The entry door of our house has always been a massive concern for us because it is small and quite an inconvenience. I have never liked the classic door lock, which is old and starting to rust. The only reason I do not prioritise upgrading the entry door is that it still functioned well.
Instead, I have recently talked to a locksmith, and he said my current lock system was not safe at all. Then, we immediately replaced the old classic door lock with an electric lock, and the result was incredible. In this post, I will give honest thoughts about having an electric door lock and the basic steps to follow if you want to install one.
What are some benefits of installing electric locks?
No more “Did I lock the door?” freak out
I remembered a time when my family and I was mid-way on a road trip, and my mind started wandering and asking: ”Did I lock the door?” We ended up travelling all the way back just to make sure it was locked.
With an electric lock system, you will no longer need to worry about leaving the door unlocked. It will just lock itself with a set amount of time. Some incredible electric lock models are even synced up to your phone via an app, and you can basically tell them what to do.
Never worry about losing keys
Have you ever lost your door key and need to call the locksmith to rekey it? I have been in that situation more than once, and it was terrible. So, what if you don’t need the key to lock and unlock the entry points of your house? That will make a considerable difference.
Electric lock systems do not require using the key, as a touchpad replaces it. Password locks are standard as you will have to remember the set of number to unlock it. If you can afford the more expensive model, you can simply open it by scanning your fingerprint on the touchpad.
Giving permission to enter the house
Have any of you left your house key under the doormat or inside a flower vase in case someone needs to enter the house? If yes, then you should be careful. Thieves may know where you hide your house key. If not, you should start to consider spending some time to travel back from work mid-day just to let your children or relatives in.
Installing an electric lock system can help you reduce all that inconvenience and worries. Only the one with the password can enter the house.
A fantastic feature of my lock system is that I can control and change the password remotely through my smartphone. So, if any of my relatives or friends need to get in, I can give them immediate access. Besides, you can give someone a one-off entry and immediately change the password from your phone.
Key features to look for in an electric door lock
To be honest, I don’t feel familiar with the term “electric door lock” and its features. However, I do think there are incredible benefits added to the electric lock systems these days.
The one feature that I love is the automatic lock. With an electric lock system, you can set the time for it to close. For example, I do not want to re-enter the password if I just go out to dump the trash. I can set it to 2 minutes, so it will lock if I do not open the door after the appointed time.
Another electric lock’s feature that I find amazing is syncing with other devices like smartphones, Home Assistant, or Alexa. This feature allows you to lock and unlock your house door from elsewhere, as long as it is connected to the wi-fi. If you have installed Alexa in your home, you can even control it using voice commands.
Furthermore, you can consider other features like the touch-id, light-up touchpad, face-id scan, and many more. Be sure to do some research to find the most suitable electric lock for your budget instead of spending over budget for unnecessary features.
How to install an electric door lock?
There are two options to install an electric lock on your door. You can either buy the lock and a DIY kit and figure it out yourself or get an electrician to set it up for you. I may give some suggestions, but it depends on you to decide which option is better.
Do It Yourself
Unless you are someone who has time and enjoys spending hours on a DIY project, I would not recommend this option. It took me a day to figure out which electric lock would fit my door, an hour to read the manual a few times and start to put things together.
Here is the process:
- Find a suitable door lock and purchase with a DIY kit
- Read the manual and understand it
- Remove the old doorknob and hardwear
- Measure the hole for the doorknob and make sure it fits the new lock
- Wiring it up and make sure the keypad is straight
Finding which lock is suitable for the size of our door was a huge problem when we first started. The process of searching, comparing prices, and reading reviews do take a lot of time. Once you purchase a suitable electric lock for the door size, you will have to follow what it says in the manual book. If any step is missing, you will have to redo the step. But, you will have to do it again from the beginning most of the time.
The only advantage you should consider choosing this option is that it is more affordable than getting an electrician to do it for you. You will only need to buy the lock and a DIY kit.
Call an electrician
If you feel like DIY projects are not for you, then just consider calling an electrician over, and everything will be ready for you within minutes. After setting it up for you, the electricians will run some security checks to ensure it is properly installed and meets all safety requirements.
Here is the process:
- Find a trusted electrician and give them a call for replacing the door lock
- Show the electrician which door you want to replace the lock
- Make the payment
Unlike installing the electric lock yourself, getting an electrician to do the setup makes the process simpler. While you may have to pay an extra amount for service fees, electricians also do some security checks to ensure it is correctly installed. Some companies offer warranty services which they will send someone to check the status of the electric door lock and fix it if necessary.
You may have to spend some extra effort looking for trusted electricians. But the benefits those electricians offer will be worth the money.