Flat communal stair lighting breaker box key

[u0362565]

Hi all,

Does anyone know where I can find a key that would fit a lock like that shown in the attached image? This sort of 2 prong lock is on an electrical cabinet in our communal stair and houses the circuit breakers for the lights. I want to cut the relevant circuit so I can change the fluorescent tubes. I'm assuming this is a very simple lock and thought it would be easy to find these keys but struggling.

Thanks

 

[The Ghost]

You can only get the key from the landlord or maintenance company. But they put it there for a reason, so that tenants don't go in there and fiddle about I imagine. So you don't have a consumer unit in your flat? Ah just seen you are talking of the communal area. Naughty naughty!

 

[KEV 1 N]

Super master key.....

 

[u0362565]

Seems like a straightforward job but would feel more comfortable if I could isolate the fitting. Council no longer wants to do it and why pay an electrician £40+ to change a light bulb.

 

[KEV 1 N]

Council eh? Be better off telling them there is burning around the light and your worried it will catch fire.......see how quick they respond then!

 

[rsgaz]

I'm assuming this is a very simple lock

It is not a standard key, like 'control cabinet keys' are. Look at the differing depths of the milled away material around the round part of the key...

 

[u0362565]

This was a picture I pulled from the internet as the lock looks similar in that it has the straight grooves at 12 and 3 but I don't know if the key would be milled like this. If the council will no longer take care of the lights who's got the keys!? Thats why I thought it must be a simple lock.

 

[Wilko]

Seems like a straightforward job but would feel more comfortable if I could isolate the fitting. Council no longer wants to do it and why pay an electrician £40+ to change a light bulb.

Question is - do you have the natty vest ?

 

[KEV 1 N]

You put bulbs in the garden!

 

[u0362565]

Ha ha surely the council would approve me to do this if I had the vest
Below is what the council say on the matter, copied from their website:
"Where can owners obtain security drivers/keys to access the stair lighting installation?
For Health and Safety reasons the Council cannot advise owners where to purchase the security drivers/keys to access the stair lighting installation. However a reputable Electrical Contractor will know where to obtain these security drivers/keys. "

Any electrical contractors out there know? Unless we're unfortunate and get a particularly secure box

 

[The Ghost]

If it is a council flat the communal area is the responsibility of the council. If you do the work and something goes wrong you are liable. They can not deny responsibility for the communal area. TBH if I had a key I would not give it to you as I would worry you may harm yourself or others.

 

[u0362565]

it isn't a council flat, its a private block. Council's suggestion is get in an electrician, but presumably they would change the tubes without cutting the power then as they wouldn't have a key.

 

[The Ghost]

So there is a management company then?

 

[snowhead]

If it's a Private block of flats, even if it's managed on behalf of the Council there must be a Management company.
They are the ones who get the Annual service charge that every occupant is liable for.
The Service charge pays for maintenance of Communal areas including lighting, amost other things.

 

[u0362565]

We don't pay a maintenance fee, owners are responsible for the communal areas. The only thing we pay is for stair cleaning but that's because an owner could be bothered to set this up. If there are any issues we get in the relevant trademan. This is scotland by the way perhaps things are different in England in flats.

 

[Cadgey123]

I feel there is a few porkie pies here... get whoever manages the property to change the light fitting/tube for you.
No offence but it’s not really upto you, hence the key situation.

 

[u0362565]

No porkies from me-
Pulled from council website:
"Why has the Council withdrawn from providing the Stair Lighting Service? The Council needs to make savings of £148 million over the next four years and as part of the savings proposal, the Council will no longer repair and maintain common stair lights in tenement blocks where the flats are all owned privately, bringing Edinburg h into line with all other Councils in Scotland."
"Where can owners obtain security drivers/keys to access the stair lighting installation? For Health and Safety reasons the Council cannot advi s ll e owners where to purchase the security drivers/keys to access the stair lighting installa tion. However a reputable Electrical Contractor will know where to obtain these security drivers/keys."
"Can the Council recommend a contractor? The Council cannot recommend an Electrical Contractor. However, you should be able to contact one via the Truste d Trader scheme, or there are two Electrical Industry Trade Associations SELECT and NICEIC and both have a “Find a Contractor” search facility on their websites. SELECT and NICEIC audit their members to ensure that they conform to industry regulations and are reputable."

 

[snowhead]

We don't pay a maintenance fee, owners are responsible for the communal areas. The only thing we pay is for stair cleaning but that's because an owner could be bothered to set this up. If there are any issues we get in the relevant trademan. This is scotland by the way perhaps things are different in England in flats.

So I would have thought, like England that there would be a Tennants management committee, to agree on who arranges what and to collect the money to pay contractors.
However the Scottish TMS is vague and pathetic and makes no specific rules.
MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF COMMON PROPERTY - http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2005/11/2194749/47514

Basically you're on your own.

If that's the case, see post no 3 and then put your own padlock on afterwards.

 

[Des 56]

I read the statement above a while back,posted on a forum by another Scottish spark,he was thinking of the opportunities it might have generated for him

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

Not sure why you are asking for a key... Those locks like 99% of similair locks can be easily opened with a tool that pushes the pins down. The grooves correspond to pins. Each pin is effectively a number that can be decoded to cut new keys or just use a pick tool available for around £90. As a unruly teenager i had a tool that opened fruit machine and arcade game locks.
Made a hobby out of going to the grand pier in weston super mare and getting the tokens to exchange for prizes