How to select and install a kitchen gas lift

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Installing gas lifts on furniture is a process that anyone who starts making furniture with their own hands will encounter in any case. It is advisable to install such lifts so that you do not have to frequently repair this or that product. This simple device can be installed on any furniture without the help of specialists. This way you will ensure reliable fastening of the doors, their silent and smooth opening and closing with one movement of the hand. The most important thing here is to choose the right gas lift, which will save you from many problems and create the most comfortable conditions in the kitchen. Today we will talk about the device itself, consider its strengths and weaknesses, and present to your attention installation instructions with a list of basic recommendations.

Design features and advantages of gas lift

Any mechanism consists of several parts, and a gas elevator is no exception. So, what parts does this device include:

• The body is in the form of a sealed cylinder.
• Sleeve.
• Valve.
• Bypass valve.
• Piston.
• Anther.
• Stuffing box.
• Bearing.
• Piston seal.
• A rod that moves inside the housing.
• An oil seal packing that creates a tight seal for the device.
• The working medium is in the form of nitrogen, which is pumped inside the housing.

pros

Gas elevators have many advantages, but we will highlight the most basic:

• Possibility of self-regulation of the stroke.
• Reliable fixation of the drawer in the open position.
• There are two ways to open the gas lift - step-by-step and automatic.
• Possibility of selection according to the material from which the furniture is made for installing the load-bearing element (aluminum or chipboard).
• The door can be opened without a handle; it is enough to open it slightly for the mechanism to work.

Features of installing a gas lift on a kitchen cabinet

Each cabinet has fastening connections in its design that ensure convenient operation.
Gas lift plays an important role in the proper operation of the kitchen cabinet. Provided that this device is installed correctly, you do not have to worry that at some point the furniture doors will warp or begin to open spontaneously. In order for kitchen furniture to remain functional, it must be equipped with a gas elevator . Moreover, even a non-professional can assemble and install this device on a kitchen cabinet. If you strictly follow the installation instructions, you can ensure reliable fastening of the doors, which can open with a minimum of effort. It must be remembered that the reliable operation of the kitchen cabinet depends not only on the correct installation of the gas lift, but also on its choice.

Installation Rules

Before installing a gas lift in a cabinet, it will not hurt you to understand the following points:

• It is better to install two gas lifts on one front, so that when it opens, there will not be a lot of tension that can warp it.
• Gas elevators with a force of 100 Newton are practically not installed due to the fact that they require very massive and large doors, which are not often found. It is not advisable to use such elevators due to the increased liquid level.
• The front with the lifting mechanism is adjusted by hinges that secure it to the box.
• Before assembling the box, in which the fittings are subsequently mounted, it is necessary to install fasteners.
• You can increase the door opening angle by moving the mounting point closer to the front part of the sidewall.
• When installing automatic elements, you must strictly follow the installation instructions.

Functional types

For each of the above types of activities, a gas lift of the appropriate type can be selected. There are several main criteria for choosing such systems.

Direction of action

In this case, direct and reverse gas lifts are distinguished. The work of the former is based on compression of the rod. By default, this element is extended to its full length. It is this type of gas lift that is used in furniture production. As for the reverse system, the rod extends from the inside.

Cylinder pressure level

Springs with a high or low degree of pressure can be installed in the design.

• For the first, a combination of a rod and a cylinder filled with inert gas is used (non-separable product). Gas displaces the rod part from the cylindrical part. As the rod deepens, the gas volume is reduced, which leads to an increase in the degree of spring pressure.
• The latter are represented by two hollow cylinders. The spring pressure in them changes in proportion to the volume of pumped gas.

It is worth noting that low pressure systems have virtually no operational restrictions. They are easy to use and maintain, starting from the stage of installation into a furniture structure (or any other).

Type of spring lock

Gas lifts with a lockable spring can be considered a separate functional type. The stop element is installed on a pressure tube or rod, which allows you to stop the progress of the structure at the right moment. In particular, this is relevant when adjusting the height of office chairs. The gas lift is fixed by means of a special button that controls the piston valve (the system is set in motion by pressing this element).

