May I (private person) install a new lock in my safe by myself?
In short: Yes, you may! However, read on if one of the following cases (A, B, C) applies to you:
A:
Your safe is EN 1143-1 or EN 14450 certified
B:
The safe is registered with the insurance company as a valuable container
C:
The safe is to be sold
A & B applies:
You should inform your insurance company about the plan to change the lock on your safe. Usually, the insurance company agrees if the new lock has at least the same VdS class as the previous one.
A & C applies:
Whether you install the lock yourself or by a safe service: To maintain certification, the manufacturer of the safe must confirm that the installation of a new lock does not lower the resistance level.
This could be difficult, especially if the safe manufacturer is located in faraway countries. In most cases, manufacturers don’t even want you to install a new lock yourself, because the service of installing a new lock is a “nice source of income”. There is much to be said and much to be discussed on this subject … the current regulation of the test institutes does not distinguish between laymen and professionals in the case of subsequent installation. And Even the standardized lock classes are unimportant.
Therefore, you often can not avoid marking the resistance class of the safe as invalid. Even if the newly installed lock is of an higher standardized lock class than the old one. The insurance companies know the dilemma and usually agree (see above).
