Designer Over-and-Under Units · Note 04
Upper Door Rubbing the Drawer Front
When the door of a Designer over-and-under scrapes the drawer front below it, the reveal between them has closed. The door has dropped on its hinges, the panel sits low on its brackets, or the cabinet has moved out of level. Sub-Zero Appliance Repair Bellevue measures which before adjusting anything; call (425) 696-2636.
SignedBjorn Aaltonen
- In the trade
- 15 years
- Holds
- EPA 608 certified
- Written
Where the mark is
The scuff on the drawer front tells us most of it. A mark only at the corner under the handle means the door has sagged at its free side, which points to the hinges and the load on them. A mark along the whole top edge means the door panel sits low on its brackets, or the drawer panel was set high. A mark that appeared after new flooring or cabinet work points to level.
Why the order of panels matters
On tall models the installation guide hangs the door’s panel before either drawer panel, upper then lower. The upper drawer front was placed to leave a reveal under the door, so when the door drops, that reveal is lost first. The guide calls 1/8 inch reveals typical and warns that tighter ones can pinch fingers as a door closes.
What we look at, in order
- Level. A cabinet set to the cabinetry rather than the floor can put the door out of square with the drawers.
- Door panel weight. The guide allows 50 lb on the 30-inch model and 60 lb on the 36-inch. A heavier panel wears the hinges it hangs on.
- Hinges. A hinge worn under the load lets the handle side fall, and it is replaced.
- Panel position. Only then is the door panel raised on its up-and-down cams.
Turning the cams first would hide a sagging hinge until the rubbing came back.
Where this sits
Back to Designer Over-and-Under UnitsDET3050R, DET3050CI, DET3050FI, DET3650R, DET3650CI: the series this note belongs to.