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Sentry Fire Safe Won’t Open, It’s Broken! Can’t Unlock Fire Safe
By lighthouse
Pictured above, a sentry safe that failed to open after the combination numbers were pushed and the little plastic piece that disabled it.
So I called the sentry safe company, (800-828-1438), and waited for about 10 minutes to speak to a representive, (that was alright since I have a speaker phone). The first thing they asked me was about the condition of the batteries. I told them that they were brand new. The person then asked about the brand name and expiration date of the batteries. They were generic batteries, but the expiration date was fine. They suggested a new set of batteries, and mentioned that I could bypass the battery pack, (which sometimes fails), by unplugging the pack and using a regular 9 volt battery.. So just to cover the base, I went down to the store and obtained a brand new 9 volt duracell battery. I unplugged the battery pack and plugged in my new battery. I then pushed the combination numbers and my safe again failed to open.
I called the sentry company back using my speakerphone feature again while waiting to speak with a technician. The tech asked me about the batteries and I told him it had a new 9 volt at the last technician's recommendation. The person began to talk about the actuator cylinder inside the safe, stating that it did not sound like it was actuating. Then they told me something that really made me wonder about the quality of this safe. They told me I would need to hit the safe with a rubber mallet in an attempt to get the actuator to engage so I could open the sentry safe. OK, so the safe is supposively built to keep my belongings safe from thieves and fire, but now I am going to fix it with a rubber mallet? Good thing my sentry safe was inside, somebody might have wondered about my mental state if they had seen me beating this fireproof safe with a rubber mallet! (PS: If you use the rubber mallet option or any other suggestions that sentry's customer assistance supplied, and have firearms or dynamite in your safe, you do so at your own risk, use wise judgement for your own safety)
Well it just so happens that I had a rubber mallet and did not need to once again go to the store to get something to personally fix my great sentry fireproof safe. So I begin beating the sentry safe with this mallet and then tried the combination again. Woolah, It opened! I stopped for a moment and began to ponder how many other things I could fix with this magical rubber mallet. I mean, what about the TV, the computer, my fridgerator and that cell phone that always drops calls? Could it be that I have discovered the fix all to all mechanical issues? As I began to look at my belongings in my fireproof safe that I have just opened with a rubber mallet, I thought "so if I close the safes door will I need a sledge hammer next time"?
Time for another phone call, back to the speakerphone. The technician this time listened to my issue and asked me if I had some lubricant like WD-40 with a small tube that attaches to nozzle. I thought, "well of course I do, I was just using that to fix the broken water pipe in the garage." The phone tech tells me where to spray the lubricant on the inside of the sentry safe door. He has me do this in the open and closed combination positions, and it's now opening when I press the combination numbers with the door open, hurray! The only problem is that after working in the lubricant a few times the handle on the door does not lock into the locked position. I no longer need the combination to unlock my safe, I only need a can of lubricant! OK, this is one really tough safe, what thief would ever think that they would need a rubber mallet and a can of silicon lubricant to open up a safe?
Back to the speakerphone, this time a lady technician. She wants me to get a screwdriver and pry off the plastic piece on the back side of the door. At this point I said to her, you have built a product that I need to have a rubber mallet, a can of 3 in 1 spray lubricant, and a screwdriver to open? She stated that she was doing all she could to help me fix my safe and asked me how long I had owned the safe. I told her about 2 years and she stated that it was out of warranty. I thought, well who needs a warranty when they have a magical mallet, a can of black led, and a screwdriver? Anyway she directs me to pry the plastic backing off of the door and when I do this little piece of plastic falls out onto the floor. I look at this little plastic piece pondering in my mind, what's it's part in all of this. Well the technician is directing me to look at the arms and gears and some arrows that line up between the metal arms and plastic gears. What's wrong with that picture? Metal and plastic don't really work together long before the plastic breaks. I had to wonder for a moment, is this some really expensive fireproof plastic? The arrows line up and with that information she directs me to the area of the actuator again, she says "you see the circuit board" and a little white button that sticks out from it?" I said well yes, I see the circuit board and the little white button you are talking about seems to be laying on the floor broken off. So I picked it up and said, "this little broken piece of plastic that connects to the metal arm on the safe is why the safe does not work right?" She tells me yes that's the problem, that i have broken it and since it's out of warranty that there is nothing she can do to help me. But she then asks me to hold on for a moment…..
She comes back to the phone sounding sincere, like she has just solved all my problems, and tells me that she has spoke to her supervisor and that they can offer me 10% off on any safe that I would like to purchase. I thought what great customer service, now they want to sell me another safe with metal and plastic pieces that break and give me a huge discount of 10%, and I bet it comes with a free maintenance kit which includes a polo stick, some lard oil, and a screwdriver on the rocks! Needless to say I declined their gracious offer.
I will say that all the organizations personnel, (that I spoke with), were courteous and trying to be helpful, (that was within the realm of authority they were given). With a product such as this, and the great customer service I experienced, I thought it was probably best to find a safe that was free of little plastic pieces that break off, cause those plastic pieces won't save you 10% !
Topics: Kick It To The Curb | 112 Comments »
August 10th, 2010 at 11:54 pm
My husband and I have just spent some time fooling with a "stuck safe" from the office of a non-profit organization we support. We eventually got it open; he then took the back off the door to see what mechanisms were inside.
His descriptions and photos can be seen in this document: http://menkescientific.com/InsidetheSentryFiresafe.pdf
His advice is: the first time your safe causes problems, get it open (however you can — new batteries, rubber mallet, whatever). Don't wait – take the back off the door and fix what needs to be fixed in the mechanical set-up. As in all products, there are compromises between price and quality. But a mechanically-minded person can fix the hardware inside the Sentry safe.
