Andersen patio door sticks

My 20-year old Andersen series 400 sliding patio door is taking more force to slide it than it used to take. Runners are clean, and I've played with the roller adjustments. I assume I need to replace the rollers, which is no big deal, but I'd like to make sure that this is the likely problem. What is the failure mode on these rollers? Does a roller bearing break? I would have thought these rollers would last pretty much indefinitely.

 

Nothing lasts forever. Grit, grime, lube (never use lube!) and eventually they just wear out. Good door and 20 yrs is good even for Andersen rollers. You can find them online or order from Andersen. Get the info off the door glass in the corner and measure the size of the door for the correct item.

They've only changed them once or twice in that time I think, and in most cases the new ones will fit older doors. Another reason I like Andersen, almost all new parts are backwards compatible.

Pull the panel out, remove the rollers and you'll see they are probably bad. Any wobble, roughness, or grittiness and they need replacement.

 

My door is 29 years old and still rolls like new. Short of replacing the rollers you can remove them and check the bearings. If they are OK you can wash them with a solvent and pack them with a white grease, if not, Amazon has the 2 styles for Andersen doors.

 

When you adjusted the roller adjustments that are on the front or back of the door, could you visibly see the door rising or lowering? Because if you could not see any difference in height, it may be dragging on bottom.

 

Well, again, the issue isn't that I don't know how to change the rollers. I do. Looks pretty straightforward. The question is what makes them fail. Wheels and axles actually do pretty much last forever, though if there are plastic or brass bearings, those might degrade. It's not as if these rollers are rolling many miles. I was just wondering, for those who replaced them, what did the problem with the rollers turn out to be?

I'm reluctant to pull the door out, remove the rollers, and just clean and repack them with grease. Because if I pull the door out, I'm already going to have ordered the new rollers! If dirty wheels are a likely cause, why would I want to order new ones?

Yes, in doing the adjustment, I can see the door moving up and down, so the adjustment is working. I guess that means that it isn't dragging, but that the rollers must be sticking.

 

BTW, there are TWO styles of does rollers that Andersen sells. One style is for "8-inch panel". Huh? What does that mean? Those "8-inch panel" ones are slightly more expensive, but their picture looks *exactly* the same as ones for doors without the "8-inch panel" spec. Sent in a request to Anderson, but have not heard back.

 

Are you sure it said 8 "inch"? If so it was probably a typo. There are different rollers for 8 FOOT tall doors vs the standard 80 INCHES. They may be interchangeable in size, but you need to use the right one. The standard rollers will fail quicker on an 8 ft door.

 

Ah, my mistake. 8 FOOT tall panels. And a "panel" is a "door". So why don't they just say that? Yes, it makes sense that the rollers for an 8 foot door must be beefier than for the standard, which is more like 76 inches, which is what mine is. OK, now things make sense. Thank you.

But I'm still curious about what the failure mode is for these rollers.

 

A roller is a bearing. Bearings eventually wear out or get dirty. Could be either. In the time you have typed all this you could have removed the 6 screws or so on the top stop that keep the top of the door from falling into the room and you could check the rollers for yourself. It would take about 5 minutes to remove one and check it.

If it was me, i would definitely be inspecting the existing rollers before ordering new ones. It is so simple there is no reason not to do it.

 

Well, that's the way those in the industry talk. A panel is NOT a door. It can be fixed and won't open, so not a door. Is the fixed panel on your slider a door? No, it's PART of the door. Terminology in different fields can be a bit confusing. Just like those of us that have sold, installed, and repaired doors say "slab or pre-hung, flat or split jamb, solid or hollow?", and get a blank look across the desk.

Andersen is a very, very good company IMO. Still privately owned and I think going on 110 years or so? Best tech support ever when I was selling. I've installed 3 of them in my own homes and they are like bank vaults when done right.

I'm with X, it's pretty darn simple to remove the moving panel and at least take a look. Could be it just needs cleaning, but for $25 bucks or so, why not throw some new ones on?

And I also agree, it's just a bearing. Even sealed U-joints or CV joints on a car have to be replaced once in a while.

 

This is only slightly related to this thread, but while we are on the subject has anyone had experience with the teflon "skis" for sliders? Our Pro Desk had a promotional flyer hawking them. I have yet to hear any feedback on it. Just curious. It replaces rollers on sliders.
Slide-Ezzz Sliding Glass Patio Door Repair Kit in Black-1008-B - The Home Depot

 

Nice concept: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JchShfsgE3A
Didn't like the idea of having to use silicone oil to aid the easy sliding. I can see grit and dirt settling on the track and causing problems sliding. This would be a last ditch fix if new rollers were not available.

 

I like how they say " lasts for thousands of cycles". So that could be as little as two years based on using it 3 times a day.

And it costs more than buying a set of roller would.

No thanks.

 

OK, Ill pull out the door and inspect the rollers. No, it takes a little more time than a couple of minutes, because I have to find someone to help me manhandle the door. But that's the sensible approach. Yes, Andersen is an excellent company. That's why I got this door (got two of them, actually).

I really don't like the slider idea. That's just begging for trouble with dirt. Andersen actually cautions against putting lube on these rollers because, as they say, you may end up having them slide instead of roll, like they're supposed to.

 

Clear all the furniture away from the door... put a blanket or dropcloth down... once you remove the top stop, let the top of the door tip into the room and just lay it down on the floor right where it is. No need to pick it up or carry it anywhere. This is literally about the easiest thing anyone could hope to do to a door. Just trying to reassure you that you can do this.

 

In addition to Xsleeper's instructions, there is video on Andersen's site: Gliding Patio Door Roller

 

Yes, I'm aware of the video, and XSleeprs advice about just laying the door down directly instead of carrying it somewhere is very good. I think I still need a second body to make sure it is laid down safely