A non-locking knob can be purchased at a big box store for under $20, making it an economical option. To disable the lock on a push-button privacy knob, stick super glue into the lock tab to prevent it from turning. Ball catch locks the door closed but allows for easy opening by pushing or pulling the handle/knob. Turn-button knobs usually have a drive post that interfaces with the turn-button and extends to the latch.
Push-button knobs have a button on one side that locks the door when pushed in, while thumb-turn knobs have a small button that turns to the side. Both knobs have a tiny pinhole on the other side. To dismantle a locked door knob lock, try pushing and holding the button in and releasing the button quickly. Then, push or slide the lock mechanism in the opposite direction of the locked position.
Disabling the lock requires disassembling the lockset and removing the metal piece that engages the lock. Tape can be used as an easy/ugly way to do this, or disassembling the lockset can convert it into a non-lockable passage lockset. Dremel the inside button flat and fill the void with JB Weld.
Some other options involve dismantling the lock, removing two screws on either side of the knob, and sliding the knobs apart. The doorknob should pull apart into three pieces: the interior knob, the exterior knob, and the interior knob. Door knob covers can be used to cover the knobs, and a couple drops of super glue can keep them in place.
Tine flat screw-driver type tools come with a tiny hole in the outside knob to unlock the locks. Most common is to push a stiff metal object (e.g., a nail, small screwdriver, or heavy paperclip) to unlock the lock.
📹 Hack Your Knob: Discretely disable a privacy knob (2 of 2)
A followup to the now-classic #088 “Bedroom Lockout” video: how to disable the lock on a push-button privacy knob.
📹 How to disable the locking mechanism for a privacy bed/bath lock set without permanently damaging it
This video shows you how to disable the locking mechanism for a push-button bed/bath privacy lockset. This method is reversible.
Thanks mate. The move was super stressful… lots of snags with contractors, car delivery, etc. But the last shipping container is now in the driveway (with my large power tools inside) and we finally have found the towels, silverware, bed linens, and other essentials. Now I just need to set up a new filming spot so I can shoot some more proper picking articles!
I recently had to help a neighbor unlock a bedroom door that the kids locked “accidentally,” No one was in the bedroom so I had to use a screwdriver because they did not have the “tool” that usually comes with this type of lock. But I think your idea is best because having locks on interior doors always seemed like a horrible idea not only from a child safety standpoint but also for someone like my uncle Larry who often needs help and for him to be behind a locked door is not a good idea, especially after what happened last Thursday. Thanks you for this simple solution — I cannot wait to test it out. I assume the 3/8 washer is the size that fits over a standard spindle. I’m not sure that is what it is called, my wife calls it an axle but to me an axle is what holds my car tires together. I should say truck tires, we sold the car last year and bought a truck but I think the axles work the same in cars and trucks. I’ll ask uncle Larry, he knows about that kind of stuff.
The house we bought had the locking mechanisms for all interior doorknobs deactivated, except for the master bedroom and bathroom doors – leading me to believe it was done intentionally by previous owners and not a failure of the doorknobs. I wasn’t sure if there was a built-in way that was utilized to do this. Perhaps, they used this washer method. I’m hoping that when I open them up, they’ll all have washers that I can easily remove, so that I won’t have to go buy new ones. Thanks for the article!