Does Your Business Need a Master Key System?

Keys might seem small and light if you just have a few, but once they start to add up, you’re looking at a heavy, jangling keyring. Or are you? A master key lock system is one possible solution to dealing with too many keys. Within a master key system, a single master key can open multiple locks. Master key systems are especially useful when you need access to many different locked areas — such as within schools, hospitals, and storage facilities, to name a few.

Here’s how a master key system works. There are two types of keys: a pass key (also known as a change key), which only opens one specific lock, and a master key, which opens all the locks in a system. Let’s say you’re an apartment manager in Clearwater. Your tenants have pass keys that only open their specific apartment unit. However, when they request maintenance, you’ll be able to enter any unit — even if the complex has hundreds — with a single master key. A master key system designed by an experienced locksmith combines good security with good access for just the people who need it.

If you’re thinking about having a master key system installed in your Clearwater business, you’ll want to consider the following pros and cons:

Pros:

  • You can rekey individual locks without changing the master key. If a pass key is lost or stolen, it’s easy and inexpensive to have a locksmith rekey the single lock.
  • There are fewer keys to keep track of (and fewer keys to lose).
  • Significant cost savings on keys.
  • You can give different people different levels of access. Within a master key system, you can have sub-master keys that open all locks in a set without providing the full access of a master key.
  • Multiple locks or even buildings can be keyed to the same master key.
  • In an emergency,  anyone (e.g. firefighters, paramedics, etc.)  can quickly be given access to all areas.

Cons:

  • Keeping track of who has a master key is essential.
  • Losing a master key has greater consequences.
  • Poorly designed master key systems may result in pass keys that open the wrong locks or other security gaps.

Want to learn more about how a master key system could work for your organization? Call Pop-A-Lock Clearwater today at 727-275-9831 for more information and a free quote. As experienced commercial locksmiths in Clearwater, we have years of experience engineering and installing secure, durable master key systems.