Have you ever wondered how the janitor accesses all offices with only one key? Or does your landlord access all flats with only one key? Well they use the master key for that. A master key is a key that operates a lock or a group of locks. A Master key system is suitable in areas where there is restriction to a group of locks. The master keying system can be very complex where they involve multiple master, grand master and sub-master keys. There are different master keys depending on which locks and the level of access that is required. Read on to know these types of master keys and how they work and why you should get yourself a master key. Special thanks to the guys at tigardlocksmith.org for all the helpful information.
Designs of the master key
The type of lock will be the one to determine the type of master key that will be used in every situation. Each type of lock has a unique feature that will use a different type of master key system which can be by either components to the master key or modification of the master key. The following are some of the master keys systems that are available:
2 level system
This is the simplest master key system and it has only two levels of keying. Each one operates in a single lock or locks that are alike. The key is called a master key which is considered the lowest level of master keying system. When the master key is being designed they are given two letters which start at the beginning of the alphabet for instance it can be given “AA”. When master key is used as a change key there are numbers that should be added to the alphabet. In the 2 level master keying system the number comes first before the letter. The letters and numbers will be used as the key symbols.
3 level master keying system
It is a 3 level key system which involves more than 2 level systems that are tied together under the grand master key. In a 3 level master key system there are only given one letter to help identify the key combination that is correct for a certain door or a group of doors.
4 level system
This master keying system ties two or three 3 level master keys under one key. This key is called the great grand master key. This mainly is suitable for the large business and the movement in the building should be considered when choosing the great grand master key. The key symbol for the grand master key is letter A. Letter A is preferred since it cannot be confused for other letters and numbers and only a single letter is used. In buildings that have more grand master keys that are being used it is advised to use a rotation number between the letters of the keys symbols. This will help in the identification of the grand master key.
Why you need to have a master key
If you want a higher level of security you can choose a master key that uses a cylinder system. This will enable the use of the change keys and you can also use the master key for the same lock. This is mainly beneficial in business organization where the workers can use their change keys for their own locks while the manager can use a master key for maintenance purposes since he or she can access all locks. This helps in monitoring of your space efficiently and accurately. The master key will also help to ensure that accessing of some of the areas is restricted this will help reduce the number of keys that need to be distributed to the employees which will help improve security of the business by minimizing potential theft.
Master keys do not have an extra price for them. The vendor of the master key will only charge the set up fee and the other charge you will pay the same price you would have when using the standard keying system.
A master key can help you access an area in case of emergency situations. For instance when there is a fire outbreak in a building and there people trapped inside.
Master key helps you to maintain a record on the number of keys that are in possession with other people.