MetaChat - Help help help, my bathroom is locked shut

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16 March 2009

Help help help, my bathroom is locked shut I don't know what happened, but I need in!→[More:] I can't figure out how this happened- I've been home alone all day, I don't lock the door when I'm home alone. But I go to the door, and no dice. So I took the doorknob off the door, and saw the part where you can lock or unlock the door with a screwdriver, but locked or unlocked (I can feel it go from locked to able to turn), the lock is not coming out of the wall, and the door is not opening. Heeeeelp me.

post by: ThePinkSuperhero at: 15:18 | 26 comments

Summon up all your stregnth and bust it down.

posted by jonmc 16 March | 15:19

Jesus H., Triangle! Let Stynxno make in peace!

posted by Lipstick Thespian 16 March | 15:21

If busting becomes necessary, remember that doing it with one's shoulder is one of those dumb things that they only do on TV. You'll be able to deliver far more force with far less risk of injury by kicking.

posted by Joe Beese 16 March | 15:22

What kind of lock is it? Push button, or turny thing?

posted by mudpuppie 16 March | 15:22

Which way does the door swing? Can you slip the catch with a plastic card? You may have to post some pictures.

posted by Ardiril 16 March | 15:22

Wha'bout the hinges? Are they on your side? The bolts come out with a little muscle.

posted by loiseau 16 March | 15:23

I'll have you know that I'm keeping a permanent list of every one of you that isn't here for me in my time of need! I don't believe in karma, so your punishment will be administered manually!

The lock is a turny-thing. The door swings in.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 16 March | 15:23

Instead of turning the disassembled mechanism, can you slide it towards the side of the door with the hinges? Push to the left (or right), in other words.

posted by mudpuppie 16 March | 15:27

Here's a picture of what things look like. As you can see, I took the doorknob off the outside of the door. It

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 16 March | 15:29

doesn't move from side to side, but it moves in and out. Should I push the doorknob into the bathroom? I would only get to do that once, so I'm hesitating.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 16 March | 15:29

I DID IT. I DID IT. A few kicks and some jiggling and the door is open. Praise the Lord.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 16 March | 15:31

Well done. :)

posted by plep 16 March | 15:32

You might end up pushing the knob out anyway -- it's going to be hard to reinstall the exterior knob without being able to hold the interior knob in place.

posted by mudpuppie 16 March | 15:32

Maybe this is your punishment for not fixing my electricity problem! I'm on day 4 with no heat or hot water over here!

I suspect it's not going to help nor hurt to push the knob in, since it just controls the locking mechanism. But this is a tough one... it's hard to imagine this in a 3D space.

posted by loiseau 16 March | 15:33

Oh -- never mind!

posted by mudpuppie 16 March | 15:33

Oh hooray!

posted by loiseau 16 March | 15:33

Yay for kicking! Good work, TPS!

posted by Elsa 16 March | 15:34

Both doorknobs are now sitting on my desk. Not sure why the door didn't open for so long once I unlocked it; it may need to be replaced. I've lived here for 3 years, if it was just a case of my being stupid, I'm sure I would've locked myself out of the bathroom long before this.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 16 March | 15:34

/deletes longform instructions

On preview: never mind.

Nothing like a few good kicks.

posted by Ardiril 16 March | 15:36

Yeah, sounds broken.

posted by mudpuppie 16 March | 15:48

Glad you got in, TPS. Sorry your doorknobs are on your desk.

posted by LoriFLA 16 March | 15:52

You know, you might want to tape over the bolt while the knob is off -- it can be hard to open/close the door without it.

posted by mudpuppie 16 March | 15:59

Ah ha, yes, good idea.

posted by ThePinkSuperhero 16 March | 16:03

Check to make sure the plate that is on the door jamb is nice and tight. If it has worked out a bit, there may not be enough clearance for the latch to go by. That is one thing I found with an annoying door knob in a very similar condition.

posted by mightshould 16 March | 16:15

See, this is why you keep empty coffee cans around....*snicker*

(In all seriousness, my great grandma had no indoor plumbing. They had real honest to goodness chamber pots with lids, that were emptied into an outhouse. As a child I stayed at her house a couple of days a week, and it was like going back in time. She had a real pump too, for water. Good times, good times. )

posted by bunnyfire 16 March | 18:21

Now hurry up, so I can read the sports page.

posted by terrapin 18 March | 18:38

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