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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. The screws keep loosening up constantly. A couple of solutions just reach under and tighten when the seat gets loose. Securing a toilet seat is not nearly as hard as it seems. Don't overtighten the bolts, especially if they're metal. wigornian - thanks you will give it a whirl as soon as my credit card bill eases up a bit. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. You could get a set of allen keys and have someone else try to tighten the seat. If the screwdriver is too small, then the bolt will not turn. Then caulk around the toilet and snug down the nuts on the bolts. If your seat is more seriously damaged, then you may consider buying a new toilet seat. If I tighten the screw too tightly, can I break the toilet? Taping the seat and the lid together makes the unit easier to handle. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Well, fix that loose toilet seat once and for all. The screws are secured by two nuts underneath. How can I fix the loose seat? The friction from the slipping screwdriver will quickly wear down the bolt and make it unusable. Align the clips at the back of the hinge assembly with the bolts on the toilet bowl, then push the seat until it clips all the way back on. It may be held by top-fixing bolts. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. How can I tighten it? If you'd rather 'jerry-rig' a solution, you could try adding some rubber washers (making a cut in them so you can get them around the bolts) or squirting something around the bolts that will harden as it dries, like caulk or glue. Then, simply replace the cover and your job is done. When your toilet seat won’t stay up and keeps slamming down, it can be startling and painful for users. Or find some regular hex nuts the same thread use one to tighten the seat … If you just want to replace the seat completely, remember that there are only two types of toilet seats: round and elongated. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. I have to keep a screw driver handy in the bathroom because I constantly have to tighten them. Lower the seat and locate the two screw covers at the back of the seat. The back of your toilet seat is usually connected to the toilet with two long screws that run through the porcelain at the back of the bowl. In the front of the cover, look for a small groove that is designed to help you pry up the cover. Try to find a seat made by the same company that manufactured your toilet to. When the handle is depressed, a chain or lift wire connected to the handle rod lifts the flapper away from the valve seat and allows the water to flush down out of the tank and into the toilet bowl. After it is centered, turn your screwdriver clockwise to tighten the bolt into place. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Remove the nut and bolt and take the seat off the bowl. Then use the tightening tool from the kit to snug up the nut. Over the course of time the toilet seat works loose. Most are in the front, a few have little twist locks and are recognized by notches on the covers. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. As I sit the seat moves around. Tighten the screws, remove the seat, put the hinge caps back on, and reinstall the seat and lid. The solution is, get the seat in the correct position and tighten the bolts, then buy a small packet of plastic filler from a car repair shop. You should be able to find them at a hardware store. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 331,130 times. First, unbolt the seat, and clean everything. If it's metal, or it's simply too tight to turn, use adjustable pliers to turn it. These are usually at the back of the toilet seat. If your toilet seat is loose, then you need to tighten it. Look at the front of the toilet is it round or egg shaped (elongated). The reason is that the holes for the bolts are purposely oversized so that the bolts won't crack the porcelain. Remove the nut and bolt and take the seat off the bowl. Cheers. This should provide enough tension to make the bolt tight! If they look fine, pry up the cover that is over the screws and loosen the screws so you can center the toilet seat over the toilet. If the bolts are metal, and they're corroded, you may have trouble loosening them. The toilet seat on the first toilet seems to be working o.k., but the toilet seat on the second one keeps … To begin remove the toilet seat nuts and insert the rubber bushings. To fix a loose toilet seat, locate the screws that hold the seat on. Flip up the plastic caps at the seat-bolts with a screwdriver to expose the slotted heads of each toilet-seat bolt. Confused is that your toilet seat does not have the usual lower bolts to tighten it? Before you start looking at how to replace a toilet seat, pause: it may just be a case of tightening your toilet seat instead! Flip the toilet seat back over and set it flat on the toilet bowl. I never have and I tighten the toilet seats I install with an impact driver. Pry them up with a flat-head screwdriver to expose the screw heads. The Vitra toilet seat and lid is meant to be attached with long screws but the bolts supplied are too big to go through the holes at the rear of my toilet. I have a wobbly toilet seat, but the seat is placed on with two l-shaped bolts (with Allen key access) that is too difficult to remove. Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. Install the rubber bushing with the tapered side facing up toward the toilet seat. First, clamp the nut with vice grips. The flapper or float ball seats against the valve opening and keeps water in the tank until the flush handle is operated. // STA-TITE® bottom fix solution. Keep in mind that plastic toilet seats are easier to sanitize than wooden seats, and they hold their color for longer. You may need to gently hammer the plugs in place. There is a nut that holds the screw where it protrudes beneath the toilet lid. How can I fix this without replacing the seat? The nut will push the washer into the hole, securing the bolt and stopping the seat from slipping. 