How do I fix a pull-out larder or tall unit that has jammed or sagged?
Why tall pull-outs fail at the bottom runner, how to check the frame is still square, and the load rating people never look at.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Read
- 4 min
Short answer
Empty it, then look at the bottom runner rather than the top guide — that is where the weight is and where the failure almost always is. Check the frame is still square, check every fixing into the carcass, and check what you are actually carrying, because a full larder pull-out is easily over 50kg.
A tall pull-out larder is a rack on a runner carrying the heaviest concentration of weight in the kitchen, cantilevered out of the cabinet when it is open. That is a demanding piece of engineering, and when it starts to bind or drag it is nearly always because something is no longer square or a fixing has moved in chipboard.
What you'll need
- Torch
- Screwdriver and Allen keys
- Spirit level
- Hardwood dowel and PVA, if a fixing has torn out (optional)
- Dry PTFE spray (optional)
Step by step
- Empty it completely and weigh what came out.Worth doing once. Two dozen tins, bottles and jars in a tall pull-out is a large number, and it settles immediately whether the problem is the mechanism or the load.
- Pull the empty frame out slowly and watch where it binds.Binds at the start of travel: bottom runner or a frame fixing. Binds at full extension: overload or a drooping runner. Binds throughout: something out of square.
- Check the bottom runner and its fixings first.This is where the load is. Look at every screw into the carcass base and into the frame. A single screw that has torn out of chipboard tilts the whole frame and it will bind.
- Check the top guide.Tall pull-outs have a top guide or roller that keeps the frame upright but carries little weight. It can come out of adjustment or its fixing can loosen, which lets the frame lean.
- Check the frame is square.Measure the diagonals of the frame, or simply put a level on an upright. A frame that has racked, usually from being loaded unevenly or pulled by one corner, will bind however good the runner is.
- Check the carcass itself is square.A tall unit with a loose or missing back panel racks, and a pull-out inside a racked carcass cannot run. Check the back panel is fixed all round before blaming the mechanism.
- Check the door front fixings.The door is bolted to the front of the frame, usually through slotted brackets. Those bolts loosen, and a heavy door hanging half-attached will pull the frame out of line and drag it on the carcass.
- Clean and lubricate, but only with dry lubricant.Dry PTFE spray on the runner. Not oil or grease, which collects flour and dust and turns into an abrasive paste in a food cupboard.
- Find the load rating and compare it honestly.Tall pull-out mechanisms are rated, usually between 40 and 80kg depending on width and quality. The rating is usually printed on the runner or on the frame. If you are over it, the fix is fewer tins, not a new runner.
- Redistribute the load low.Heavy items on the bottom shelves of the pull-out, light on the top. A tall frame loaded at the top is a lever working against every fixing in the unit.
Tips
- If a pull-out has begun to drag the door on the carcass, look at the door bolts before anything else — a door that has slipped 3mm downwards will scrape and it feels exactly like a runner fault.
- Narrow tall pull-outs — 150 and 300mm — are far more sensitive to overload and racking than wide ones, because there is less frame to resist the twist.
- Bottle and jar storage on a pull-out is heavy and clinks. Rubber mat on each shelf both quietens it and stops things migrating to the front, which is where they do the most damage to a runner.
If it doesn't work
Drags at the start of travel
Cause: Bottom runner fixing has moved, or the frame is sitting at an angle — Fix: Check and repair every bottom fixing, then re-check the frame is upright and square before reloading.
Sags at full extension
Cause: Overloaded, or the runner has taken a permanent set — Fix: Empty and test. If it is straight when empty, reduce the load or fit a higher-rated mechanism. A permanently drooping runner is replaced.
Door scrapes the carcass
Cause: Door mounting bolts have slipped — Fix: Slacken, reset the door with even gaps using packers, and retighten. Check the frame is square first, or you will set the door to a crooked frame.
Whole frame leans
Cause: Top guide out of adjustment or its fixing loose — Fix: Reset the top guide so the frame runs upright. If its screws have torn out of chipboard, dowel the holes.
Questions people ask
How much weight can a pull-out larder hold?
Typically between 40 and 80kg depending on the width and the quality of the mechanism, and the rating is usually printed on the runner or the frame. A full tall larder reaches those numbers easily, so it is worth checking rather than assuming.
Why does my pull-out larder scrape the cabinet?
Usually the door has slipped on its mounting bolts, or the frame has racked and is no longer running square. Check the frame first, then reset the door with even gaps using packers.
Can I lubricate a pull-out larder?
Yes, with a dry PTFE spray. Never oil or grease — in a food cupboard they pick up flour and dust and turn into an abrasive paste that wears the runner faster than no lubricant at all.