August 6th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
I SAWED IT!!!
My 4 year old sentry safe just stopped working last weekend. The key code registered just fine, but the handle would not turn. I was not able to get a response from Sentry Safe's phone number or email listing. Thank goodness for this site. I would have paid a locksmith over $100 and now I have a new saw!
I tried the 9 volt battery and hitting on the door of the safe with a rubber mallet. Neither worked. Then I began thinking about a locksmith vs sawing the safe. Someone on here said that they used their Sawsall to cut through the safe. Why not? Went to Lowe's (bought the damn safe at Home Depot) and bought a 12 volt Dewalt reciprocating saw for around $120. Also got some metal cutting blades.
I have never in my life used any type of electrical saw. I sat the safe on the garage floor and faced the door to my right. I then began sawing through the safe parallel to the door frame, about 1 inch behind where the seam to the front of the safe was. If I hadn't been so afraid of cutting off my hand or damaging something in the safe, I would have had the safe open in under 1 minute. I used 1 saw blade. It was still sharp when I had finished. There were no fragments/shrapnel that flew off during cutting. There was a lot of claylike putty in the interior of the safe. This made quite the mess on the garage floor and on the saw itself. After sawing all the way around the safe, I used a crowbar to pry open the part I had cut off (mostly the front door and 2-3 inches of frame). Everything in the safe was fine.
That was one of the most satisfying things I have ever done.
Good luck all and be "Safe"
Sounds like “Tim Allens” solution!
August 1st, 2010 at 4:47 am
EVERYONE, I READ THIS GUY'S ARTICLE AND NOT ONLY THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY, I WAS ABLE TO OPEN MY SAFE WITHOUT CALLING SENTRY SAFE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I AM DOING THIS, BUT I THOUGHT I HAD TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION TO EVERYONE. ONCE YOU HAVE THE DOOR OPEN, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GREASE THE GEARS. IT IS STUPID THAT SENTRY SAFE DOESN'T GREASE THE GEARS SO AFTER A WHILE, THE GEAR CAN GET STUCK. THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO USE A RUBBER MALLET TO LOOSEN THE GEAR. YEAH, IT'S PLASTIC, BUT IF IT WAS GREASED UP, IT WOULDN'T BE SUCH A PROBLEM. MINES IS OPENING SMOOTHLY NOW AFTER I GREASED THE GEAR. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO REMOVE THE BACK PANEL WITHOUT BREAKING ANYTHING. TAKE YOUR TIME AND USE A BUTTER KNIFE TO PRY THE DOOR OPEN. I WISH I CAN PUT A FEW PICS UP HERE, BUT IF YOU NEED IT, HIT ME UP AND I CAN SEND THEM TO YOU.
NOTE FROM EDITOR: Everyone’s issues are not the same, you can’t fix broken parts with grease. Happy you got it open though!
July 31st, 2010 at 11:42 pm
I'm still laughing about this, albeit a little less than an hour ago. I had the same problem happen this afternoon on a 5 year old safe that had the door open for the last two years. That's due the the only good thing about the safe which is that it holds the moist air inside REAL well. My wife decided it was time to close the door and start using the safe again today. Too bad she didn't test the lock out before putting everything in the safe and locking it…and THEN trying to open it. Nope. Wouldn't budge. The solenoid normally makes a faint click when you enter the correct combination on the keypad, but not today. No clicky, no open. Then I found this site. Grabbed the mallet and whacked the snot out of the door two or three times. Voila!!! Door opened. Tried again with the door open and it worked. Tried again and it didn't. Hit it with a shoe and it opened. Needless to say, this thing is getting opened up tomorrow and I'm gutting the electronic lock portion. That's only to make due until I get around to getting a real safe.
Thanks for the site.
July 31st, 2010 at 11:40 pm
I’m still laughing about this, albeit a little less than an hour ago. I had the same problem happen this afternoon on a 5 year old safe that had the door open for the last two. That’s due the the only good thing about the safe which is that it holds the moist air insode REAL well. My wife decided it was time to close the door and start using the safe again today. Too bad she didn’t test the lock out before putting everything in the safe and locking it…and THEN trying to open it. Nope. Wouldn’t budge. The solenoid normally makes a faint click when you enter the correct combination on the keypad, but not today. No clicky, no open.
Then I found this site. Grabbed the mallet and whacked the snot out of the door two or three times. Voila!!! Door opened. Tried again with the door open and it woked. Tried again and it didn’t. Hit it with a shoe and it opened. Needless to say, this thing is getting opened up tomorrow and I’m gutting the electronic lock portion. That’s only to make due until I get around to getting a real safe.
Thanks for the site.
June 21st, 2010 at 2:15 am
Thank you all for your advice; after several tries – the rubber mallot work; I don't know if I want to use the safe again. It looks like Sentry has a huge quality curve to overcome…
June 19th, 2010 at 1:38 pm
I TOO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY SENTY ELECTRONIC SAFE FROM DAY ONE, BUT NOW IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE PROBLEM OPENING IT IS BECOMING MORE DIFFICULT. WITH SEVERAL CALLS TO SENTRY I TOO OPEN THE SAFE USING A RUBBER MALLET AND AFTER REPEATED TRYS ,SO FAR, I GET IT OPEN. WHAT A PIECE OF JUNK. I GUESS THEY ARE STILL SELLING THE SAME PROBLEM. I WOULDN'T RECOMEND A SENTRY TO ANYONE.