Dear Jim: I am considering installing a keyless entry lock on my front door so I don’t have to keep the outdoor lights on to find the keyhole. Also, my kids can’t lose the keys then. Is one as secure as a standard lock? – Lynn E.

Dear Lynn: A keyless entry system is a convenience and security feature for both your front door and your garage door. This is particularly true if you have children who lose keys. A keypad mounted on the garage comes in handy if you are doing some yard work and you don’t have the remote opener from inside the car.

You should try to use outdoor lights as little as possible to save electricity and eliminate light pollution. Some of the keyless entry systems have lighted keypads, but even without it, you quickly get the feel of pushing the proper button sequence. It is certainly easier than trying to get a key in a lock with inadequate light.

Installing motion-sensing lighting is an excellent combination with a keyless entry system to save electricity. I have a motion-sensing floodlight directed toward the keypad at my garage door. No one can get to the keypad without the light coming on. It also helps me see the keypad.

Keyless entry systems for your front door are actually more secure than a standard deadbolt. They use a similar deadbolt mechanism, which fits standard door cutouts, so they are as strong. When you leave your house, press the “LOCK” button and the deadbolt always completely extends. Even if a thief totally destroys the keypad outdoors, the deadbolt will not open.

Several keyless deadbolts have electronic circuitry, on the indoor side of the door, to sound an alarm is a thief tries to figure out the access code you set. After several incorrect attempts to input the code at the keypad, an alarm sounds. It will scare someone away and alert you indoors.

Many of the keyless deadbolts operate on battery power so installation is quick with no wiring. My Powerlock unit uses four AA batteries which last more than a year. A light comes on to alert you when the batteries are getting low. If it does malfunction or you do not change the batteries, there is a keyhole and the package includes keys to unlock it.

If you have a cleaning service or some work being done, electronic keyless systems allow you to set a second access code for others to use. You can reset new codes anytime.

Another option is a fully mechanical keyless deadbolt which uses no batteries or electricity. These are very secure and strong. They are somewhat more bulky indoors (space for the mechanism), but are stylish. From outdoor, once you push the last button of the code, the bolt retracts.

Write for (instantly download – www.dulley.com) Update Bulletin No. 967 – buyer’s guide of 10 electronic and mechanical keyless entry and deadbolt manufacturers listing models, design type, security and convenience features, and prices. Include $3 and a business-sized SASE, and send to James Dulley, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244.