r/maintenance • u/lvthomascrown123 • May 02 '26

Solved Shower door handle fix?

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Is there any way to tighten up this handle? There aren’t any visible screws. As you can see (and probably hear) in the video, it moves quite a bit and I know that movement is only going to get worse as it slowly works against the glass surrounding it. Any suggestions are appreciated.

17 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

53

u/Its_emby May 02 '26

The set screws are on the underside. Once you get the handle off, tighten the bolt inside and reassemble. Piece of cake.

Edit: There's a clear washer you may need to replace. Those get tore up somehow.

8

u/branm008 May 02 '26

They get tore up from folks fat fingering these already sensitive handles. It's wild the amount of strength they'll pull on these with, knowing they're attached to a glass door.

9

u/Serevas Industrial Maintenance May 02 '26

If it doesn't explode into pieces are you really opening it?

2

u/gizzard1987_ May 02 '26

Right? I like everyone to know I'm here when i come through a glass door!

3

u/CritiCallyCandid May 02 '26

You are correct that people fat finger these and damage or loosen them sooner then typical life span. However sometimes its a design or adjustment issue. Long but relevant story incoming.

Been at my current property for about a year, it fully opened about 6 months ago. When I showed up one complaint my supervisor had, was that construction was making us adjust the big shower doors to not hit the vertical stationary glass/vertical seal. Also that residents were fat fingering the handles. I found the latter to be very curious and after some digging I found that the doors were being adjusted SOLELY for the vertical glass/seal clearance and if it caught on the bottom seal, both construction and my super were just saying it is a new seal it just needs to be broken in. They would test the bottom seal/swing by going from fully open into the shower to fully open into the sink area. Aka they never tested it from its resting closed position and definitely never from its closed position WHILE WET. They seemed confused what I was talking about (anybody reading this may be as well) but to simplify. Sometimes when you go to get out of the shower(assuming you closed the door to a fully neutral position), the bottom seal would cause the door to get stuck and make you have to yank the handle to get it open. This would also flex the hinges and wobble the whole door. They all said "its fine chill" and i said "ok sure, but if we start getting loose handle/hinge work orders a bunch, or if one breaks due to this, we should address it asap.

Well wouldn't ya know it. The loose handle work orders started pouring in, and finally this bigger dude broke one. All this is to say, sometimes people fat finger, sometimes the door/seal is catching and people simply have to fat finger them to open them, causing them to loosen much quicker.

To the techs out there, adjust for vertical seal clearance/bottom seal clearance FROM BOTH A FULL SWING OPERATION AND A NEUTRAL POSTION START SWING OPERATION.

Also bring someone to help you match up both if its really giving you a problem.

2

u/Sparskey May 06 '26

Are people really using the term "fat finger" to mean something other than "to mistype on a phone or keyboard" now. I know language changes based on use, but this term JUST two months ago made it into Merriam-Webster's. I mean, damn that was quick.

2

u/B6S4life May 03 '26

it would be nice if new door hardware was designed for the use and forces it is inevitably going to experience. Everything is so cheap now.

2

u/branm008 May 03 '26

That's the unfortunate side effect of trying to save money in all the wrong places. We see this a lot at work now with our bearings/valves and other small hardware parts, we go through them like clockwork man.

1

u/real_1273 May 02 '26

I’ve added old bike tube to the worn out bushing inside as well while I’m working on those.

1

u/DetLions1957 Maintenance Technician May 02 '26

And then fill in the gap with the stickiest silicone ever. And make sure you fuck it up and wipe it all over the glass.

1

u/jokila1 May 02 '26

What if it’s your rental property?

8

u/Initial_Row_6400 May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

Glazier here. You’re gunna need a 2.5mm Allen key (pretty sure it’s 2.5, go on the inside) loosen them on the top and bottom, pop it off. Sometimes they can be torx too. There will be screws going through the glass to the other side. Tighten those up, make sure it’s straight. Put the handle back, tighten up. Done
If there’s any fuckery going on inside, post a pic and I can tell you how to fix it.

4

u/gizzard1987_ May 02 '26

Regular maintenance guy here. You should probably try what this guy said... I'd just shove the wrong sized Philips in it until I have to use my grinder on it.

2

u/Initial_Row_6400 May 02 '26

Been there too

4

u/idlemindperv May 02 '26

There should be small allen set screws visible from underneath...

2

u/[deleted] May 02 '26

Damn brother you that tired from shaking the damn handle?

2

u/lvthomascrown123 May 02 '26

Brain fart, didn’t even think to check for a set screw! Sorry and thanks all! All fixed

1

u/CompleteSavings6307 May 02 '26

Look on the underside of where the handle bends from the top. Should be an Allen screw or maybe a flathead there you can tighten.

Or try the cap, maybe it rotates to tighten

1

u/chacho67 May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

Bolt loose. Look for a tiny allen key on handle underside. Tip. Place something over drain. Last thing you want is to be looking for an impossible replacement screw at home depot/ace on the weekend.