mystery with opening door. (monitor, lights, vision)
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The only thing I can think of is a bad lock. You might try changing it and see what happens. You can get a new lock with keys for around $10.
I use it everyday, locks and unlocks with no problems, door is snug when closed/locked.
It hasnt happened the last few nights, although I still want to get a motion activated recording device set up, so when it does happen, I will have it on video as its happening.
There is a guy on another forum, that has had similar things happen, but his liked to make a bunch of noise, he said he got the impression it was just trying to scare him, and one day when it was making noise, he yelled out that, if thats all you can do, Im not going to pay any attention to you anymore, he still had random things happen, but he just ignores it now and doesnt pay any attention.
Are the doors, hinges, doorknobs, latch and locks the original hardware?
I can't say I've ever heard of any bedroom doors with locks requiring a key. Bathroom doors, exterior doors, yes. But on bedroom doors? That's a new one on me - not saying there aren't any like that.
The house of my parents was built in the late-1940s or early 1950s. No locks on bedroom doors. What kind of neighborhood is your house located in? Residential? The 'Burbs? Urban? Semi-commercial? Near industrial?
Any train tracks nearby, or heavy traffic?
Another question. Is the lock still in the locked position when the door is found to be open? Do you pull on the door to be sure it won't open?
Are there any other bedroom doors with locks on them?
Maybe you already said, but when did all this start happening?
I'd suggest to first inspect the door latch, both on the door and on the door frame. What I'm getting at is that, even though you lock the door with no hassle, it's still possible the locking mechanism is sticking sometimes. If you can remove the cover on the doorknob, or wherever the lock is located, squirt some lubricating or graphic oil. Give the keyhole a squirt too. It'll be a lot cheaper to do than buying a security camera system, and you'll know if that solves the problem or not.
If that doesn't help, the a security camera system might help determine what's going on, or at least give you some reassurance that things are okay.
Some people have suggested a few types of security cameras. Stay away from any cheap "as-seen-on-television". Most of those don't work as advertised. Some systems can be pretty high priced and (in addition) require a subscription to a security network. Others may need to be connected to a computer.
We have a Defender Phoenix Digital Wireless System with two cameras and a monitor. The cameras work fine during the day, and automatically engage infrared lights for clear viewing at night. It includes an 8GB SSD card for the monitor. You can transfer data by putting the SSD card into the port on your computer. The system includes 2 cameras (and mounting hardware), but you can add up to 2 more cameras if you want (I think they're around $99 each) The monitor can display up to 4 cameras.
The monitor also contains the built-in software that can let you access options and settings onscreen. It's menu driven. I bought it online from Walmart and bought a service plan as well. I get various promotions by email, and they tend to drop the price on items that you've looked at on their website. Current price is showing to be about $160. I waited until the price dropped to about $120.
There is a bit of a learning curve to setup the program to suit your needs and preferences. Also, the higher the resolution and the more cameras you add on, the faster it fills up the SSD card. You can find SSD cards with a lot more storage space, if 8GB isn't enough. You can also set it to record in color or just black and white. And you can set the time for it, either continuous, or whatever time and days you want it to operate. A manual is included. You can also set it so that it only records when something is moving (motion detection sensor). No point having it run all the time, when most of the time nothing is happening.
The cameras and monitor each require power to operate. Cables are included. I think the cameras can be used outdoors as long as they're protected from the elements. We use ours indoors only. We've had ours for about a year, and I'm still learning about other features, but generally I think it's pretty well set to do what we're most interested in having it do. I've been pretty please with it and the price was reasonable. The nice part about Walmart is if you don't like it, you can return it locally within 30 days (I think) for a refund.
I'd recommend searching the net for other brands and prices as well to help you decide what you prefer.
Are the doors, hinges, doorknobs, latch and locks the original hardware?
I can't say I've ever heard of any bedroom doors with locks requiring a key. Bathroom doors, exterior doors, yes. But on bedroom doors? That's a new one on me - not saying there aren't any like that.
The house of my parents was built in the late-1940s or early 1950s. No locks on bedroom doors. What kind of neighborhood is your house located in? Residential? The 'Burbs? Urban? Semi-commercial? Near industrial?
Any train tracks nearby, or heavy traffic?
Another question. Is the lock still in the locked position when the door is found to be open? Do you pull on the door to be sure it won't open?
Are there any other bedroom doors with locks on them?
Maybe you already said, but when did all this start happening?
I'd suggest to first inspect the door latch, both on the door and on the door frame. What I'm getting at is that, even though you lock the door with no hassle, it's still possible the locking mechanism is sticking sometimes. If you can remove the cover on the doorknob, or wherever the lock is located, squirt some lubricating or graphic oil. Give the keyhole a squirt too. It'll be a lot cheaper to do than buying a security camera system, and you'll know if that solves the problem or not.
If that doesn't help, the a security camera system might help determine what's going on, or at least give you some reassurance that things are okay.
Some people have suggested a few types of security cameras. Stay away from any cheap "as-seen-on-television". Most of those don't work as advertised. Some systems can be pretty high priced and (in addition) require a subscription to a security network. Others may need to be connected to a computer.
We have a Defender Phoenix Digital Wireless System with two cameras and a monitor. The cameras work fine during the day, and automatically engage infrared lights for clear viewing at night. It includes an 8GB SSD card for the monitor. You can transfer data by putting the SSD card into the port on your computer. The system includes 2 cameras (and mounting hardware), but you can add up to 2 more cameras if you want (I think they're around $99 each) The monitor can display up to 4 cameras.
