Caring for shower enclosure rollers (wheels)

What do rollers do?

Rollers are the wheels that carry the moving glass of a shower enclosure and let it slide along the rails. The full weight of the glass rests on these small parts, so they are one of the places where the quality of an enclosure is felt the most.

Why are poor rollers dangerous?

If the ball bearings inside a roller are not stainless, they rust over time, rust leaks out and the bearings stop turning. A roller with a body made of poor material may not carry the weight of the glass and can crack at the hub or fall apart.

Either way, the door no longer runs smoothly on its rail, we start forcing it open and shut, and the risk of the glass breaking goes up.

One minute a month: the right care

1. Wipe the aluminium rails the rollers run on with a damp cloth and dry them.
2. Apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to the rails.
3. Open and close the door a few times to spread it.

Petroleum jelly keeps the rollers quiet and helps keep water out of the bearings. This matters: if water gets into the bearings and the enclosure is not used for a long time, limescale left by the water makes them hard to turn.

When is a service needed?

• If a roller jumps off the top or bottom rail,
• If a roller does not turn or the door catches as it moves,
• If the door squeaks or scrapes as it opens and closes,

the rollers should be serviced and, if needed, replaced by a specialist team.

Removing the door safely

If the sliding door has to come off, first press the roughly 1 cm tab above the bottom rollers to release them from the rail. Then lift the glass out of the top rail to remove the door. The glass is heavy, so do this with two people.

Do not use enclosures from brands you do not trust. The roller is the smallest part of an enclosure, and the one that works the hardest.