I do some maintenance on the neighborhood ice-skating rink. To control the lights, there is an outside electrical panel that is locked with a padlock.
This padlock always gets frozen. Every time I need to mess with the light controls, I have a hard time trying to even get the key in, then I cannot even turn it. The only solution I have found so far is to heat it up with my bare hands, which risks frostbite. That was sustainable when the weather was good, but the temperature is going down to -25 Celsius (-13 Fahrenheit) this week.
Is there a easier way to unfreeze it?
Best Answer
Get some lock deicer/lubricant. It's sold specifically for this and contains graphite and methanol. Shake well before applying. The methanol removes water and oil from the lock mechanism and leaves behind graphite well flooded through every nook and cranny in the device. You use graphite because it's a dry lubricant and unlike oil, it doesn't attract dirt or gum up like petroleum lubricants.