Clean the ceramic with soap and water to remove any buildup, then replace the seat. You may crack the porcelain. 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. In cheap toilets, the screws are made of plastic. If your toilet seat is loose, then you need to tighten it. I bought a plastic toilet seat with the anti slam feature meaning the lid goes down by itself. Any movement of the toilet damages the wax seal. The slight movement works on the nuts over time, gradually loosening them. You may need to gently hammer the plugs in 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. http://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/toilet-repair/toilet-seat-repair-keep-your-seat-tight/view-all, http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/toilet-seat.htm, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn0a2XFV1xo, Aggiustare una Tavoletta del Water Instabile, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Probably the easiest fix, your loose toilet may simply be due to your loose toilet mounting bolts needing to be tightened. 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. 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. Securing a toilet seat is not nearly as hard as it seems. 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. A couple of solutions just reach under and tighten when the seat gets loose. These may be held in place by a small grub screw at rear of the silver fixing (tiny and difficult to see). Try to find a seat made by the same company that manufactured your toilet to. Over the course of time the toilet seat works loose. Take the plastic ones with you to measure for the right size. You could get a set of allen keys and have someone else try to tighten the seat. Slide the toilet seat back onto the bolts at the back of the toilet bowl. What would prevent the seat on my toilet from becoming loose so often? Take the screws with you to find the best fit. Toilet seats have an inherent design flaw: they work loose & wobble. Here’s how: Locate the two screws which hold the toilet seat in place: These are usually at the back of the toilet seat. The toilet seat on the first toilet seems to be working o.k., but the toilet seat on the second one keeps … We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Use a screwdriver to tighten these bolts, and you should be able to solve the problem. I bought a toilet seat with plastic bolts and screwed it on as tight as it can go. How can I keep the seat from sliding to one side? To steady a rocking toilet, cut plastic shims to fit and slip them underneath (you may have to remove caulk before adding shims). ... 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. This causes it to move, wobble or rock when in use. The reason is that the holes for the bolts are purposely oversized so that the bolts won't crack the porcelain. Then, use a small screwdriver to pry up both the seat and the cover. It's a 15-minute fix that'll last for years. If you need instructions, then this article has some good tips on how to fix a loose toilet seat with no access. Insert the screw back in the holes. Keep in mind that plastic toilet seats are easier to sanitize than wooden seats, and they hold their color for longer. The flapper or float ball seats against the valve opening and keeps water in the tank until the flush handle is operated. Can I fix it without replacing it? A rubbery washer against the porcelain also improves grip and prevents slide (hard glossy plastic washers are not so good). What should I do? If the seat or bolts are damaged, you may need to go to the hardware store to replace these parts. Tighten the nut by hand as far as it will go. Remove the lid from the cistern. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Insert the screw back in the holes. Most toilets, however, use steel screws, and more expensive models may even use brass or stainless steel. The nut I need to screw in is in an awkward place and I can't get good leverage. How do I tighten the rod on a loose toilet seat? wigornian - thanks you will give it a whirl as soon as my credit card bill eases up a bit. 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. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Then, simply replace the cover and your job is done. No, you'll need to replace it. For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to install a new toilet seat, scroll down. If I tighten the screw too tightly, can I break the toilet? Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. This one however the toilet / ceramic is sealed with no access to the underside. Taping the seat and the lid together makes the unit easier to handle. How can I fix this without replacing the seat? A sliding toilet seat is one such problem. Tighten a loose or wiggly toilet seat with inexpensive rubber bushings and seat stabilizers. Remove the backing from a pair of adhesive washers and slide one along the end of each bolt until it makes contact with the bowl. That leads to leaks and major repairs. 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. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. 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. I'm trying to tighten a bolt on my toilet and it won't tighten. Flip up the plastic caps at the seat-bolts with a screwdriver to expose the slotted heads of each toilet-seat bolt. You’ll see a nut, and it should be unmovable with your fingers. 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. What do I do if I can't get the cover off one of the screws? Or find some regular hex nuts the same thread use one to tighten the seat … Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 331,130 times. To begin remove the toilet seat nuts and insert the rubber bushings. To loosen the nut, spray it with WD 40 and wait 5 minutes. I have to keep a screw driver handy in the bathroom because I constantly have to tighten them. The box should clearly state which one it is. If you have a broken bolt already, you can buy generic plastic ones at the hardware store. When your toilet seat won’t stay up and keeps slamming down, it can be startling and painful for users. Buy COMPAC HOME Compac’s Stabilizers T Bumpers, Lock Place, Keeps Children, Elderly, Disabled Safe from Slipping Off Shaking, Moving or Wobbly Toilet Seat (1 Set), White, 1 Count (Pack of 1) on Amazon.com FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders Then caulk around the toilet and snug down the nuts on the bolts. Besides having an abiding interest in popular science, Deziel has been active in the building and home design trades since 1975. Replace the hinge-bolt cover. How to fix a loose toilet seat: Steps to tighten a wobbly toilet seat. First, unbolt the seat, and clean everything. 