Need a key for this fire alarm pull station

June 21, 2021 11:43 AM

My 8yo has a collection of fire alarm pull stations. I recently purchased one for him from Ebay without reading the description carefully enough, and it came without a key. How can we obtain a key for this?

This is the pull station in question: Johnson Controls JBGX-10IL Addressable Pull Station

Things I have already tried: contacting Johnson Controls (no response), contacting seller (no key), calling various local locksmiths (they don't work with these kinds of locks), googling for extra keys for sale (coming up empty-handed)

I'm sure we could jimmy it open, but my kid likes to pull and reset these repeatedly, so a key is the ideal solution. In the past when this has happened, we've been able to find extra keys fairly easily on the web, but this one is giving me trouble.

posted by LKWorking to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

My brother works for Johnson Controls (or at least did a few weeks ago when we last spoke; he was looking for a new job then). I'll reach out to him!
posted by cooker girl at 11:50 AM on June 21, 2021 [10 favorites]

You could try contacting others who sell it, like Rybb Fire Alarm to see if they know whether they typically come with keys.

Johnson Controls also has a "contact us" phone number you could try for "replacement parts and supplies" -
1 844 628 2529.
posted by routergirl at 12:24 PM on June 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Talked to my brother, no luck, sorry!
posted by cooker girl at 12:28 PM on June 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

I would find an old school locksmith to physically take it to.

Describing what the lock is connected to is going to make most locksmiths glaze over. Showing them the actual locking mechanism will make a good locksmith go “oh shit! they’re using a flying double V lock, but this looks like the transitional model between 1998 and 1999” because the locksmith cares about the lock, not the unit it’s attached to. The kind of barrel locks on those units are fairly generic, and appear on tons of different things.

You might be able to find the lock part number and manufacturer and get keys that way. This information would also assist a locksmith.
posted by furnace.heart at 1:08 PM on June 21, 2021 [6 favorites]

Contact fire alarm installation folks in your area. Basically a commercial/construction installation company. Describe your problem and they may take pity on you. Or, even your local fire department may provide clues to a source.
posted by mightshould at 1:43 PM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]

Best answer: The spec sheet for a similar but newer Johnson Controls pull station (I couldn't find one immediately for that exact model, perhaps because a lot of them were deemed potentially defective) says that one uses a 17021 key. Those are wildly available from various retailers and eBay for under $10. Might be worth just ordering one and trying it out, or getting a locksmith to cut you one.
posted by zachlipton at 2:11 PM on June 21, 2021 [3 favorites]

The locksmith may be able to replace the lock.
posted by SemiSalt at 3:59 PM on June 21, 2021 [1 favorite]

Are there any numbers stamped into the lock itself that might indicate a replacement key set?
posted by Kyol at 7:47 AM on June 22, 2021

I wonder if your local fire department might have ideas (or even a universal key for such situations).
posted by 10ch at 11:32 AM on June 22, 2021

Response by poster: Thank you all! I ordered a 17021 key and fingers crossed that might work. There doesn't appear to be any other markings on the lock itself to provide additional clues. I've talked to a few folks at Johnson Controls now, all ultimately unhelpful. Sentimental locksmith is my next step.
posted by LKWorking at 9:34 AM on June 23, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Great news: the 17021 key worked like a charm! Thank you so much, you really made my kid's day!
posted by LKWorking at 3:31 PM on June 28, 2021 [3 favorites]