What is a Tumbler Cylinder? Everything You Need To Know

Updated February 7th, 2023

Written by Jeff Seymour

Tumbler Cylinders, more commonly referred to as Locking cylinders, are used in a wide variety of situations for security. They are typically made up of a cylinder body with pins and springs inside. The pins are of various lengths to prevent the lock from being opened without the correct key being used.

Euro Cylinders

A typical tumbler cylinder used in the UK is called a Euro double cylinder. These are mainly used on Upvc doors. They come in various lengths to fit different mechanisms fitted to Upvc doors. The modern type that has passed a rigorous test to comply with BS:2007 rating is highly sophisticated and uses various methods to prevent them from being picked open, even by some professional locksmiths. They have extra locking pins that activate if the cylinder is attacked by means without using a key, thus making them high-security cylinders.

You can also buy single Euro cylinders. These are typically used on garage up and over doors. They are single because you only need to operate them from outside the door and not inside. Hence they are single cylinders and not double cylinders.

Dimple Key Cylinders

You may have seen a cylinder that is referred to as a dimple key cylinder. These work slightly differently from a typical tumbler cylinder and are primarily of high standards regarding security. All Euro cylinders can be keyed alike, meaning that you can have multiple Euro cylinders that use the same key.

Key and Turn Cylinders

Another typical Euro cylinder is a key and turn cylinder. These are used for escape locks where anyone can open the door from the inside without using a key. As with the above euro cylinders, they come in different levels of security to suit people's budgets.

Rim Cylinders

Another type of tumbler cylinder commonly used in the UK are Rim cylinders. These are mainly used on doors in conjunction with a nightlatch. They have different levels of security, British Standard stamped cylinders have been tested to meet insurance standards. They typically have anti-pick pins, and a hardened steel plate makes it difficult to drill through. A standard rim cylinder will have five pins a British Standard cylinder will have six. They generally come in two finishes, that being brass or chrome. They can be keyed alike, meaning you can have more than one rim cylinder, and yet they will use the same key. They can also be master keyed into a suite. I will talk about master key systems in a separate blog.

If you are looking into replacing your cylinder, maybe you have moved house and want to change the locks, or you may want to upgrade the cylinders you already have for higher security ones, then give Locksmith Direct a ring where we can advise you on which type of cylinder would best suit your needs and budget.