How to Rekey a Commercial Interchangeable Core

One of the biggest differences between a lock with a standard interchangeable core and one with an InstaKey rekeyable core is how they are rekeyed. Standard interchangeable cores need to be completely replaced with new cores for a rekey. That can get expensive quickly. An InstaKey rekeyable interchangeable core can be rekeyed up to nine times before swapping out cores, and the process can be done within seconds. 

In this article, we will cover the following topics:

• When you should rekey an interchangeable core.
• What you need for the rekey process.
• A step-by-step guide to rekeying an interchangeable core.

When Should I Rekey Interchangeable Cores?

You may worry that a rekey is necessary every time there’s employee turnover. That may be true if your keys are not restricted because unauthorized duplicates can be made without your authorization. But if you use a physical key system from InstaKey, all your keys are restricted and serialized, meaning that they can't be duplicated and
you can track keys with a unique identifier on each key. That means you only need to rekey an. InstaKey interchangeable core if a key is lost, stolen, or unaccounted for.

What You Need for the Rekey Process

You won't need any special tools to rekey an interchangeable core. But you will need your rekeying kit provided by InstaKey. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Locate your rekeying kit and open it. Inside, you'll find a trifold card that indicates the step you'll be changing to, along with the list of which doors need to be rekeyed.
2. When you open the trifold card, you'll see the following items:
   1. A change key with a red dot.
   2. A set of new operating keys.
   3. A list of step-by-step instructions for rekeying the interchangeable core.
3. You will need to take your step change key, an existing operating key, and a new operating key to conduct the rekey on your door.

3 Simple Steps to Rekey an Instakey Interchangeable Core

Once you have these items in hand, you can go through these steps to rekey the interchangeable core:

1.  Insert the Step Change Key into the lock and turn it clockwise 180 degrees or down to the 6 o'clock position. Then turn it back 180 degrees or back to the 12 o'clock position.
2.  As you remove the change key, you’ll want to cup your hand underneath. You'll notice a little pin fall into your hand now that you've completed the step change process.
3.  Go ahead and try your existing operating key to make sure it no longer works in the door.

Now you can use your new operating keys and order your next rekeying kit.

Expert Tip

After you have rekeyed your locks 9 times a new set of cores and keys will be sent to you to start the process all over again.

We recommend assigning new operating keys to key holders before you start the process of rekeying your interchangeable core. But if you prefer to wait until after you’ve finished rekeying, you can do that instead.

Need More Help to Rekey a Commerical Interchangeable Core?

If you’re more of a visual learner, watch the video below, or visit our how to rekey an Instakey interchangeable core help center page.

InstaKey has many options to help organizations with key system cost reductions.

Find answers to all of your questions about interchangeable cores, key tracking software, or anything related to physical key security in our Help Center.