Safe Combination and Lock Change in Milwaukee

When to change a safe combination

A safe combination change in Milwaukee makes sense more often than people think:

• A new or used safe. Many new safes ship with a factory code, and a used safe comes with the last owner's code.
• Someone who knew the code moved on. An employee, a manager, a roommate, or a contractor.
• The code was written down. On a note in a drawer, in a phone, or on the bottom of the safe.
• After an opening. When we open a locked safe, a new code is part of putting it back in service.
• Too many people know it. In a business, the code spreads with every shift.

A combination or code change usually takes 15 to 45 minutes, and a new lock about an hour.

Changing a dial combination

A dial lock is changed through the lock itself. Most dial locks need the current combination and a change key; we set the new numbers, then dial the new combination several times with the door open before anyone closes it. Testing with the door open is the rule, because a wrong new code with the door shut means an opening. If nobody knows the current combination, we open the safe first and then change it.

Changing a keypad code

A keypad lock has a master code and, on many models, user codes for other people. We change the master code, add or delete user codes, and test the keypad and its power while we are there. Business keypad locks can add a time delay, which makes the safe wait a set time before it opens, and dual control, which needs two codes from two people. We set these up the way your business works.

Replacing a safe lock

A new lock makes sense when the dial is worn and hard to turn, the keypad keeps failing, the lock was damaged in an opening, or you want a different kind of lock. Many safe locks share a standard mounting, so a dial lock can often be swapped for a keypad lock, or the other way around, without changing the safe. We work with Sargent & Greenleaf, LaGard, Securam, and other common safe lock brands, and we match the lock to the safe and to how you use it. Our answer on safe dial vs keypad compares the two kinds of lock.

Business safes and manager changes

In a restaurant, a store, or an office, the safe code should change every time a manager with the code leaves. A keypad lock with user codes makes that a quick job: one code is deleted and the rest keep working. Some business locks also keep a record of which code opened the safe and when. For the doors of the business, see our commercial rekey page.