The monitor also contains the built-in software that can let you access options and settings onscreen. It's menu driven. I bought it online from Walmart and bought a service plan as well. I get various promotions by email, and they tend to drop the price on items that you've looked at on their website. Current price is showing to be about $160. I waited until the price dropped to about $120.
There is a bit of a learning curve to setup the program to suit your needs and preferences. Also, the higher the resolution and the more cameras you add on, the faster it fills up the SSD card. You can find SSD cards with a lot more storage space, if 8GB isn't enough. You can also set it to record in color or just black and white. And you can set the time for it, either continuous, or whatever time and days you want it to operate. A manual is included. You can also set it so that it only records when something is moving (motion detection sensor). No point having it run all the time, when most of the time nothing is happening.
The cameras and monitor each require power to operate. Cables are included. I think the cameras can be used outdoors as long as they're protected from the elements. We use ours indoors only. We've had ours for about a year, and I'm still learning about other features, but generally I think it's pretty well set to do what we're most interested in having it do. I've been pretty please with it and the price was reasonable. The nice part about Walmart is if you don't like it, you can return it locally within 30 days (I think) for a refund.
I'd recommend searching the net for other brands and prices as well to help you decide what you prefer.
The thing that caught me was that the lock button turned from locked to unlocked. I can come up with a million scenarios for the door to open, but none of them can unlock the door. And he were walking in his sleep, he’d sure as heck wake up when he hit the floor from slipping on baby powder, or he’d see his foot prints heading to the door.
Like you, I wondered about the key lock. Most indoor locksets are not keyed, just a hole in or around the knob outside to unlock the door, in case of emergency. Takes a thin flathead screwdriver. Got good at unlocking them when an elderly resident by habit closed her bathroom door tight as she left the bathroom and her arthritic hand was pushing the lock button as she opened the door from inside. She wasn’t even aware she was doing it. After we figured it out she stopped totally closing the door, just pulled it near to closed.
But, people rent out rooms, and people might want keyed locks, so who knows?
The thing that caught me was that the lock button turned from locked to unlocked. I can come up with a million scenarios for the door to open, but none of them can unlock the door. And he were walking in his sleep, he’d sure as heck wake up when he hit the floor from slipping on baby powder, or he’d see his foot prints heading to the door.
Like you, I wondered about the key lock. Most indoor locksets are not keyed, just a hole in or around the knob outside to unlock the door, in case of emergency. Takes a thin flathead screwdriver. Got good at unlocking them when an elderly resident by habit closed her bathroom door tight as she left the bathroom and her arthritic hand was pushing the lock button as she opened the door from inside. She wasn’t even aware she was doing it. After we figured it out she stopped totally closing the door, just pulled it near to closed.
But, people rent out rooms, and people might want keyed locks, so who knows?
I think rstevens62 indicated that the lock uses a key to unlock the door from outside, but from the inside, it's locked by twisting a knob (I think). Not sure if that means the doorknob, or if there's sort of a twist knob for a heavier lock. rstevens62 also mentioned having locked the lock from the inside, and discovering later that it was unlocked. My first guess would be to see if the lock's mechanisms are messed up. If the lock uses any springs like some padlocks do, it might be faulty and slips causing the lock to unlock. If it's a lock that works like a deadlock bolt, might be worn allowing it to occasionally slip open. Some lock have teeth that might be worn allowing it to slip open. It's hard to guess what the problem is without seeing it. But I think checking the lock first would be a lot cheaper than buying a security camera system, especially if the lock still manages to unlock itself.
You're right about locks on doors in rooms for rent. I remember people renting such rooms. Most of the houses like that were large two-story houses that were around 75-100 years old. I remember one old house with rooms for rent also had an underground bomb shelter in the yard that a guy I knew rented for $5 a month. They were probably built for large families, or used as a residence and office. I can't say that I've ever seen any houses from the '50s that had rooms for rent, or locked bedroom doors. But that's possible.
Another alternative for rstevens62 is to have a locksmith come out and take a look at it. All we know is that the problem seems to center around the lock.
Are the doors, hinges, doorknobs, latch and locks the original hardware?
I can't say I've ever heard of any bedroom doors with locks requiring a key. Bathroom doors, exterior doors, yes. But on bedroom doors? That's a new one on me - not saying there aren't any like that.
Yup. My mom had a house dating from the 40s or so that was like that. Actually, the lock for my bedroom door was keyed the same as for the garage door.
My former partner's old house was like that, too (not sure when it was built). His bedroom door locked.
Yup. My mom had a house dating from the 40s or so that was like that. Actually, the lock for my bedroom door was keyed the same as for the garage door.
My former partner's old house was like that, too (not sure when it was built). His bedroom door locked.
I still have the keys for both.
Thanks. I just never been in a house with locked bedroom doors, except for much older, but nicely built, "rooms for rent" houses. In any case, I'd still think inspecting the lock would be a good idea to do first because that's what has been described as the main problem.
Never put down talcum powder. First of all it contains asbestos. Secondly rather than foot prints you might find hoof prints. And what are you gonna do then??
Never put down talcum powder. First of all it contains asbestos. Secondly rather than foot prints you might find hoof prints. And what are you gonna do then??
At this point, most talcum powder is actually cornstarch. No talc. But still very slippery.
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Solly says — Be nice!
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