Locksmith in Palma de Mallorca 24-hour emergency service

24-hour emergencies: +34 600 590 000

The Panys Forts emergency number is +34 600 590 000, answered 24 hours a day, every day, across Mallorca.

When you call, have this to hand so we can quote and bring the right parts:

• The exact address, and whether it is a flat, house or business.
• What has happened: door slammed shut, key turned in the lock, key snapped inside, lock forced.
• The type of door if you know it: timber, reinforced or armoured, and the make of the lock.

During shop hours you can also call +34 971 246 665 or drop in at Bisbe Pascual 22. We speak English.

Opening doors without breaking what does not need breaking

A door that has simply slammed shut on the latch can almost always be opened without damaging the lock or the door.

If the key has been turned in a security lock, it is a different job: sometimes the cylinder has to be sacrificed to get in. If so, we explain beforehand and fit a new cylinder there and then so the door locks again.

We will ask you to show that you live there: ID with the address, a tenancy agreement, a utility bill or a neighbour who knows you. It is a small hassle, and it is what stops a locksmith opening a home for the wrong person.

Lock and cylinder changes after a theft or lost keys

If you have lost your keys, had them stolen or do not know how many copies exist, changing the cylinder is the quick, affordable way to take back control of your home.

On most doors there is no need to replace the whole lock: swapping the cylinder, the part the key goes into, is enough. If the lock has been forced or is very old, we will tell you and give you both options.

Times we recommend changing the cylinder even when nothing has happened:

• When you move into a property you have bought or rented.
• After building work during which several people had a key.
• When an employee or cleaning company stops working for you.
• In holiday lets, when the property manager changes or guests lose keys.

Anti-bump and high-security cylinders

Lock bumping is a technique that uses a modified key and light taps to move the pins in the cylinder. It is quick, leaves little trace and works on many standard cylinders.

A security cylinder should resist at least bumping, picking, drilling and snapping or extraction. In Europe cylinders are graded under EN 1303, and it is worth asking for the grade before you buy.

As the official Fichet dealer, we fit Fichet high-security cylinders:

• Orio: patented bi-directional pins, protection against picking, drilling and pulling.
• 787 Z and 787M: the 787 Z has a hardened steel guard against sawing, drilling and pulling; the 787M uses magnetic technology against picking.
• F3D: a patented three-dimensional profile that cannot be reproduced outside the factory.

All come with 4 keys and an ownership card, so nobody can have copies made without your card.

Armoured door repairs

Panys Forts repairs armoured doors in Palma: doors that rub, locks that are stiff to turn, bolts that will not engage, keys that catch, and locks damaged in a break-in attempt.

Often the problem is not the lock but a door that has dropped. Modern armoured doors have adjustable hinges, and a timely adjustment stops the lock working under strain and eventually failing.

On Fichet doors we use original parts. On other makes we first check which parts are available and tell you whether a repair is worth it or whether a new cylinder or lock makes more sense.

What to do after a burglary

After a burglary, do not go in if you think someone may still be inside, and call 112.

Then, in this order:

• Do not touch or clean anything until the police arrive: there may be fingerprints.
• Take photos of the door, the lock and any disturbed areas.
• Report it to the police. Your insurer will ask for the police report to handle the claim.
• Tell your home insurer as soon as possible and ask what they need from you.
• Call us on +34 600 590 000 to have the property secured that same night: new cylinder, temporary repair or emergency closure.

Once the emergency is over, it is worth checking how they got in. If it was through the lock, a security cylinder is usually enough. If they forced the frame, the problem is the door itself, and that is when we talk about reinforcement or an armoured door.

How to avoid locksmith scams

Most emergency locksmith rip-offs can be avoided by asking three things before any work starts.

• Ask for the total price on the phone or before work begins: call-out, labour, parts and any night or bank-holiday surcharge. A reputable locksmith can give you a figure or a firm range.
• Ask for the company name, address and tax number (CIF). Be wary of adverts with just a mobile number and an address that does not exist.
• Insist on a VAT invoice that lists what was done and what was replaced. Without one you have nothing to dispute and nothing to send your insurer.

Other warning signs: drilling straight away on a door that has only slammed shut, replacing the whole lock when a cylinder would do, or a price that changes at the end.

Panys Forts is Panys Forts S.L., CIF B07644040, with an open shop at Bisbe Pascual 22 in Palma.

Where we work

The 24-hour emergency service covers the whole of Mallorca: Palma and its neighbourhoods and the rest of the island. It does not cover Ibiza, Menorca or Formentera. When you call, we give you the price over the phone before we set off.