Find Out How To Open A Schlage Lock With Dead Batteries (Even Without A Key)

Have you ever come back home to find that your smart lock batteries are dead? If it had happened to you, I am sure you would have instantly looked for the physical key to the lock. But what if you find out that you forgot to carry the key with you and are now locked out of your own sweet home? Not a great situation to imagine yourself in, right? But what if this imagination becomes a real-life situation? Well, that’s what happened to me some time ago.

I returned from a vacation to Mexico with my family, and upon reaching my doorstep, I found out that my Schlage lock batteries were dead. To my dismay, I had forgotten to carry the physical key to the lock. As a result, we were locked out of our home. Trust me; it wasn’t a great experience for a home security expert like me. But as you would have guessed, I could solve the issue with the help of my expertise and, of course, a little research. Hence, I decided to write this article about how to open a Schlage lock with a dead battery.

The Schlage locks are designed in a way that makes them difficult to pick. As a result, the locks cannot be unlocked easily without a key. However, a battery jump-start can help you unlock your dead Schlage lock without a key in times of emergency. You can do so by making contact between a 9V alkaline battery and the contact points of the lock, ensuring the negative and the positive terminal of the battery are properly connected.

So whether you forgot to carry the Schlage lock key or are using a model that does not feature a physical key, the jump-start method will help you unlock your lock in a few minutes. 

In this article, we will discuss the process of unlocking your dead Schlage lock so that you don’t remain locked outside your home like I was.

Can A Schlage Lock Be Unlocked If The Battery Is Dead?

A Schlage lock, dead battery, no key! This may not be an issue if your lock is unlocked, as you can simply replace the batteries of the Schlage lock. But the issue sounds like a nightmare when you are locked outside your home. The Schlage smart locks use a locking system of removable pins with additional combination dials at the back of the lock, making them hard to pick. Consequently, it is difficult to unlock a Schlage lock without a key if the lock batteries are dead. 

Well, this does not mean that the issue of ‘Schlage battery dead and no key’ cannot be resolved. It is possible for a Schlage lock user to unlock the dead smart lock without a key with the help of a 9V battery.

However, if you do not have a 9V battery, you will not be able to jump-start your Schlage lock, and you may have to opt for an alternative method to unlock the lock by drilling or removing the hinges of the door. But these methods are time-consuming and may also damage your door or the lock.

How To Open A Schlage Lock With A Dead Battery

It is less likely that you will land up in a situation where you have to look for how to open the Schlage lock when its batteries are dead. Much before your Schlage lock batteries are dead; you will notice a flashing yellow light upon entering the user code to unlock the lock indicating low batteries. When your Schlage lock batteries are critically low, you will notice a flashing red light on your Schlage lock keypad. 

However, if you have been ignoring the issue of your Schlage lock blinking red, the chances of your getting stuck locked out of your home are high. In that case, you will have to try the jump-start hack to unlock your door lock. You will require a 9V alkaline battery for the same. In case you do not have a 9V battery, you cannot use the given troubleshoot to unlock your Schlage lock.

Here’s how you can open a dead Schlage lock without a key.

• Step 1: Locate the contact points below the bolt throw. They are usually placed below the touch screen.
• Step 2: Place a 9V alkaline battery at the located contact points. Ensure that the points are matched correctly. Continue the contact of the battery into the lock contact points until you hear three beeps and a red and a green light flash.
• Step 3: After powering the Schlage lock, enter the primary user code or the guest user code to unlock the lock. 
• Step 4: Rotate the thumb turn or turnlock to open the Schlage lock completely. It is noteworthy that the lock will remain unlocked until you replace its batteries.
• Step 5: Replace the batteries of your lock. You will require a Phillips-head screwdriver to carry out the process.. Follow the steps given in the article about Schlage smart lock battery replacement to change the batteries of your lock.

The above hack works for Schlage encode locks and other Schlage keyless locks. The steps for the procedure are also mentioned in the Schlage user manual if you wish to refer. The troubleshoot is personally tested by me and will most certainly ensure that your dead smart lock is revived to unlock.

FAQs

Q1. Are Schlage locks difficult to pick?

Answer – The Schlage smart locks use a locking system of removable pins with additional

combination dials at the back of the lock, making them hard to pick. Consequently, it is difficult to unlock a Schlage lock without a key if the lock batteries are dead. 

Q2. Why is my Schlage lock blinking green light but won’t unlock?

Answer – Usually, there are two main reasons why you would see a green light on your Schlage lock that won’t open i.e. either your Schlage lock is on vacation mode or it is not installed properly. 

Q3. Why do I see a red light on my Schlage keypad when I enter the correct code on my Schlage lock keypad to unlock the lock? 

Answer – A flashing red light upon entering the code on your Schlage lock keypad indicates that your lock batteries are low and need to be replaced. However, if the red light is solid, you may be entering an incorrect user code to open the lock.

Q4. Will the Schlage electronic lock still work if there is no power? 

Answer – Since all Schlage smart locks are battery operated, the locks will continue to work if there is no power.

Conclusion

Being locked out of your own home because you did not change the low batteries of your Schlage smart lock may be undesirable, but it is possible. Though a Schlage lock warns about low batteries much in advance, it is not uncommon for users to ignore the alarm. However, using a 9V alkaline battery, it is possible to jump-start your dead Schlage lock so that it can be blocked using the user code before the batteries are replaced. The article must have guided you if you were looking for how to unlock a dead Schlage smart lock without a key. 

If you have more questions about Schlage locks, write to me in the comment section.