How to open stack on safe when battery dies

Also in this case, the difference depends on the quality of the product. A good quality safe warns well in advance when the batteries are running out, so that they can be replaced well before they are completely flat.

But the differences between a good quality electronic safe and an unreliable one do not stop there. One of the features of well designed and manufactured electronic safes is that the battery consumption is constant and gradual, thereby avoiding the unpleasant situation in which until the day before the warning the batteries seemed to be charged and then just a few days later the safe will no longer open.

Nevertheless, especially if the safe is rarely used, the batteries can run out without the user having had time to replace them. In this case, there can be two alternatives.

Safes with emergency key

There are electronic safes with emergency keys which allows them to be opened even when the batteries are flat.

However, as we have seen, this solution poses the problem of where to keep the key, because if a thief manages to find it the safe can be opened. The harsh truth is that there are no truly safe places in which to keep the key of a safe. Also, if there were such a place we were confident that the thief would not discover, then we could use it directly to store the items of value. An effective solution may be that of keeping the key in a place other than that where the safe is installed, for example in the home of a relative who lives nearby.

Safes with external contacts

In an attempt to minimise the risk it is therefore possible to choose an electronic safe without an emergency key. In this case, the safe must be equipped with external contacts on the keypad or a socket to which an external backup battery can be connected if the internal battery stops working. In this way, it is always possible to enter the code and open the safe.

Biometric safes

Of course, the external backup battery is only a solution when the problem is that the batteries are flat. It is, unfortunately, useless if you are unable to open the safe because you forgot the code. If you can’t rely on a good memory, a solution might be to choose a safe with a biometric lock, such as the Viro Ram-Touch II, which, in addition to the codes, can also be opened by means of fingerprints. These are unique characteristic of every person which do not change over time and there is no risk of them being forgotten.

If the safe is well designed and manufactured it is not a problem if the batteries run out. They can usually be replaced in time and even if they do run out the safe can be opened by using an emergency key or an external backup battery. This one more reason to choose a good quality safe.

Electronic safes are secure and handy. You don't need a key and they can be accessed much faster than a typical combination lock. Unfortunately, an electronic safe left unattended for too long may lose enough battery power so the keypad doesn't function. Safe manufacturers understand that this can happen and provide alternatives for opening the safe.

Backup Key

Step 1

Slide open the key pad to reveal the underlying mechanism.

Step 2

Place the manufacturer’s backup key that came with the safe into the keyhole.

Step 3

Follow manufacturer’s instructions for the proper direction and method of turning the key.

Step 4

Open safe.

Battery Replacement

Step 1

Replace the battery with a fresh one. The keypad has now defaulted to the original factory combination.

Step 2

Call the manufacturer with the serial number of the safe and obtain the factory default combination, or look for it in your “important papers” file.

Step 3

Key in the proper combination.

Step 4

Open safe.

Writer Bio

Jack Burton started writing professionally in 1980 with articles in "Word from Jerusalem," "ICEJ Daily News" and Tagalong Garden News. He has managed radio stations, TV studios and newspapers, and was the chief fundraiser for Taltree Arboretum. Burton holds a B.S. in broadcasting from John Brown University. He is a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Navy/Navy Reserves and the Navy Seabees.

00:00the battery in my stack on gun safe

00:02recently died as a result I was unable

00:05to open this safe using the keypad also

00:08I lost the key which is the lesson don't

00:11lose your key so I was unable to get

00:13open this gun safe I did learn though an

00:17easy way to open the safe in the case I

00:19didn't have a key or a functional keypad

00:23I'll show you that right now

00:25the safe is locked I want to give it a

00:29whack should open what I'm gonna do with

00:34this knob here is keep it in this

00:36orientation before I hit the safe hit

00:40this and immediately turn clockwise

00:42you'll see why later and the safe is now

00:52unlocked let's learn why that happened

00:58to learn why that happened I'm gonna

01:00pull off this cover it's one screw

01:03holding this plastic cover on expose

01:09here's electronics and the lock

01:12mechanism lock mechanism is kept in the

01:14locked position

01:15I just turned the knob by the solenoid

01:19the solenoid is a little plunger that

01:22moves in and out this plunger retracts

01:26when this magnetic oil is activated

01:29allowing you to unlock your safe so by

01:32turning the knob as I explained earlier

01:35after I immediately hit the safe what

01:37happens is I'm hitting the safe that

01:40causes this plunger to bounce

01:43upward and then as soon as I hit this

01:46safe causing the plunger to bounce

01:48upward I rotate the knob clockwise

01:51recall that allows me to open up the

01:55safe right when this solenoid bounces

01:58upward so to correct this problem in the

02:01safe you could put a stiffer spring

02:03inside the solenoid assuming your power

02:06still allows you to retract this spring

02:08just by trial and error you can measure

02:10that so put a differ spring or

02:14maybe change your mechanism up here a

02:15little bit I can't open it by bouncing

02:20up your solenoid so I hope this allows

02:23you to get into your safe if you no

02:27longer have your key or your battery or

02:29alternatively I hope this allows you to

02:31fix your safe so you no longer have this

02:35defect

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