Rollers for shower cabins: subtleties of choice and installation

Shower rolls are a complex mechanism by which door leafs are driven back and forth. Often they break, and the sash stops normally open. Properly selected hardware will help eliminate this problem.

According to statistics, rollers and spare parts for shower cabins and boxes come into disrepair as often as the waterworks. The reason may be either factory defect, physical deterioration or improper installation. Due to the special design, mechanisms are not always possible to be repaired: either the necessary component is not available for sale, or the damage is so strong that it is easier to throw the part away. Sometimes there are rare wheels with a slot, which are very difficult to buy. Therefore, instead of faulty clips have to buy new ones.

First you need to consider what the roller mechanism consists of.

It is a collection of five elements:

• bearing;
• axles;
• sealing plate;
• grounds;
• mounts.

The bearing most often falls into disrepair. Sometimes the cause of damage can be cracked plastic. Especially this kind of malfunction is observed in budget models of showers.

Rollers for showers and boxes are of several types. Depending on the structure, tension and eccentric mechanisms are distinguished. The first type is the most common and budget option.

It is a combination of four elements:

• rolling bearings;
• sled;
• mounting and adjusting screws.

These rollers come with one or two wheels and are divided into upper and lower. The first are regulated by a spring, which is located in the housing, the second - by an adjusting screw. Eccentric rollers consist of an eccentric, rotor and bearing. There are single and double mechanisms. Compared with the previous details, they are less common because they are more expensive and more difficult to regulate.

Roller parts are made of plastic, metal, rubber,silumin or composite materials. Plastic mechanisms are cheaper than the rest, but also come into disrepair more often. As a rule, the price of the product corresponds to the quality. More expensive models are durable and wear-resistant. It is not recommended to save on rollers, otherwise more complex damage may occur. Suppose if the selected parts were of poor quality and quickly failed, then the door leafs could easily fall out. Then the repair will be more expensive.

The main technical characteristics of roller products are:

• the diameter of the wheel, which consists of the outer diameter of the bearing (D) and double the thickness of the sealing part. It is usually 25 mm;
• internal caliber (d) from 16 to 18 mm;
• thickness ranging from 5 to 6.2 mm;
• removal of the roller mechanism from 23 to 26 mm.

Depending on the installation, there are fixed and swivel roller mechanisms. The first type is suitable for rectangular, square and diamond-shaped showers, because the opening and closing of doors takes place in a straight line. The second type is installed on curved door leafs that open along the arcuate direction.

The choice of roller mechanisms is very large.Externally similar details may actually differ in some characteristics. To choose a suitable option you should take with you a minimally damaged roller part. If the doors of the shower enclosure are fixed to tensioning mechanisms, then when going to the store, it is necessary to take both the upper and lower parts, since they are different from each other.

When buying clips online, you need to focus on the external correspondence of the broken part and the picture on the site. You must first remove the dimensions from the damaged mechanism using a ruler or a caliper. Ideal when a new item is completely matched broken. However, if an identical part could not be found, then you can buy a similar one, but with a smaller caliber, but not more than 2-3 millimeters. But a larger movie is not recommended to buy, because it may not fall into the corresponding groove in the guide.

It is also worth considering the size of the through hollow space in the doors. It is on every door above and below. In it roller sleeves are mounted. It is assumed that the caliber of this part of the part will be 2 or 3 millimeters smaller than on the damaged model.

When there are two fixtures in the rollers, you must first measure the distance from one to the other, and then between the hollow spaces in the door leafs. In this case, you need full compliance to the millimeter. Otherwise, the mechanisms may not fall into the groove.

The length of the removal must also be taken into account. This parameter is especially important for semicircular shower structures: if the new parts are smaller, the door will not close normally. Do not ignore the thickness of glass sheets. In spite of the fact that roller mechanisms can be adjusted, if the glass is of non-standard thickness, it is better to inquire whether new parts fit well.

It is very important to pay attention to the bearing. The correctness of his choice will depend on how long the roller mechanism will last. It is preferable to buy single ball bearings, radial direction, bronze or ceramic. Steel parts can often become rusty. Ceramic models, on the contrary, are moisture-resistant, but more expensive than the previous version. Bronze wheels can be considered acceptable. They combine the characteristics of the previously described species, but they are much cheaper.

In the case when only the replacement of bearings is required, it is necessary to measure their caliber from the inside and outside, as well as the width of the damaged part. In this case, all parameters must be identical. It is recommended to choose parts in which the axles are made of brass, and on top they are coated with nickel.

Really high-quality roller mechanisms should have the following characteristics:

• the bearing must be moisture resistant;
• wheels - move freely along the guides without any difficulty;
• the size of the new part must match the previous version;
• body - made of wear-resistant and impact-resistant material, it should not be chipped, cracked and other damage.

