needed. On a door that locks by lifting the handle, the handle still has to be lifted by hand.
TTLock. TTLock is an app used by many lock makers rather than one brand, so the hardware and its build quality vary. Fitting depends on the lock itself; setting it up is the same app every time, and remote access needs a gateway near enough to the lock.
Tuya. Locks that run on the Tuya or Smart Life app are similar: many makers, one app. Some connect over wifi directly, others through a Bluetooth or Zigbee hub, which changes what has to be set up on the day.
What fitting covers
Checking the door and its mechanism, fitting the lock and any cylinder it needs, setting up the app account in your name, adding the household's codes or fingerprints, and showing whoever uses the door how it works.
If the door needs adjusting before the bolts will throw cleanly, we tell you what that involves, and what it adds to the price, before doing it.
When we leave it in the box
If fitting the lock would leave the door weaker than it is now, or the door would have to be cut in a way that cannot be undone, we say so before starting rather than after.
- Is it cheaper to buy the lock from you?
Fitting bought with a lock from us is half our usual rate, so it can work out that way. But if you already have a lock that suits the door, there is no reason to buy another.
- Do you fit locks bought from Amazon or eBay?
Yes, as long as the lock suits the door and arrives undamaged. If it comes with no brand, no instructions and no app we can set up, we will tell you we cannot stand behind it.
- Will I still be able to use a key?
That depends on the lock. Most of the ones we fit keep a key override; a few rely on the battery alone. We tell you which yours is before fitting it.
Have the model name to hand?
Send it with a photo of the door edge and we will say whether it fits before you book.
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