From a technical point of view, there are three methods of blocking:

• Standard (with a fairly elastic fastener). Over time, the risk of spontaneous movement of the piston increases.
• Ambivalent. When the piston is pulled out, the fixation is more rigid, which increases reliability.
• Combined. Equally rigid fixation, preventing free movement of the spring element in any direction if the lever in the structure is not pressed.

Naturally, the degree of reliability of the system affects its final cost.

How to install a gas lift on a cabinet door?

The installation process of gas lifts consists of several stages, which we will now consider.

Required tools:

• Screwdriver.
• Electric drill.
• Pliers.
• Screwdriver.
• Hammer.
• Roulette.
• Ruler.

Markup:

1. We check the suitability of the selected gas lift. So, for a wall cabinet with an internal cavity height of 365 mm, a gas element with a length of 355 mm is needed.
2. We mark the furniture. First, mark the center of the fastening on the sidewall. We measure the height L2 from the inner upper area of ​​the lid, equal to 366, and from the front part of the sidewall - 37 mm. Mark the center of the fasteners on the cabinet door. We measure the length L1 from the top edge of the door, equal to 128 mm, and from the side we measure a distance equal to the entire height of the fastening on the side of the furniture - 19 mm. We carry out such markings on both sides of the wall cabinet.

Selection of gas lifts for the kitchen

The choice of gas spring for the front of a kitchen cabinet should be based on the following factors:

• types of equipment;
• technical parameters;
• furniture fittings manufacturing company.

Types of kitchen gas lifts

Classification of gas lifts for cabinet doors is made according to the following criteria:

1. operating principle. There are direct (gas compression) and reverse (rod extension) gas lifts. In most cases, direct action lifts are installed, which are easy to manufacture and relatively low in cost;
2. opening method. Gas elevators are distinguished:

• with step-by-step opening. The kitchen cabinet door is equipped with a handle that opens/closes when pressed. In this situation, the lift is installed solely for smoothness;
• with automatic opening. The furniture cabinet is opened by pressing the button included in the fittings. In this case, installing a door handle is not necessary. After the set period of time, the cabinet door will close automatically.

Automatic gas lift operates by installing additional equipment - an electric drive.

Electric gas lift

Determining gas lift parameters for the kitchen

After choosing a kitchen lift model, you need to select operating parameters, which include:

• the length of the fittings, determined in accordance with the overall dimensions of the cabinet;
• load or compression force.

To independently calculate the compression force, you can use a mathematical formula. The calculation is carried out based on the determination of the following parameters:

• weight of the furniture facade;
• the number of gas elevators installed on the façade;
• distances between the center of the axis and the center of gravity of the facade;
• distance between the center of the axle and the mounting point of the fittings.

Self-calculation of gas lift compression force

In order not to bother yourself with complex mathematical calculations when determining the compression force, you can use indicators calculated by specialists based on average data. For every kilogram of load on the fittings, a force of 10 Newtons is required.

Choosing a gas lift depending on the size and weight of the cabinet door

Popular manufacturers and their advantages

The final stage of selection is to determine the manufacturer of furniture fittings, on which the quality, durability and cost of the equipment depend. The most popular gas lift systems are those made by:

• German companies Suspa liftline and Stabilus. High quality, long period of use and variety of models are the main advantages of the fittings. However, the high cost (from 450 rubles) somewhat reduces the demand for these products;
• Austrian company B It specializes in the production of accessories for different consumers, differing in cost. Buy a gas lift for the kitchen at a price of 150 rubles. At the same time, the AVENTOS HS model, designed for large-sized facades, costs just over 8,000 rubles. However, different price categories do not affect the quality of the products;

Accessories from Blum

• Russian company Gaslift-M, specializing in the production of fittings of decent quality at affordable prices (from 100 rubles).

Installing a gas shock absorber on furniture:

1. We mount fasteners on the side parts of the structure, having previously outlined the required distance. For this, two fastening options are used - brackets with a spring and a plate.
2. According to the above instructions, we install fasteners on the facades so that the angle of inclination of the hinge is approximately 8 degrees.
3. Now let's assemble the box.
4. We install the facades on the frame, securing the canopies at the top level.
5. We install elevators. A click will tell you that they are attached to the head.
6. We close the front part and adjust it using hinges.

