Sometimes we wonder when we live in a flat of multiple apartments and when something goes wrong across all the units, how does the person who’s down to repair is able to get into all these apartments with just a single key. Sometimes, even for over a hundred apartments, there is only one key being used. This is what we call the master key. Although our locks might be all different, and might come in various shapes and sizes, the locks are made in an interesting way such that a single key can be designed to access through all of them. This useful and at the same time dangerous tool is used often in times of maintenance works and emergencies like fire outbreaks.
Using the main design of locks to help design the master key
Such a common lock design is called the cylinder lock design where there is a cylinder which is turned by the key which in turn turns something called the cam at the back. When the cylinder is turned to one direction, the cam turns in the opposite direction to release a bolt behind it which then snaps a spring to ensure that the door is locked into position. Making use of this common design of locks is how a master key is made.
Types of master keys
There are four further subtypes of master keys that can be made from a basic lock design. The first would be the great grand master key, the grand master key, the master key and the final one would be the sub-master key. According to their names, each key has a different level of power and access across the different rooms or units in the building. The more common ones would be the master and the sub-master keys, and for each building these two keys would be a must to make. With an option, you can opt to have the great grand master key and the grand master key as well.
Benefits of having a master key system
The biggest and most obvious advantage is having the access to various units in the buildings which come with various different locks and keys. This is important in times of emergencies like fire outbreaks, and even when you need to get mass access to all the units in order to repair a big electrical or plumbing fault that affects most or all units. In an industrial setting, having such a master key system would help you allocate the supervision roles to different people. Master key could stay with the store manager while the sub-master keys could be with those lower down the hierarchy so that they have sufficient access to complete their job scopes but not too much of access which might be unnecessary and dangerous.
Are there any disadvantages?
The biggest fear and bad side of having a master key system is losing the key. If it gets into the wrong hands then you would need to quickly replace all the locks in your place to make sure that the basic system with which the master key operates is now changed. This could be very time consuming and not to mention, very expensive. To find out more about Eagle’s Locksmith Cincinnati company visit our home page for extra tips and services we provide in the greater Cincinnati, OH area.