In detail: DIY gas lift repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Sometimes it is necessary to repair the gas lift for kitchen furniture, for this you need to familiarize yourself with its operating principle. Fittings are very important for kitchen furniture. This includes hinges, handles, fasteners, guides and gas lifts. High-quality furniture is not cheap: it is about thirty percent of the total cost of furniture.
The gas lift is a bracket that raises and lowers the wall cabinet door and locks it in the open position. Such a mechanism for the kitchen consists of the following elements:
housing, with nitrogen;
rod moving along the body;
bearings that ensure uniform movement of the stem;
parts that maintain tightness: bushing, oil seal, boot, sealing element;
fasteners details.
The stem is attached to the door with all the accessories. There are different performances. If installed incorrectly, there may be distortions. In this case, not only aesthetics are lost, but also functionally the mechanism will not provide its purpose. Before installation, you need to markup for fasteners. The mechanism must match the design of the cabinet. So, if its internal space has a height of 365 mm, then the gas lift should have a length of 355 mm.
When installing a gas lift, the base of the device is fixed in the side of the cabinet in a preliminary
the intended place. The bracket is screwed into the marked location and the elevator head snaps into the bracket.
In some designs, the base is a plate with a hole, installed on the screws in the side so that the center of the hole coincides with the marked mark. Next, the hinge head is inserted into this hole and secured. Do not deform the plate to avoid malfunction.
Video (click to play).
Installation on the inner surface of the doors is carried out in the same way. In this case, the angle of inclination of the hinge should be approximately 8 degrees. Checking the correct direction is carried out with the stem extended as far as possible.
When choosing a gas lift, you need to know the weight of the doors on which it will be installed. The heavier the door, the greater the holding force must be. There are mechanisms that are set to automatic mode: when the doors are open, after a certain period of time, they are triggered and closed. This is convenient when the hostess forgot to close the locker, or when they are hanging very high.
When buying a gas lift, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer. The best are German and Italian movements. You can pick up Polish options from the available assortment. Recently, Chinese enterprises have also improved their quality. Selection criteria: material of manufacture and the force that is applied to close the door. A high-quality gas lift will serve for a long time and flawlessly if used correctly.
Gas lift is a sealed structure. Gas is pumped into the cylinder of the mechanism during manufacture. Such
the device cannot be repaired, so you should not open it yourself. The entire system is under pressure. With a loss of tightness, the gas lift will not cope with its functions. To avoid unpleasant phenomena, it is better to invite a specialist for repairs. The sealed system can even explode.
However, there are minor defects during operation: the gas lift mounts can relax during operation. The doors begin to creak when opened. To eliminate the defect, you need to tighten them. Another option to get rid of an unpleasant squeak is to lubricate parts.In conclusion, it should be noted that the gas lift must be treated very carefully, since the mechanism cannot be repaired, and in the event of a breakdown, you will have to throw out the expensive device and install a new one.
Unlike cabinet furniture, an armchair is subject to increased wear and tear, since, in addition to daily use, it contains mechanical, and most importantly, hydraulic parts.
So why, for one owner, the chair broke down after half a year, while for the other it serves for years without a single breakdown? This circumstance does not always depend on the quality of a particular model. First of all, of course, you need to pay attention to the weight of the user, as well as care during operation. In any case, most modern chairs are designed for a weight of up to 120 kilograms, and manufacturers, in turn, give a guarantee for any breakdown from 12 to 18 months.
But if your chair breaks down and the warranty period has already passed, then, having sufficient dexterity, you can easily repair the computer chair yourself. However, we recommend that you turn to professionals in organizations specializing in this.
If your computer chair lowers itself when you sit down, and rises when you get off it, while the period of lowering or lifting can vary from a few seconds to a day, this is a clear sign of gas escaping from the gas cartridge. Gas lifts cannot be repaired, as their disassembly is life-threatening.
In this situation, you can fix the chair in the required position with improvised means or replace the gas cartridge with a new one. The cost of the gas cartridge is not great, and you can buy it at any specialized store.
So, you have made the decision to replace the gas cartridge yourself.
Armchair
Curly screwdriver
Rubber hammer
Metal drift
New gas cartridge (appropriate length and diameter)
Vise (for more convenience)
If you carry out repairs during the cold time of the day, then the liquid in the gas lift may freeze, in this state it is strictly forbidden to use it. Wait for the new gas cartridge to warm up to room temperature (this will require leaving it up to 24 hours).
The first step is to unscrew the seat from the swing mechanism or piastra with a curly screwdriver. Turn the chair over, mark the face of the rocking mechanism, unscrew the 4 screws holding the chair seat to the rocking mechanism, and set the chair body aside.
Move the protective casing, take the gas cartridge in your left hand with the swing mechanism downward and with medium-force blows start tapping the swing mechanism at the base of the gas cartridge, make sure that you do not bend the swing mechanism. If it was not possible to knock down the swing mechanism, try to clamp the base of the gas cartridge in a vice and turn the swing mechanism.
