I bought a new home and one of the interior doors keeps on locking on itself. We finally were locked out and have no clue how to loosen the lock. Any ideas?
Hi @AHammer92,
Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.
It looks like you have a Gainsborough Bright Goldtone / White Classic Passage Knobset and looking more closely at your second photo, it looks like a Gainsborough Classic Series 309 Adaptor Kit has been fitted to convert the passage set into a privacy set.
There should be a release mechanism in line with the small holes you can see in the adaptor.
I'd try reinstalling the adaptor plate, then inserting a thin, rigid object through that hole and pushing it straight through towards the other side of the adaptor. If you can engage the release mechanism inside, it may disengage the privacy lock and allow you to turn the knob and open the door.
I'd use something appropriately sized and apply gentle pressure rather than forcing it. You may need to move it around slightly until you feel it engage with the release.
If that doesn't work, I'd try pushing and pulling the door slightly while turning the knob, just in case there is also some pressure on the latch from the door or jamb. Lifting the door from the bottom by placing a lever underneath the door and lifting can also help to release the latch if the door has misaligned slightly.
Once you have the door open, considering the lock has been engaging unexpectedly, I think replacing it with a new lock is likely the way to go. You don't want to risk the mechanism failing again and leaving someone locked in or out of the room.
Give this a try and let me know how you go. I can certainly assist further if required.
Jacob