69 nuoshen 6 Pack Toilet Seat Screws，Toilet Seat Fittings Toilet Seat Hinges Expanding Rubber Top Nuts Screw Fixings Fix … Tighten a loose or wiggly toilet seat with inexpensive rubber bushings and seat stabilizers. Yizhet 1 Pairs Toilet Seat Top Fixings Top Fix Toilet Seat Fixings Toilet Seat Hinge Fittings Quick Release Hinges DIY Home Tool 4.1 out of 5 stars 1,362 £9.69 £ 9 . How to Replace a Tank-to-Toilet Gasket With Three Screws, How to Fix a Wobbly Toilet With a Plastic Repair Flange, How to Replace a 5 Gallon Toilet Tank With a 3.5, How to Remove an Old Ballcock From a Toilet Tank, Drain Rescue: How to Tighten Your Toilet Seat, Yukon Seat Grip: Yukon Seat Grip Instructions, How to Fix a Toilet That Fills Every 15 Minutes. I have looked at the seat itself and it has no plastic caps to flick off in order to access a screw. To steady a rocking toilet, cut plastic shims to fit and slip them underneath (you may have to remove caulk before adding shims). Then, use a small screwdriver to pry up both the seat and the cover. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies. I noticed it has 2 plastic screws holding the seat down. Use a screwdriver to tighten these bolts, and you should be able to solve the problem. If you have a broken bolt already, you can buy generic plastic ones at the hardware store. My seat was designed to close slowly. Repeat until the toilet doesn't move in any direction. You may have to try them in a few different positions to properly level the toilet. Tighten the nut by hand as far as it will go. I bought a plastic toilet seat with the anti slam feature meaning the lid goes down by itself. Some toilet seats have a double fitting where you have to attach the long screw first to the seat, tighten hard, and then attach it to the porcelain bowl with a nut. The nut I need to screw in is in an awkward place and I can't get good leverage. Close the seat and lid, and align them with the front and sides of the bowl. it is always worth cleaning and drying the fixing areas thoroughly before fitting if the user flops onto the seat from a sideways approach, this may be applying a pushing pressure that could dislodge the fixing. What do I do if I can't get the cover off one of the screws? What should I do? To loosen the nut, spray it with WD 40 and wait 5 minutes. I bought a toilet seat with plastic bolts and screwed it on as tight as it can go. ... Center up the toilet seat and reinstall the nuts,—don’t overtighten—and this oughta keep that toilet seat from working itself into a wobbly hazard, and prevent you from ending up on the floor one day. And we do tighten, repeatedly, it's just that I don't want to have to keep getting down and personal with my toilet seat screws every few days. Fortunately, there's something you can do to keep the toilet seat from coming loose so often. Find the screws and pry up the cover. Tape the toilet seat to the cover using duct tape. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. In some cases, you may have success by replacing the existing rubber washers with new rubber ones. What size deep-pocket wrench should I use? It's a 15-minute fix that'll last for years. Toilet seats have an inherent design flaw: they work loose & wobble. Once you get them off, replace them with new ones. Permanent Fix for Loose Toilet Seat The problem with toilet seat hardware is that the holes in the china bowl are a bit oversize for the two bolts that secure the seat, allowing the seat to move around a bit in use. You’ll see a nut, and it should be unmovable with your fingers. It's a simple fix. Manufacturers make these washers specifically for this purpose. Take the plastic ones with you to measure for the right size. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. Only a year old. I actually bought a new toilet seat about 6 months ago to fix the issue, and it was fixed for a while when it was new, but the hinges loosened up again. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. A sliding toilet seat is one such problem. To deter a sliding seat, you can remove the seat and place a patch of 2-sided tape like a square washer with a hole in the center in between the seat mount through the bolt and onto the toilet rim. Temporarily reinstall the seat and lid by pressing them back down onto the hinge pins. No, you'll need to replace it. Here’s how: Locate the two screws which hold the toilet seat in place: These are usually at the back of the toilet seat. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. After a few months, it's moving. Simply remove the small plastic bolt caps at the base of your toilet (they will be on each side, and can be pried off with a small screwdriver). Decide which screwdriver is the best fit. The Bemis STA-TITE ® toilet seat does exactly what it says: stay tight. Some home improvement problems seem easy until you tackle them, and then they turn out to be more problematic than you thought. Can I fix it without replacing it? Slide it up the bolt so it’s wedged tightly into the underside of the hinge-bolt hole. If so, spray them with lubricant to loosen the threads. You can buy plastic plugs from your local hardware store. Toilet seats do wear out. For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to install a new toilet seat, scroll down. It's fairly new. That leads to leaks and major repairs. wikiHow's. For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to install a new toilet seat, scroll down. You can keep the bolts secure by packing the holes with special washers. A rubbery washer against the porcelain also improves grip and prevents slide (hard glossy plastic washers are not so good). The slight movement works on the nuts over time, gradually loosening them. Replace the hinge-bolt nut and tighten it into place. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Coupled with unfortunate timing, a toilet seat that won’t stay up often causes a mess as well—and that, in turn, can cause friction between members of the household. Use a pair of pliers to clamp this nut while you tighten the screw. You should be able to stop it from sliding by tightening the nuts holding it to the bowl, but they loosen again after a short time and the problem reoccurs. Ease the cistern forward very slightly, (from your question this shouldn't be difficult). 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