After you have removed the swing mechanism, you need to knock the gas cartridge out of the crosspiece, for this, turn the crosspiece upside down with the rollers and, using a metal drift, knock the gas cartridge out of the conical base of the crosspiece with accurate blows. Make sure that you do not damage the front side of the chrome-plated cross-piece and the stiffening ribs of the plastic cross-piece.
The spider is disconnected! The difficult task is behind, now you need to assemble the chair, first screw the swing mechanism to the back seat, pay attention to the correspondence of the front side of the seat with the front side of the swing mechanism.
Now place the crosspiece with the wheels on the floor, remove the transport cap from the gas cartridge (you should see the button; attention! Pressing the gas cartridge button in your hands is dangerous), insert a new gas cartridge, make sure that the diameter of the gas cartridge matches the crosspiece, put on the protective cover and slide the seat body onto the rocking mechanism, if everything is in order, press the body of the chair with your hands, check all the elements again. You can sit on a chair and check the operation of the gas lift.
Attention! If you have a problem with the gas cartridge right after assembling a new seat, you may have come across a defective gas lift or rocking mechanism. But before contacting the dealer to replace parts, check if the button at the gas lift is not locked by the lever from the swing mechanism.
Attention! If the gas lift does not respond to pressing the lever, check: - the swing mechanism or piastra is correctly attached, - the lever for pressing the gas lift button is not bent. In other cases, the replacement of the gas cartridge will be required.
- Serviceable gas lift;
- crosshead screwdriver;
- rubber or metal hammer;
- vice;
- annular drift.
A common cause of gas lift breakdowns is that you do not sit correctly on the chair, that is, do not distribute the weight over the entire area of the seat, but do the main load on its front edge.
Manufacturers of office furniture prohibit using Gaslift at temperatures below +5 degrees. At lower temperatures, the liquid in it freezes, and under load it immediately breaks. If you buy a chair in the cold season, then you can start assembling it only 24 hours after its components are in a warm room.
The quality of any furniture is determined not only by sheet materials: chipboard, fiberboard and MDF, but also by fittings. The latter includes: handles, hinges, guides, fasteners and gas lifts. The cost of quality fittings is about a third of the cost of all furniture. The correct choice and installation of fittings in kitchen furniture is especially important.
The bracket used to raise or lower the drawer door and fix it in this position is called a gas lift. The kitchen gas lift mechanism shown in the photo includes:
a body filled with gas, most often with nitrogen;
rod moving in the body;
sleeve bearings that ensure the uniformity and smoothness of the rod movement;
components that ensure the tightness of the structure: bushing, oil seal, boot, seal.
There are fasteners in the body and at the end of the stem. With their help, the body is attached to the inner surface of the furniture wall, and the stem is attached to the door. A different design is possible, but the principle of operation remains the same everywhere.
The main advantage of such fittings is its reliability, durability and aesthetics. These qualities explain why the gas lift for the kitchen has been so popular lately. How to install it is well known to any furniture assembler. To do this, you will need: a ruler, a screwdriver, a screwdriver and a drill. The lifting mechanism for the gas lift for the kitchen is attached using a spring clip, which allows you to simply snap a mechanism or plate onto it, fastening to which is carried out with screws.
The upper end of the gas lift is fixed on the side wall of the inner side of the cabinet at a distance of 29 mm from the lower edge of the upper shelf and 37 mm from the edge of the side wall. The length of the gas lift is determined by the dimensions of the furniture as follows: when the door is opened downwards, with the upper part reinforced as described above, the lower part is attached to the door at the following distance from its inner end:
with an internal cabinet height of 190 mm - 50 mm;
at a height of 264 mm - 84 mm;
with a height of 365 mm - 128 mm.
Thus, in the first case, the length of the entire bracket in the open state is 164, in the second - 244, in the third - 355 mm.
The main disadvantages of the gas lift can be attributed to its tightness - if it was found that the device does not hold the door, it means that the tightness of the case has broken and the gas has escaped. Such a defect cannot be repaired - the entire lift will have to be changed. However, with proper installation and operation, such damage should not occur, which explains the reliability and popularity of this type of hardware.
The best manufacturers of furniture accessories are considered to be European countries, such as Germany, Italy. There are some pretty good Polish products.Recently, more and more often there is a fairly high quality products of Chinese enterprises. The quality of the device is indicated by the material of manufacture and the force that must be applied to close the mechanism.
The installation of kitchen furniture fittings is a responsible process. It's not just that improperly installed lifts will lead to incorrect and uneven opening and closing of doors - fragile and expensive items are stored in kitchen cabinets.
