Door Lock Fix

Now that this has happened a second time I figured I better make a post about it in case anyone else encounters the problem. Back in May we started having an issue with the lock on the door handle. (Not the bolt lock.) It became hard to lock or unlock it inside or turn it with the key from the outside. I took it apart but couldn't for the life of me figure out what was causing it to be stuck. Thinking it was defective I got in contact with not only the lock company but also our service manager since we were only about a month out of the comprehensive warranty at that point.

The fix turned out to be stupidly simple. On the outside of the door handle there is a small hole with a hex screw inside. (What the arrow is pointing to in the photo below.) Over time it becomes loose and makes it hard to turn the lock. Tightening that little screw is all it takes to fix it.