Very much depends on the quality of the selected videos. If they are poorly fixed and adjusted, then water will inevitably fall to the floor. If the doors do not close well, it is very difficult to take a shower normally, and in the cold season you can even catch a cold.

Replacing roller mechanisms is a simple procedure. The main thing - all actions need to be performed consistently.

Before dismantling the door leaves, remove all disturbing objects. The floor should be covered with cardboard or soft rags to prevent damage to the glass. The door is better to shoot below. Be sure to perform dismantling work with someone, so there will be less risk of dropping the door leaf.

Eccentric parts are easier to remove. First they need to turn down, remove the door. After dismantling. The easiest way to shoot push-buttons. Press the button until it clicks and first remove the bottom of the door. Then you need to lift it up to completely release it. After the doors are removed, it is necessary to remove the damaged mechanisms. If you cannot do it yourself, you can use a 10-mm wrench or pliers.

Installation of new parts should be carried out in accordance with the attached instructions. Before buying a roller mechanism, it is recommended to check with the seller if it is included. Carefully hang the door leaf on the top rail. If there is a button on the lower roller mechanism, then you should press it and then place the parts in the corresponding groove. Next you need to adjust the details. Folds should open and close well.Each mechanism can be adjusted with a screw or spring. Adjust the upper rollers first.

Using a Phillips-head screwdriver, turn the corresponding adjusting screw on the roller mechanism.by alternately moving the flap to the left, then to their dense convergence. A simple screwdriver and pliers are needed to replace eccentric parts. First you need to unscrew the protective cap of the roller on the lower roller mechanism (in some models this function can be performed by the clamping nut), then you should unscrew the clamping nut and remove the roller structure.

Then it is necessary to remove the door leaf from the upper rails, put the sash on the place prepared in advance, remove the other parts. Next, you should install new videos, fix them. After that, hang the door leaf on the upper guide, using a screwdriver, rotate the lower roller mechanism until the door is securely fixed. When installing new parts, all actions should be done very carefully. If the mechanisms are not suitable, it is better not to make efforts to mount them into the groove.

It is strictly forbidden to place glass cloth directly on ceramic tile or concrete floor.because it may accidentally slip and break. It is also impossible to move the doors by the handles, since these structures are not designed for movement by this method, the handles can easily break.

Roller parts may become unusable for various reasons.

• Due to mechanical stress.
• Due to poor water quality. After each shower, you should scrupulously wipe the glass doors, paying special attention to the mounting points of the rollers.
• The presence of a large number of abrasives in the cleaning substance. This applies to chlorine and alkaline cleaners. When washing the door panels, you must use the means in which the aggressive components contain as little as possible.
• Inaccurate attitude to the door when opening and closing. Any movement with force can lead to the failure of rollers. It is strictly forbidden to slam doors and rely on them when taking water treatments.
• Poor quality parts or marriage.Often, manufacturers of accessories, trying to reduce the cost of production, use low-grade materials.

If the door leafs become poorly closed, then you need to adjust the rollers by tightening or loosening the corresponding screw. Or a foreign object can get into the slide, because of this the doors can also slide badly along the guides. As soon as such faults appear, it is necessary to immediately eliminate them.

In order to avoid frequent replacement of roller constructions, you should carefully treat the doors of the shower cabin., periodically inspect the rollers and lubricate the ball bearings. Periodically it is necessary to lubricate the mechanism with water-repellent or silicone agents. It is recommended to purchase parts from the same manufacturer as the shower structures.

Based on the foregoing, we can draw several conclusions.

• Save on rollers is not worth it. They can quickly fail. It is better to overpay a little, but the mechanisms will last longer.
• Double roller constructions for shower cabins are widespread, but it is necessary that their size correspond to the hollow space in the glass cloth.
• It is desirable that the new part was identical to the previous variation. This is not always possible, so it is allowed, if the diameter is less than 2-3 millimeters, but no more.
• The length of the removal must also be taken into account. This parameter is especially important for semicircular shower structures: if the new parts are smaller, the door will not close normally.
• Before replacing parts, it is better to read the instructions. It is usually included. This way it will be possible to avoid possible installation problems.

• It is very important that the mechanism can be adjusted. If this is not done, then the sash will not be able to move normally along the guides.
• Constantly you need to inspect the sled, because there often gets a different garbage. It must be removed in time, otherwise the doors will no longer converge.
• When cleaning the shower stall, it is not recommended to use abrasives, that is, products containing chlorine, alkali and alcohol impurities. They adversely affect the roller mechanism. Only soft cleaners.
• After all preventive actions are performed, the rollers need to be lubricated. So they will last much longer.It is recommended to use silicone or water repellent.

If you comply with all these regulations, you will not have to frequently change the roller mechanisms. To insert or replace such an element, following our advice, is quite simple.

On how to choose the right clips for the shower, see the following video.