Incorrectly assembled furniture can lead to breakage of dishes and injury. A person who is unfamiliar with this work and does not have the necessary tools will have a hard time. That is why, for the installation and repair of furniture in the kitchen, it is always better to use the services of specialists who have the necessary knowledge and skills in this area and who own all the necessary tools.
Unlike all cabinet furniture, a computer chair is subject to extremely increased wear and tear, because, in addition to daily use, it has mechanical, and most importantly, hydraulic elements. For example, repairing a gas lift of an office chair with your own hands can be done, but first you need to understand the reasons for the breakdown. So for what reason, for one user, the chair broke down after a few months, while for another, it serves for years without the slightest breakdown? We will deal with this in this article.
Much to surprise, this circumstance does not always depend on the reliability of a particular model. First of all, you need to pay attention to the weight of the owner, as well as to care during operation.
Important! Modern armchairs, as a rule, are designed for a weight of no more than 120 kilograms, and the manufacturers themselves, in turn, provide a guarantee for any malfunction from 12 to 18 months.
From this it can be concluded that the reasons for the breakdown can be:
careless handling;
non-observance of weight restrictions;
the warranty period has expired.
But in the event that your chair has broken down, and the warranty period has already expired, then, having sufficient knowledge and dexterity, you can easily repair a computer chair at home.
Important! Since you have taken up the repair of the chair, it makes sense to put things in order at the entire workplace. And since a computer desk is, as a rule, a bunch of wires of papers and little order, let's start with the main thing - remove the wires from the computer under the table. The next step is the countertop:
If your computer chair lowers itself when you sit down, and rises during lifting from it, while the period of lifting or lowering can vary from a couple of seconds to a day, this is a sign that gas has escaped from the gas cartridge.
Important! Gas lifts cannot be repaired in any way, because their disassembly is quite dangerous for human life.
In this situation, you can fix the chair with the help of available tools in the required position, or change the gas cartridge for a new one.
Important! The price of a gas cartridge is not so high, and it can be purchased at absolutely any specialized store.
So, you have made the decision to replace the gas cartridge with your own hands. For this case, you will need:
Armchair;
Curly screwdriver;
Rubber hammer;
Metal drift;
New gas cartridge that will match the length and diameter;
Vise for more comfort.
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In the event that you carry out repairs in a cool time of the day, the liquid in the gas lift may well freeze - it is strictly forbidden to use it. Wait until the new gas cartridge is at room temperature. To achieve this, you will need to leave it on for about 24 hours.
First of all, use a curly screwdriver to unscrew the seat directly from the piastre or the rocking mechanism.
Flip the chair over, mark the front of your rocking unit.
Remove the 4 screws that secure the chair seat directly to the rocking mechanism and then set the chair body aside.
Dismantle the protective casing, take your gas cartridge in a comfortable hand, the swinging block down.
Use medium blows to tap the rocking mechanism at the very base of the cartridge.
Important! Carefully monitor the degree of flexion of the swing mechanism, do not allow it to bend. If you did not succeed in knocking down the block, try to fix the base of the gas cartridge in the clamp and turn it.
After removing the rocking mechanism, knock out the gas cartridge from the crosspiece.
Turn the crosspiece over with the rollers upward and, using a metal drift, knock out the gas cartridge from the tapered base of the crosspiece with precise and accurate blows.
Important! Be sure to look out for damage to the front side of the chrome crosspiece, as well as the stiffeners of the plastic crosspiece.
Thus, you have disconnected the crosspiece. This means that the difficult task is over, now assemble the chair:
Screw the rocking mechanism onto the backrest seat itself and pay attention to the correspondence of the front sides of the seat and this block.
Next, put the crosspiece on the floor with the wheels, dismantle the transport cap from the new gas cartridge.
Important! You should see the button, but under no circumstances press the gas cartridge button in your hands, because it is dangerous.
Install a new gas cartridge and make sure that the diameter of the gas cartridge fully matches the crosspiece.
Slide the protective cover and then the chair body directly onto the rocking mechanism.
In the event that everything is in order, press the body of the chair with your hands, re-check all the elements.
Important! If your chair is not a year or two, then in addition to the structural repair of the gas lift, it also needs aesthetic, replacement of the upholstery. How to do this, learn from our master class - "How to pull a computer chair with your own hands."
Now you can sit on the chair, thereby checking the performance of the new gas lift.
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If you have problems with the gas cartridge immediately after assembling a new seat, it is likely that you have come across a defective gas cartridge. But before you go and complain about the trading organization and demand replacement of the element, check if the button of the gas lift is fixed by a lever from the swing mechanism.
When the gas lift does not respond when the lever is pressed, check if you have properly secured the piastres or the swing system, if the lever for pressing the gas lift button is not damaged.
In all other cases, it will be necessary to replace the gas cartridge.
Important! If, after reading everything about the repair, you come to the conclusion that, for you personally, it is easier and cheaper to buy a new chair, then do not forget to read the article on how to choose a computer chair.
