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ABUS window lock on uPVC

Updated: October 2026

The frame looks solid when you press a thumb against it, and the screw still pulls out. An ABUS window lock on uPVC only holds if the screw reaches the steel inside the profile, solid timber in a composite, or an anchor ABUS sells for a poor substrate. The white plastic skin is the weather face, not the structure. This page is that fixing question. Prices sit on the [ABUS window lock comparison](/hub/door-and-window-security/abus-window-lock). Peter F. used the amazon.co.uk listings, ABUS fitting sheets, and the review notes for FAS97 and FTS3003, updated 19 October 2026. Screws were not pulled in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The frame looks solid when you press a thumb against it, and the screw still pulls out.

Our top picks

ABUS ABUS FG200 keyed-alike handles, set of 5

Best overall

ABUS ABUS FG200 keyed-alike handles, set of 5
8.6/10about £27.19
View offer
ABUS ABUS FG110 lockable window handle, white

Best value

ABUS ABUS FG110 lockable window handle, white
8.2/10about £13.71
View offer
ABUS ABUS FTS3003 bolt lock, white, AL0125

Rank 3

ABUS ABUS FTS3003 bolt lock, white, AL0125
7.8/10about £28.81
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On this page
  1. 1.Why uPVC is a fixing problem
  2. 2.Handles versus drilled locks
  3. 3.BA and IM100
  4. 4.When not to continue

Why uPVC is a fixing problem

A typical plastic window is a hollow profile with steel in some chambers and none in others. A screw that feels tight in the plastic alone is biting a thin wall, and that thread strips when someone levers the sash. Level 5 on an FTS3003 and level 10 on an FAS97 are claims about the lock, not about your profile. The FTS3003 listing says the bolt suits aluminium and wood, and that plastic French doors hold only with fixing anchors or injection mortar. Reviews call fixing into the plastic the weak point, and FAS97 reviews say the screw has to find the steel. If you cannot locate that steel, you have a hole. Ignore the amazon weight of 4.54 g. ABUS lists the lock at 337 g.

Handles versus drilled locks

The FG110 and the FG200 reuse the handle holes at 43 mm centres. The FG110 states a 7 mm pin and is the best value for one lever. The FG200 states an adjustable pin of 28–44 mm, suits plastic, aluminium, or wood on the listing, and is the top pick when several handles share one AB208 key. Those screws go back into holes the fabricator already set. The listing does not say the handle holds a jemmy. FAS97 and FTS3003 need new holes, hinge side and opening side. Reviewers say the supplied screws are often too long, so a screw can exit the frame or miss the steel. One FTS3003 reviewer needed a 3.5 mm drill, and another described a miss of about 0.2 mm. Those two locks are not specified for an outward-opening casement. The stop points are in how to fit an ABUS window lock.
ABUS ABUS FG200 keyed-alike handles, set of 5

Testsieger

ABUS ABUS FG200 keyed-alike handles, set of 5
8.6/10about £27.19
View offer

BA and IM100

The FTS3003 and FAS97 sheets name two parts when the fixing is poor: the BA fixing anchor, and IM100 composite mortar. They give the screw something better than the plastic wall. They are not in the amazon box as a cure-all, and the FTS3003 mounting material line is not a promise that a BA anchor is included. Follow the sheet for the anchor. A diameter copied from memory is how the bit meets the glass. If you cannot tell whether the profile has a metal insert, stop. One extra lock per metre of height is still ABUS’s recommendation, not a repair for a screw that missed the steel. The brown FAS97 prints 1,000 kg. That line does not move the steel in your frame.

When not to continue

Do not fit FAS97 or FTS3003 to an outward-opening casement. The sheets describe inward-opening windows and French doors. Do not continue when you cannot see where the bit will come out. A screw that has already exited the far face has damaged the profile. Call the fabricator or a locksmith when the steel cannot be found, when the frame is aluminium, when the sash will not close, or when the paperwork asks for PAS 24. An anchor will not certify an old plastic window. If you only needed the lever locked, use the FG110 or the FG200 in the existing holes. A bolt is only as good as the steel, the BA anchor, or the IM100 mortar behind it.

Common questions

Can I screw the FTS3003 straight into uPVC?
Only if the screw reaches reinforcement, or you use the fixing anchor or injection mortar the listing requires for plastic French doors. A screw in the plastic skin alone is the failure reviewers describe. The listing names aluminium and wood as the simpler materials. Ignore the amazon weight of 4.54 g. ABUS lists the lock at 337 g.
Does a lockable handle need the steel reinforcement?
The handle uses the existing 43 mm holes, so you are not drilling a new chamber. The FG200 listing says it suits plastic, aluminium, or wood. That is a fit claim for the lever, not a test of burglary resistance. The handle still does not replace a bolt. The FG110 states a 7 mm pin. The FG200 states an adjustable pin of 28–44 mm.
What is the ABUS BA anchor for?
It is ABUS’s fixing anchor for a poor substrate, including plastic windows where a normal screw will not hold. The FTS3003 and FAS97 sheets send you to it, or to IM100 mortar, when the fixing is poor. It is a separate accessory, used as the sheet describes. The amazon box is not a promise that a BA anchor is in the bag. Follow that sheet rather than a diameter remembered from another profile.
What is IM100?
IM100 is ABUS’s composite injection mortar for the same poor-fixing case. It is not a glue you smear on the plastic skin, and it is not a reason to drill without the sheet. If you are not set up to use it, a locksmith is the safer call. Adding a second lock into the plastic does not repair a first screw that missed the steel.
Will long supplied screws come out the other side?
They can. Reviewers of both FAS97 and FTS3003 say the supplied screws are often too long, and FAS97 reviews include a drill or a screw exiting the frame. Use a length that stops in the steel or the anchor, with a drill stop, rather than the longest screw in the bag.

Related pages

ABUS window lock buying guide

Best ABUS window lock

ABUS window lock

How to fit an ABUS window lock and avoid a bad hole

Window lock vs window restrictor: not the same job

Sources

Public UK and manufacturer sources from the research digest. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison, not a live check on 19 October 2026. ABUS security levels were not treated as PAS 24.

  1. ABUS FTS3003 window security lock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. ABUS FAS97 security hinge lock (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Approved Document Q: security in dwellings (2015) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Secured by Design: windows and glazing (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Metropolitan Police: window security (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. ABI guide to home security (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. AXA Connect LC01 locks requirement (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. RoSPA Keep Me Safe (retrieved 19 October 2026)