I was going out to get the morning paper, when I slipped on some ice on the porch while holding on to the latch of my Andersen storm door. The latch broke and cut a nasty gash in my hand.
After the fall, I set out to fix the latch. The latch handle has a hole punched or drilled through the handle casting, and a rivet passes through the holes, forming the hinge. This would be OK, except that the hole on the casting is too close to the edge of the casting, and the cast aluminum is too thin around the outside edge of the hole.
The Andersen storm door latch assembly is a proprietary design, so generic replacements won’t fit the door without major modifications.
The casting eventually breaks at the hole due to metal fatigue, causing the handle to separate from the latch assembly, rendering the latch useless. I went to several local hardware stores and home centers looking for a generic replacement assembly. I bought one, but I had to return it, because it wouldn’t fit.
Several store clerks told me that the Andersen latch assembly is a proprietary design, so generic replacements won’t fit the door without major modifications. That would involve drilling new holes in the door. They suggested I order a replacement directly from Andersen. When I called Andersen to order the first replacement assembly, the clerk admitted that it had been having a problem with them. He said it had been getting a lot of calls for replacement latches.
The latch has since failed on two more occasions, under far less stress than the initial failure. The same failure mode occurs each time, cracking at the same hole. It doesn’t appear that the design has ever been changed, even though Andersen appears to be aware that the units are failing in the field.
The new parts have a one-year warranty, but they seem, for me, to fail after about 13 months. Replacement latches cost about $17, including shipping.
This entry was submitted by Robert Atkinson Jr. and edited by Rob Spiegel.
Tell us your experiences with Monkey-designed products. Send stories to Rob Spiegel for Made by Monkeys.
12 month warranty, 13 month failure cycle. Sounds like they have their "planned obsolescence" figured out just about perfectly. Unfortunately, that doesn't sound too far from the truth if they know that it is a problem and haven't fixed it over a multi-year period. Until/unless it hurts their reputation (as somebody suggested), manuafacturing and selling more $17 replacement parts is more cost-effective than assigning the manpower to do a redesign.
I don't believe that for a millisecond! American companies are steeped in legal depts., and have effectively insulated themselves from the "annoyances" of their customers & product users. Did you ever try to get the name of the CEO of a major supplier? Most of the time, UNLESS they're in the news for some unrelated event, they are more guarded than the Queen of England!
Starting in 2010, I had an ongoing issue w/ VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS. Over a period of 16 months they sent me almost 50 e-mails regarding my FIOS service contract. The problem was/is that I do not subscribe to VERIZON for ANY telephony or related services. Worst yet, the original e-mails congratulated me for my choice of FIOS, and requested that I confirm the installation date for the equipment. After 16 months of phone calls, e-mails, etc., it was determined that the ACTUAL customer was located in Massachusetts. I am in Florida! It wasn't until I threatened to enter a formal complaint w/ the Public Service Commission that I began to receive some attention to this error. They have since purged my e-mail address from their systems...... at least that's what I've been told. We'll wait & see IF that's the case!
A few years ago in the process of replacing a front entry door I also replaced the "storm" door, also made by Anderson, purchased from Home Depot. During the installation you get to a step where you are supposed to remove the protective plastic covering the door in order to install the latch assembly. Of course, this is about 75% into the installation. Removing the protective plastic revealed several deep scratch marks on the outer surface of the door. I contacted Anderson who told me to return the door to Home Depot. My second door, after returning home, revealed what appeared to be an attack with a ball peen hammer on the inner side of the door covered by spray paint that didn't match the door finish. This door, too, was going back.
Back at Home Depot, they had run out of stock on the door I had purchased so I was upgraded (for a $20.00 fee) to a storm door with insulated glass.
Is the third time the charm? Well, almost. At least this third door didn't have any scratches on it but the latch still doesn't close well. Anderson's quality is poor, all three doors had excessive metal shavings in the latch area as well as very sharp edges where the latch opening had been punched out.
Yes, they really are "cold" doors and windows. Wow, you really get severe rain. Here in the high desert, we don't see much of that. We run about seven to eleven inches per year. We get the occaisional downpour -- which lasts about 20 minutes -- and even that can cause some mighty flash floods. Hope your husband didn't even up too damaged.
It all comes down to that mighty dollar. And unfortunately it's very difficult to put a value on building a product that goes way beyond it's warranty period. I've not really taken a look at a new car or truck lately. But i'd be intereted to see if Americans are really buying vehicles or anything else that has a longer warranty period.
Does a mojority of the market pay the extra money for extra quality? Unfortunately, not.
I would imagine these types of problems would be very costly for Anderson, more costly than doing it right the first time. So it seems strange these problems would not be corrected quickly.
You may have the key to this, Didymus7. At least that would explain the inexplicable. IN all other scenarios, it would be less expensive for the company to simply fix the design.
Renewal by Andersen Renewal by Andersen is an Andersen subsidiary company that offers a fresh approach to window replacement by serving 'do-it-for-me' homeowners who want simple, reliable solutions for replacing old windows with low-maintenance, energy-efficient, custom-made windows.
EMCO Doors EMCO, a leading manufacturer and distributor of all season/storm doors and accessories, was acquired by Andersen Corporation in 2001. EMCO was founded in 1932 and began focusing on storm doors in 1977.
KML Windows Inc. Founded in 1982 and acquired by Andersen Corporation in 2001, KML has grown to be one of the most respected specialty manufacturers of architecturally designed windows and entranceways in North America.
Silver Line Building Products Silver Line Building Products Corporation, a leading manufacturer of vinyl windows and patio doors in North America. Based in New Jersey, Silver Line has manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, Ohio, Texas and Illinois. Adding this product line to the company's portfolio has enabled Andersen to provide windows and doors for virtually any new construction or home improvement project.
Eagle Window & Door Eagle is a wholly owned subsidiary of Andersen Corporation, manufacturing aluminum clad wood windows and patio doors. The product line includes a wide range of design options including 50 standard exterior colors, nine interior wood species, 11 factory interior finishes, decorative glass and blinds between the glass.
Custom Pultrusions, Inc. (CPI) Custom Pultrusions, Inc. (CPI) was acquired by Andersen Corporation in 2009, after serving as a critical supplier for more than 25 years. CPI has a long established reputation for being a leading provider of thin wall, highly complex pultrusion solutions with an outstanding commitment to quality that is coupled with exceptional customer service. In addition to continuing its role as a key strategic partner to Andersen, CPI extends its development and manufacturing services to a wide variety of business partners. CPI supplies pultruded lineals and fabrication services to multiple industry segments including transportation, building/ construction, and consumer products.
1331 S. Chillicothe Road Aurora, Ohio 44202 330.562.5201
Andersen Logistics Andersen Logistics is focused on the timely and efficient distribution of Andersen windows, patio doors, exterior doors and other exterior products to Andersen Windows, Inc. dealers.
That day there were a lot of husbands temporarily home from work doing the same thing on roofs all over Boulder Creek and neighboring communities, since we saw it coming on the NOAA radar and weather reports. He's a pretty big guy, which probably saved him from falling off, along with the gentle slope of the roof. A very scary situation.
Redwood forests are actually classed as rain forests, albeit temperate zone ones. That's how we get enough moisture to grow stuff on plastic. Your rainfall sounds like what used to be normal in LA before theirs went down to, what, 2 inches a year or so for awhile during the last drought.
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