Euro cylinders · explained · Manchester
The little brass thing your whole door depends on.
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- From £35
- Measured, not guessed
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- 20-30 min
Pull your uPVC front door open and look at the edge. That flat brass shape like a fat keyhole seen sideways is a euro cylinder. It is roughly the size of a chocolate bar, it costs between eight pounds and eighty, and it is the single component standing between the street and your hallway.
Measuring yours
Euro cylinders are sized in two halves, split at the central screw hole where the fixing bolt goes through. You measure from the centre of that screw hole to each end, in millimetres, and the sizes go in fives.
A cylinder written as 40/50 is 40mm on one side and 50mm on the other: 90mm total. Which side is which matters, so measure from the outside face first and say so.
The mistake that matters: a cylinder that sticks out more than about 3mm past the handle is a gift. It gives something to grip. If yours protrudes, that is worth fixing whatever else you do.
The three types
Double
Key both sides. Standard front door. You cannot open it without a key, which is secure and is also a problem in a fire if the key is not in reach.
Thumbturn
Key outside, twist knob inside. Better in a fire, worse next to glass, because an arm through a broken panel reaches the turn.
Half
Key one side, nothing the other. Garages, sheds, communal doors.
Snapping: the reason grades exist
A cheap euro cylinder has a fatal flaw. It is at its weakest exactly where the screw hole is, and that spot is accessible from outside. Grip the protruding end, apply leverage, and it breaks into two pieces, exposing the cam. The whole thing takes seconds and needs no skill.
A proper anti-snap cylinder is built to break where it chooses, in a sacrificial section that leaves the working part intact and still locked. See anti-snap locks.
Reading the grades
| Grade | What it means | Fitted |
|---|---|---|
| No marking | Whatever the window company had in the van. Snaps. | £35-50 |
| TS007 1-star | Some resistance. Needs 2-star handles to be worth having. | £45-70 |
| TS007 3-star | Anti-snap, anti-bump, anti-pick, anti-drill on its own. | £65-110 |
| SS312 Diamond | Sold Secure's equivalent. Insurers accept either. | £75-130 |
1-star + 2-star handles = 3-star. That is the bit people miss: a 1-star cylinder on its own is not enough, and a fitter who sells you one without the handles has sold you half a solution.
Repair or replace
A cylinder that is stiff, gritty, or needs the key jiggling is usually dirty or worn, not dead. Cleaning and re-lubricating is £35-60 and often buys years.
Replace when it has been snapped or drilled, when the key has broken inside it, when it protrudes past the handle, or when your insurer requires a grade you do not have. See insurance work.
Lock repair · Multipoint locks · Security upgrade
Questions people actually ask
How do I measure a euro cylinder?
Open the door and look at the edge. Find the central screw hole where the fixing bolt goes through the cylinder. Measure from the centre of that hole to each end separately, in millimetres. Sizes go in fives, so you will get something like 40/50, meaning 40mm on one side and 50mm on the other, 90mm overall. Which half is which matters, so measure from the outside face first and note that. If you are ringing us, that one number saves a second visit.
What does TS007 3-star actually mean?
TS007 is a British hardware standard that tests a cylinder against snapping, bumping, picking and drilling. Three stars is the top rating and you can reach it two ways: a 3-star cylinder on its own, or a 1-star cylinder combined with 2-star security handles. That second route is where people get caught, because a 1-star cylinder fitted with ordinary handles is not 3-star and does not meet the requirement. SS312 Diamond is Sold Secure's separate scheme testing much the same attacks, and most insurers accept either.
My euro cylinder sticks out past the handle. Does that matter?
Yes, it is one of the few genuinely serious things you can spot yourself in ten seconds. Anything protruding more than about 3mm gives an attacker something to grip, and gripping is the whole basis of lock snapping. It usually means the cylinder is the wrong size for the door, which happens when a fitter used what was in the van rather than what the door needed. The fix is a correctly sized cylinder, ideally anti-snap, at £35 to £110 depending on grade.
Should I get a thumbturn cylinder?
It depends on the door, and it is a genuine trade-off rather than an upgrade. A thumbturn lets you get out in a fire without hunting for a key, which is why they are common and sometimes required in flats. But if your door has glass in it or a glazed panel beside it, someone can break the glass, reach in and simply turn it, which defeats the lock entirely. Solid door with no nearby glass: a thumbturn is a good idea. Glazed door: it is a liability, and a key-both-sides cylinder with the key kept somewhere sensible but out of arm's reach is safer.
Can a euro cylinder be repaired or does it always need replacing?
Often repaired. A cylinder that feels gritty, sticks, or needs the key wiggling is normally dirty or worn rather than broken, and cleaning and re-lubricating it costs £35 to £60 and can buy years. Replacement is genuinely needed if it has been snapped or drilled, if a key has broken off inside it, if it protrudes past the handle, or if your insurer requires a grade it does not have. We try the repair first because it is cheaper for you and it is usually what the lock actually needs.