Padlocks and the cold don't go terribly well together. All padlocks, especially
Prevent Freezing
Use a lock deicer or wrap locks in insulating materials when not in use to guard against freezing. Keep locks dry by avoiding water exposure and using protective covers.
Spraying your locks with WD-40 helps to prevent moisture build-up inside the mechanism, which would otherwise freeze over a cold night. If you're expecting freezing temperatures, spray some WD-40 into your lock and the lubricant will take care of things.
Moisture inside the lock can freeze if temperatures drop low enough.
Stop locks freezing with some WD-40
To begin, with tilt your padlock where you have clear view of the lock mechanism, comfortably grip your WD-40 Multi-Use Product and spray a small amount. This will coat the metal components to deter moisture from gathering or pooling. Allow a few seconds for the solution to set in.
Apply lubricant sparingly. A very light spray(aerosol) or a few drops (pen oiler) is all that is needed. Allow lubricant to drain deep into the lock. Tapping the lock on a table will distribute the lubricant inside the lock and loosen frozen or sticking parts.
Conclusion. Encountering a frozen lock can feel like an inconvenient roadblock, but understanding the problem allows you to tackle it effectively. Rubbing alcohol emerges as a viable option to unfreeze a lock due to its moisture-displacing properties.
The keypad can get wet during hot and cold conditions and this can alter its effectiveness. Moisture can change into a liquid (water), or solid state (ice) and the latter can cause the buttons to jam or the entire pad to give a faulty command once the codes are entered.
A door lock mechanism is complex, fiddly, and vulnerable to jamming. In wintry weather, locks can become stiff and difficult to operate, whilst moisture can create rust and cause the lock to stick and prevent your door from locking.
And that's where the problem of locks freezing during cold weather comes in. For ice to form in a lock, three factors must come together: water, cold, and a movement of warm, moist air from the inside to the outside.
To open a standard Master Lock combination lock (1500D): Turn the dial 3 times to the right and stop on the first number of the sequence. Turn the dial to the left, past the first number of the sequence, and stop on the second number. Turn the dial to the right and stop on the third number of the sequence.
Use Graphite Powder
In freezing conditions, graphite powder is a far better and safer way to grease your lock. Because you don't need much, this comes in a tube and is very easy to apply to your door locks. Simply dip your key in for a light coating, then gently slide it in and out of your lock to secure it.
Isopropyl alcohol becomes increasingly viscous with decreasing temperature and freezes at −89.5 °C (−129.1 °F). Mixtures with water have higher freezing points: 99% at −89.5 °C (−129.1 °F), 91% (the azeotrope) at −75.5 °C (−103.9 °F), and 70% at −61.7 °C (−79.1 °F).
Lubrication is an important factor that provides the necessary door lock functions. Grease all rubbing surfaces of the locking mechanisms on average once every 6 months. Spray a small amount of lubricant into the keyway. Insert the key without turning it.
To unseize a lock your need plenty of WD-40 (or something similar, but don't use things such as 3 in 1 oils, PTFE, or Graphite). Key goes in but does not turn: Using the WD-40 with the straw attached to the nozzle spray a large dose into the lock and leave for a few minutes.
Top of our list is PTFE lubricants. Polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, is a Teflon-based lubricant that dries inside the lock to leave behind a non-stick, water-repellent film on all the surfaces.
The best way to prevent frozen locks is to make sure they are lubricated – They won't attract moisture so they won't freeze. Using a spray graphite door lubricant will do the job.
B'laster Fast-Acting Lubricant & De-Icer is a dry lubricant that loosens and lubricates. It quickly frees up stuck or frozen locks in commercial, automotive and marine applications and equipment. Its fast-acting dry formula won't attract dirt.