Shower rollers - how to choose and install

At first glance, rollers for shower cabins are simple fittings, but in reality they represent a rather complicated mechanism with passive load details, locking and opening elements, etc. Therefore, they often fail, resulting in the cabin doors not functioning normally. In this article we will look at how to choose the right rollers for the booth and how to fix this problem yourself.

General information

If you look at the statistics of the failure of their shower cubicle assemblies, it turns out that the rollers for the doors of the shower cabins occupy the second place after the waterworks (mixer, hose, shower). This is due not only to the fact that this mechanism is mobile, but also to its frequent use.

Breakage of guides can occur for two reasons:

• As a result of wear mechanism.
• Because of the factory marriage.

However, regardless of the cause of the breakdown, repair involves the replacement of parts.

Features rollers

Design

First of all, let's take a look at the design of these products.

So, rollers for shower cabins consist of the following parts:

• Bearing;
• Axles;
• Gaskets;
• Fasteners;
• The grounds.

Most often the bearing fails, but often the cause of breakage is cracked plastic. Especially it concerns cheap models of shower cabins in which the most budget accessories are used.

Main characteristics

Before proceeding to the description of the repair and features of the choice, let us get acquainted with the main characteristics of these devices.

Selection features

Parts - rollers for showers found in specialized stores or on the market is not difficult. However, their choice must be approached correctly, as the functioning of the door in the shower depends on them.

It is desirable that the new part meets all the above characteristics of the old rollers that are installed on the door.

However, it is not always possible to find a completely identical product, in this case, you need to focus on the following key parameters:

• The size of the holes in the glass into which the rollers are inserted.
• Wheel diameter
• The design of the parts - single or double roller for the shower.

Tip! If you can’t find the exact dimensions, you can purchase a clip that is slightly smaller, but not large. Otherwise, the mechanism simply cannot be installed.

As for quality, then you should focus on the cost. In most cases, the price matches the quality - expensive fittings are more reliable and durable.

Immediately it should be said that saving on moving parts is not worth it, since they can cause more serious damage. For example, in the case of a split plastic mount, the stall door may just fall out.

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of the bearing, which according to the principle of the device is of two types:

• Gliding.
• Swinging.

The second type is much more preferable.

I must say that rolling bearings differ in a number of parameters:

• The shape of the base rolling elements - can be needle-like, conical, barrel-shaped, cylindrical, etc.
• The direction of the load action - are radial-resistant, radial and axial.
• The ability to restore distortions - differ on self-healing (with distortions of not more than 3 degrees) and not capable of self-repair.
• The shape of the inner ring can be cylindrical or conical.
• The case - is built and doubled.
• The number of rows of rolling bodies - bearings are single-row, double-row and four-row.

Of course, a person who sees for the first time videos on the door to a shower is difficult to make a choice among such a variety. However, the best option are products with single-row ball bearings of the radial type.

Note! When choosing clips, be aware that they are divided into upper and lower.

In addition to the characteristics of the materials of which the rollers are made are of great importance.

The best combination is as follows:

• Balls and clips - bronze.
• Separator - plastic.

In addition, ceramic bearings are an excellent option due to the following qualities:

• Virtually no wear.
• Non-corrosive.
• Able to withstand heavy loads.

However, ceramic parts are quite difficult to find in the market, besides their cost is quite high.

Tip! It is advisable to purchase guides with sealed bearings, equipped with a plastic casing. In this case, the mechanism is protected from dust and moisture, which increases its service life.

Replacing rollers

It is easy to replace the rollers of the shower cabin with your own hands, however, it should be done carefully, and taking into account some of the nuances that we will consider below.

So, the instruction for replacing guides is as follows:

• Before you start work, you need to prepare a place, as it is necessary to provide enough space for working with glass.. Otherwise, the glass door of the shower stall can be damaged.
• Then you need to dismantle the sash. Begin by dismantling the lower rails. Most often, the rollers for showers are fixed with the help of eccentrics, which you just need to turn to release the door. In some cases, you should press the button located on the fastener body.

• After removing the lower rails, the door hangs on the upper rollers. The latter must be dismantled very carefully so that the door does not fall out of the profile.
• Next, the design is installed in the reverse order, only with new rollers.. Doing this work together is more convenient for one person to hold the door. First you need to hang the door on the upper rails. Then you have to press the buttons below or lower the eccentrics on the fasteners and insert the bottom of the door into the profile.
• After installing the door, the wheels are adjusted. This operation is carried out using the adjusting screw, which is supplied with almost all types of guides. Adjustment will ensure a smooth course of the valves and their snug fit to each other. To begin adjustment it is necessary from the top details. Having achieved a close fit of the doors, the lower rollers should be tightened until they are fully clamped to the profile.

Tip! To rollers served as long as possible and at the same time ensured a smooth ride with the sash, they should be periodically lubricated. There are quite a few options than to lubricate the shower cabin rollers, however, it is best to use silicone grease for this.

The process of replacing the rollers is completed. Its only difficulty lies in the need for careful work with the door, as it can break, which would entail serious costs. In technical terms, however, perform the procedure under the force of each home master.

Conclusion

Rollers for showers are of different types, so their choice has many nuances. However, the most important thing when buying is to pay attention to the basic characteristics of the part (must correspond to the old rollers), as well as the price — you should not buy the cheapest accessories. You can read more information on this topic from the video in this article.