Important! The brackets are screwed into the material of the side of the cabinet at the marked point, and the volumetric head of the mechanism is simply fixed in the bracket. If the mount has a plate type with a hole, then it is fastened with three or four screws to the end so that the center of the recess coincides with the previously marked point. The most important thing is that the plate should not be deformed, otherwise the elevators simply will not work.

What is a kitchen gas lift?

Gas elevators used in kitchen furniture are in the form of a lifting mechanism, the main function of which is to hold and open cabinet doors. Thanks to the gas dumbwaiter, the doors of wall cabinets can open upward without any extra effort . This device is widely used in furniture production due to the following advantages:

• Reliable fixation of the open door in the upper position. Due to this, you can open several cabinets at once with one effort;
• Smooth door opening with the ability to independently adjust the mechanism;
• Complete absence of noise during operation of the mechanisms;
• There is no need to install handles on the doors;
• The mechanism is activated by light pressure of the hand.

The operation of this device is based on a fairly simple principle, ensured by the operation of a gas spring and a hydraulic shock absorber.

When the door moves relative to the initial position by 10°, the furniture gas lift mechanism is activated, which automatically opens the door to a working radius of 90°. The door control mechanism itself has a complex structure and includes the following elements:

• cylindrical body;
• piston;
• bushing;
• valve;
• stock;
• plain bearings;
• stuffing box;
• anther;
• compaction

Thanks to a well-thought-out design, the cylinder is completely sealed , which is filled with nitrogen in the manufacturer’s workshops, providing the required pressure at the moment of clamping. The device has a non-demountable design, so it cannot be repaired.

How to adjust the gas lift fasteners in a kitchen set?

In the open position, the facade can have three positions - 90, 70 and 100 degrees (elevation angle) relative to the side of the furniture. So, it may be difficult for a short person to reach the door to close it, or someone needs to look under the door to get the necessary things. To do this, you need to adjust the gas mechanism. Here's a visual guide:

1. We change the markings of fasteners on the front part of the product.
2. Mark down to the center of the fastener 100 mm. This is done so that the front end has a 70 degree position when open. To obtain the position of the gas lift at an angle of 90 degrees, we mark 90 mm according to the same scheme, for 110 degrees - 80 mm.
3. The permissible error when adjusting the gas mechanism is 5-10 degrees.

Important! The tilt angle can be adjusted more precisely. To do this, you need to turn the internal thread, which is located in the gas lift cylinder, in order to raise or lower the facade.

Varieties

The gas lift for the chair is produced in several modifications, therefore, in order to choose the right option, you need to know the types of mechanisms and their features. The products are made from high quality steel. When choosing, attention should be paid to classes that depend on the thickness of the material:

1. Class 1. Steel thickness is 1.2 mm. Budget option.
2. Class 2. Inexpensive device, the performance of which is slightly improved. Thickness – 1.5 mm.
3. Class 3. Withstands loads up to 120 kg. Thickness – 2.0 mm.
4. Class 4. Reinforced structure with 2.5 mm steel thickness, supporting a weight of 150 kg.

Another difference between gas lift models is the body diameter. Available in the following sizes:

• 50 mm is the most common option, used in 90 percent of chairs;
• 38 mm - used in rare cases, mainly for executive chairs, which have a high cross.

An equally important aspect is the length of the gas lift. The range of height settings depends on this parameter. Length options:

1. 205-280 mm. This option is used on inexpensive office products that are designed for sitting at standard tables. This gas lift is short because it has a small range of adjustments.
2. 245-310 mm. It is used in places where it is necessary to raise the structure higher. The length of the device is longer, but the range of lift settings is less than that of the previous model.
3. 290-415 mm. The longest mechanism with great height adjustment capabilities, allowing for significant position changes.

These types of gas lifts are the main ones; other models are also produced, but they are used very rarely.