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mattwnz

20043 posts

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#260098 10-Nov-2019 15:51
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Had a new kitchen installed with a lot of drawers instead of cupboards. Drawer runners are Blum, so are supposed to be a high quality softclose runner. However when in use, we have noticed that on some of them, if we open the lower drawer, leave it part way or fully open, and then open the drawer above it, that the bottom of the drawer above it hits the top of the drawer below it. Is this normal? 

 

I often have multiple drawer open at the same time, such is as if searching for something, or moving stuff from one drawer to another. I also think it is worse on some of the drawers since we have begun putting stuff in them, although they certainly aren't overloaded, and some of the affected drawers hardly have anything in them at all. The thing is that some banks of drawers are not affected at all, even when the drawers are full. The kitchen manufacturer has been back several times to adjust things already, and I believe they are adjustable to a certain degree, but it is annoying that we have to keep getting them back, as I would have thought that would all been checked.


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timmmay
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  #2351216 10-Nov-2019 16:06
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My kitchen was put in by the previous owner, and is at least 15 years old. The drawers can all be opened independently without hitting. Same with the drawers in the bathroom (vanity is 7 years old but looks new) and the bedroom (custom design 8 years old, looks like new).


k1w1k1d
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  #2351243 10-Nov-2019 18:10
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My guess is that they have messed up the measuring or installation. Suggest that you get them to redo the faulty units before warranty runs out.
You could also have a good measure up of the good and bad units to see if you can see any differences.

sqishy
470 posts

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  #2351265 10-Nov-2019 19:33
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Modern drawers have an alignment adjuster on both sides to get then straight, usually behind a plastic cover.

 

Generally start on top drawer and work your way down to even space then all.




mattwnz

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  #2351267 10-Nov-2019 19:55
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Thanks guys. The drawer are all reasonably aligned when the drawers are closed, and then pulled out slightly. However as per the photos below as the drawers are extended more, the angles of the top or bottom drawer, or both, much change slightly, and they don't appear to be exactly horizontal.  The finl photo showing that the upper drawer hits the top of the lower drawer and can't extend past it. I do understand there is some adjustment behind the blum plastic covers, but I am not sure if it adjusts the angle the drawer slides out at. I think it is for aligning the panels when they are closed.  I don't want to fiddle with that as it would likely void the warranty, and it is also the kitchen companies job.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo below shows how the bottom of the upper drawer ends up in contact with he top of the lower drawer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Bung
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  #2351291 10-Nov-2019 21:13
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Typically each drawer slide is held by 2 screws. If the spacing of the slides was done on site to suit the choice of drawers it is possible that the holes weren't located exactly the same distance vertically so your drawers could be heading up or down.
The hole position on the slides can be shifted so any mistakes can be recovered but that is the installer's problem.

sittingduckz
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  #2351314 10-Nov-2019 21:35
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Hi, finally something I know :)

 

It's not the drawers themselves, they are good drawers. The problem will be the runner drilling inside the cabinet not being 100% parallel to each other. Not sure who made the kitchen but it looks like maybe a small company with no CNC drilling. They are likely using a hand made jig that is slightly off. This can happen a little with CNC driling as well in some cases... but thats quite an overlap there :)

 

 

 

Talk to the manufacturer, it will involve tweaking the runner alignment (fiddly). There normally isn't an adjustment for this. The adjustments on the side are only for adjusting the drawer front position.

 

 

 

Hope thats a little helpful :)





I'm not a complete idiot, I still have some parts missing.


ANglEAUT
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  #2351324 10-Nov-2019 22:34
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sqishy: Modern drawers have an alignment adjuster ...

 

All of the above sounded so wonderful until the post from sittingduckz

 

sittingduckz: ...

 

It's not the drawers themselves, they are good drawers. The problem will be the runner drilling inside the cabinet not being 100% parallel to each other. Not sure who made the kitchen but it looks like maybe a small company with no CNC drilling. They are likely using a hand made jig that is slightly off. This can happen a little with CNC driling as well in some cases... but thats quite an overlap there :)

 

Talk to the manufacturer, it will involve tweaking the runner alignment (fiddly). There normally isn't an adjustment for this. The adjustments on the side are only for adjusting the drawer front position. ...

 

No way for me to know who installed the kitchen drawers in this rented house.





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toejam316
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  #2351326 10-Nov-2019 22:41
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ANglEAUT:

 

sqishy: Modern drawers have an alignment adjuster ...

 

All of the above sounded so wonderful until the post from sittingduckz

 

sittingduckz: ...

