The soft-close feature makes it possible for the customers to extend the life of their units. You won’t have to worry about the drawers being slammed into place with the soft-close. This feature takes over mid-way of closing the drawer and ensures that it goes softly into its proper place.
If you want to keep your units in perfect condition, the soft-close feature is a worthwhile investment. You won’t have to spend a lot of money on it, and you will be able to substantially extend the life of units installed in your motorhome.
Sometimes, users complain about soft close drawer slides not working due to installation and other issues. If you are in the same boat, then try these methods.
How to Fix Soft Close Drawer Slides Not Working?
If your soft close drawer slides are not working correctly, there are many workarounds.
1. Inspect Soft Close Mechanism
You should always start the troubleshooting process by checking the integrity of the soft-close mechanism itself. Because if the soft-close mechanism itself is broken, you won’t be able to do anything about this problem. So, take out your drawers to inspect the drawer slides.
Depending on your soft-close mechanism type, you will find some pins installed with the plastic component at the end of your drawer slide. This pin activates the soft-close mechanism when you close the drawer, which doesn’t let the drawer slam into the frame. However, if the pin is faulty, you will need to replace the whole soft-close mechanism.
If you are unsure whether your pin is working correctly, you can try making a video of yourself playing around with the soft-close mechanism and then send that to an expert.
He will look at the unit for you and guide you accordingly. So, even if you can’t find any physical damage to the pin, you should try messing around with the mechanism to find the defects creating this problem.
2. Check For Bent Sections
Please take out the contents of your drawer and then remove the drawer itself. You can thoroughly examine the slides and look for misshapen spots. Depending on the extent of the damage, you can reshape the slide and smooth the bend.
Warped areas can smooth out with the use of pliers. Put the slides back in the drawer, and they should be working fine.
3. Fix the Alignment
Alignment issues are also a common reason you might run into issues like these. It usually happens when the customers try to install the slides themselves.
So, if you have never installed the drawer slides, you might also be in the same boat. To fix this problem, you will need to realign the glides, which should fix everything.
According to some users, you can realign the slides by firmly tugging at them a few times. If you are lucky, then that will fix the drawer glides. However, if you’re still stuck in the same problem, you might need to take out the drawer and adjust the runners again. That should fix the gliding problem with your soft-close drawer slides.
Make sure that everything is in the right place and the screws are correctly tightened. Other than that, you also have the option of getting these slides professionally installed, but it will cost you a few bucks.
However, the specialist will ensure that you don’t run into the soft-close issues again for a long time. So, if you’re very annoyed by this problem, then now might be a good time to contact a specialist.
4. Clean the Slides
If you have not used the drawer in a long time, then there might be gunk or rust on your drawer slides. Depending upon the maintenance of these slides, you can get the soft-close mechanism working again after cleaning the slides. If the drawer is not closing all the way, then the issue is most probably related to dirt entrapped in the drawer slides.
You can clean the slides by removing the drawer and then using a brush to remove any dirt or gunk from the slides.
After thoroughly cleaning the slides, you can put the drawer back into its place, and that should fix your issue with the soft-close drawer slides if they are not defective. Make sure that the alignment of the glides is perfect this time around.
If they are defective, the only fix is to get yourself a new pair and replace the current drawer slides.
As mentioned before, you should inspect the plastic component first to check the integrity of the drawer slides. If the plastic component is damaged or broken, no troubleshooting method can help you, and you will need to get a replacement.
5. Look For Loose Screws
It is the most common observation that screws come loose over time. The proper attachment of drawer slides to the sides or bottom of your drawer is crucial for smooth movement, and the slides of your soft-close drawer won’t work correctly if the screws have gone loose. If you got loose screws, take wood glue and put it in the hole. It will result in tight screws with seamless attachment.
6. Inspect Roller Wheels
The roller wheels are an essential drawer component that ensures smooth running. Their significance is way more with soft closing or self-close drawer slides. Wheels can get back to their standard rolling shape with some grease and effective cleaning.
There are chances that roller wheels might get worn down to a more flat edge and ultimately break down. In that case, you’ll have to replace the drawer slides because the individual replacement of the roller wheels is not possible.
Replacing the Soft Close Drawer Slide
If you have tried all the workarounds and nothing has worked for you, replacing your soft-close drawer slides is the only option. Thankfully, the process is pretty quick and easy. However, hiring a trained professional is recommended if you are unsure about it.
Start by buying new soft-close drawer slides. The good news for you is that they are readily available, and you can easily buy them from your nearby hardware store. Before buying, make sure to take the measurements, so you don’t end up buying the wrong size. Consider taking it out of the cabinet and emptying it before measuring its length.
First, take off the worn-out drawer slides. Just pull them gently, and they will come off.
If your cabinet has an interior partition panel, you can easily install the slides by mounting them against the cabinet and screwing it in . On the other hand, if your cabinet doesn’t have one, you may need to install the drawer brackets for this purpose.
Now, place the drawer slides on your drawer and drill holes so you can put a screw in them later on. Use a drill machine for this purpose, and use it carefully, so you don’t end up damaging your drawer.
Now, make adjustments in your drawer so that the slides fit in properly and remain in place. And put the slides in the drawer to make sure that the holes you drilled are suitable under the holes of the slides.
After that, screw the slide using a screwdriver. Make sure to screw them tightly, so they don’t go loose over time. Finally, attach the clips to the drawer with the help of screws. Repeat the procedure to attach the slide to the other side of your drawer.
That’s it! You have installed the soft-close drawer slides. Put back your drawer and push it to see if it moves smoothly.
