How do master keys work?

Question

In places with a lot of doors, like a dorm for instance, the janitors always have like one key for all the rooms on the floor. How is that possible when my key won't work on my neighbors' room?

Answer 1

Inside your door lock there are four or five "pins" in the tumbler that allow only your key to open the door. A lock that has been set up to work with a master key actually has two pins in each position (total 8 or 10 pins) that essentially allow two keys to open it, yours and the janitor. Every lock would have his key's "combination" and another for each tenant.

Answer 2

Since I did locksmithing for 3 years,I wil explain in Laymans terms; Inside the cylinder,there are pins and springs.Ea. pin is a different height.On a master lock, there are 2 pins per cylinder,instead of one.Therefore there are 2 combinations (keys) that will open the lock.Each of the 2 pins have 2 different heights.
In a construction jobThe second "pin" type,is a set of tiny ballsOnce the New homeowner pushes in his or her new key,The little balls fall out of the cylinder and that (pin-combination) can no longer work.

Answer 3

Keys all have grooves in the side of the key. These grooves allow the key to enter the lock. If it is a falcon set of locks/keys, there is a common key cut that allows for the key to open up to 7,000 locks. General you have sub-masters--for a floor, sub-masters can not go into locks that do not have the same groove. Them you have master keys which have master grooves which allow them to go into any lock of that "series" a series is a type of lock-set. Falcon makes series A-Z, other companies number theres. email me if you have any more questions?

Answer 4

How Do Master Keys Work

Answer 5

howstuffworks.com

search lock picking...they have a section on masters

Answer 6

masters take the alpha position, they are dominant and make others submissive