 

It's not the drawers themselves, they are good drawers. The problem will be the runner drilling inside the cabinet not being 100% parallel to each other. Not sure who made the kitchen but it looks like maybe a small company with no CNC drilling. They are likely using a hand made jig that is slightly off. This can happen a little with CNC driling as well in some cases... but thats quite an overlap there :)

 

Talk to the manufacturer, it will involve tweaking the runner alignment (fiddly). There normally isn't an adjustment for this. The adjustments on the side are only for adjusting the drawer front position. ...

 

No way for me to know who installed the kitchen drawers in this rented house.

 

 

Hopefully whoever owns the house might have an inkling.





Anything I say is the ramblings of an ill informed, opinionated so-and-so, and not representative of any of my past, present or future employers, and is also probably best disregarded.


daparrot
126 posts

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  #2351339 11-Nov-2019 06:02
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mattwnz:

 

Had a new kitchen installed with a lot of drawers instead of cupboards. Drawer runners are Blum, so are supposed to be a high quality softclose runner. However when in use, we have noticed that on some of them, if we open the lower drawer, leave it part way or fully open, and then open the drawer above it, that the bottom of the drawer above it hits the top of the drawer below it. Is this normal? 

 

I often have multiple drawer open at the same time, such is as if searching for something, or moving stuff from one drawer to another. I also think it is worse on some of the drawers since we have begun putting stuff in them, although they certainly aren't overloaded, and some of the affected drawers hardly have anything in them at all. The thing is that some banks of drawers are not affected at all, even when the drawers are full. The kitchen manufacturer has been back several times to adjust things already, and I believe they are adjustable to a certain degree, but it is annoying that we have to keep getting them back, as I would have thought that would all been checked.

 

 

Just check that they havent put them in the wrong order

 

I have found in the past that if you reorder them top one to middle and middle to top they may fit

 

ie they are not exactly the same size and rail position...


kiwijunglist
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  #2353504 14-Nov-2019 18:58
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Usually you use 1x drawer at a time, if the are in alignment when closed and only out of alignment when open then it might be the runners as noted above.

 

However you can still probably tweak the drawers by adjusting the bottom drawer to the lowest position to give more room above it, then with the drawer above it tweak it upwards and if it is hitting the drawer above that etc then adjust them all up a little.





HTPC / Home automation (home assistant) enthusiast.


Interslice
159 posts

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  #2353579 14-Nov-2019 21:57
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Hi, I work at kitchen manufacturer. Remove the plastic caps on the side of the drawer and there will be a screw that you can use a screwdriver on to adjust up or down, this shouldn't void a warranty I wouldn't think. Those ezi Venice handles don't help.. you need a bigger gap between the drawers to begin with.. I wonder if they allowed enough.

Interslice
159 posts

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  #2353581 14-Nov-2019 22:02
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You can also take the whole drawer out pretty easily by fully extending them on their runners and then giving them a "tug" upwards and they come off their runners. That way you can see or measure to see if the runners are straight.

sittingduckz
680 posts

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  #2353589 14-Nov-2019 22:25
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Interslice: Hi, I work at kitchen manufacturer. Remove the plastic caps on the side of the drawer and there will be a screw that you can use a screwdriver on to adjust up or down, this shouldn't void a warranty I wouldn't think. Those ezi Venice handles don't help.. you need a bigger gap between the drawers to begin with.. I wonder if they allowed enough.

 

 

 

That will just make the gap bigger when closed and look poo. Easiest fix is to only open 1 at a time :)





I'm not a complete idiot, I still have some parts missing.


sittingduckz
680 posts

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  #2353591 14-Nov-2019 22:26
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ANglEAUT:

 

sqishy: Modern drawers have an alignment adjuster ...

 

All of the above sounded so wonderful until the post from sittingduckz

 

sittingduckz: ...

 

It's not the drawers themselves, they are good drawers. The problem will be the runner drilling inside the cabinet not being 100% parallel to each other. Not sure who made the kitchen but it looks like maybe a small company with no CNC drilling. They are likely using a hand made jig that is slightly off. This can happen a little with CNC driling as well in some cases... but thats quite an overlap there :)

 

Talk to the manufacturer, it will involve tweaking the runner alignment (fiddly). There normally isn't an adjustment for this. The adjustments on the side are only for adjusting the drawer front position. ...

 

No way for me to know who installed the kitchen drawers in this rented house.

 

 

 

 

Who's drawer? rented house? I was talking to the OP about his drawer? 🤩





I'm not a complete idiot, I still have some parts missing.


Interslice
159 posts

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  #2353592 14-Nov-2019 22:26
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Well yeah that is the easiest fix. But if OP wanted to have multiple drawers open he may have to do something like that. Cheers

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