Haha, totally feel you on the frozen lock thing—been there, chipped ice off that. One trick I've found helpful is to swap batteries every daylight savings time...makes it easy to remember and keeps those random glitches at bay. And yeah, even with the occasional hiccup, still beats fumbling around in the dark for keys or having to call a locksmith at midnight. Hang in there, sounds like you're doing everything right.
Good call on the battery swap timing—daylight savings is a handy reminder. If you ever hit another frozen lock snag, try spraying a bit of WD-40 or silicone lubricant inside the mechanism before winter hits...cheap fix that's saved me more than once.
"If you ever hit another frozen lock snag, try spraying a bit of WD-40 or silicone lubricant inside the mechanism before winter hits...cheap fix that's saved me more than once."
Funny you mention WD-40—I used to swear by it too, but last winter I finally bit the bullet and installed a keyless entry system. Honestly, it's been a game changer. No more fumbling around with frozen locks at 6 AM when I'm already running late. Installation wasn't too tricky either; took me about an hour, step-by-step, following the manual and a couple YouTube vids.
One thing I did notice though: battery life can vary quite a bit depending on the brand and weather conditions. I started marking battery swaps on my calendar, syncing them up with daylight savings like you mentioned. Makes it easy to remember and keeps things running smoothly. Still keep a can of silicone spray handy though—old habits die hard, and you never know when you'll need it for something else around the house.
I hear you on the battery thing. When I first switched to keyless, I underestimated how quickly cold weather drains them. Learned that lesson the hard way when mine died on a freezing morning...had to climb through a window (not my proudest homeowner moment, lol). Now I keep spare batteries handy and swap them out regularly like you mentioned. Still, totally worth it for the convenience—no regrets here.
Yeah, cold weather really does a number on batteries, doesn't it? Ever thought about insulating the keypad area somehow to help with that? Wonder if that'd make a noticeable difference... Anyway, props for handling the window climb—been there myself, haha.