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. Lower the seat and locate the two screw covers at the back of the seat. Before you start looking at how to replace a toilet seat, pause: it may just be a case of tightening your toilet seat instead! What do I do if my toilet lid no longer closes softly on it's own? If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Now, 5 years later, it just slams down. 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. Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to install a new toilet seat, scroll down. The screws keep loosening up constantly. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. To fix a loose toilet seat, locate the screws that hold the seat on. By using our site, you agree to our. We purchased 1 new Kohler higher elongated toilet last spring and another one in the summer. Some seats come with "centering" nuts, (kind of conical looking). After it is centered, turn your screwdriver clockwise to tighten the bolt into place. The seat is usually attached to the toilet bowl with bolts and nuts. I noticed it has 2 plastic screws holding the seat down. What do I do if the holes for my toilet are too big for the screws? Tape the toilet seat to the cover using duct tape. What size deep-pocket wrench should I use? My seat was designed to close slowly. Look at the front of the toilet is it round or egg shaped (elongated). First, clamp the nut with vice grips. The friction from the slipping screwdriver will quickly wear down the bolt and make it unusable. Well, fix that loose toilet seat once and for all. You should use either a 9/16 or 1/2 inch deep-pocket wrench to fix a loose toilet seat. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies. The screws are secured by two nuts underneath. 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. Be sure you have a place that is made to pry up. 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. If so, spray them with lubricant to loosen the threads. If the nut is plastic, you should be able to do this by hand. Decide which screwdriver is the best fit. Use a pair of pliers to clamp this nut while you tighten the screw. 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. Make sure that the screwdriver head is big enough to fit into the notches of the bolt head. Steady Seat fixes that loose toilet seat quickly and easily, with no need for tools. 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. Tighten the bolts that hold the seat to the bowl; they are loose. There is a nut that holds the screw where it protrudes beneath the toilet lid. How can I tighten it? Put the flat-head screwdriver in the screw slot and hold it steady while you unscrew the nut from underneath the bowl. If it's metal, continue tightening it with adjustable pliers. Save the bolts and nuts from the old seat in case you need to replace a bolt on your new seat. I have looked at the seat itself and it has no plastic caps to flick off in order to access a screw. Clean the ceramic with soap and water to remove any buildup, then replace the seat. Then use the tightening tool from the kit to snug up the nut. You may have to try them in a few different positions to properly level the toilet. As you work, check the toilet for stability by sitting on the seat and rocking in all directions. The Bemis STA-TITE ® toilet seat does exactly what it says: stay tight. Examine the cap's covering the bolt and hinges to determine their orientation. Any ideas? Slide it up the bolt so it’s wedged tightly into the underside of the hinge-bolt hole. // STA-TITE® bottom fix solution. 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 . Temporarily reinstall the seat and lid by pressing them back down onto the hinge pins. 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. You can keep the bolts secure by packing the holes with special washers. So when you tighten them, they make the bolt center into the toilet rim hole. Once you get them off, replace them with new ones. Toilet seats do wear out. It may be held by top-fixing bolts. Remove it completely and check the tightness. Pry them up with a flat-head screwdriver to expose the screw heads. It's fairly new. The seat has become loose, with normal toilets I know you just tighten it with the bolts underneath the seat. If you just want to replace the seat completely, remember that there are only two types of toilet seats: round and elongated. Find the screws and pry up the cover. 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). If your seat is more seriously damaged, then you may consider buying a new toilet seat. It's a simple fix. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Don't overtighten the bolts, especially if they're metal. Most are in the front, a few have little twist locks and are recognized by notches on the covers. These are usually at the back of the toilet seat. Only a year old. You will need to unscrew these first. Some home improvement problems seem easy until you tackle them, and then they turn out to be more problematic than you thought. Toilet seats over time will naturally move to one side depending on if you're a left or right hand wiper. Flip the toilet seat back over and set it flat on the toilet bowl. If it's metal, or it's simply too tight to turn, use adjustable pliers to turn it. Repeat until the toilet doesn't move in any direction. Ease the cistern forward very slightly, (from your question this shouldn't be difficult). In some cases, you may have success by replacing the existing rubber washers with new rubber ones. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. It keeps the seat from falling over or slamming on your fingers or getting in the way as you work. Confused is that your toilet seat does not have the usual lower bolts to tighten it? If the screwdriver is too small, then the bolt will not turn. Changing your loose seat can be a hassle when there is no easy access to the toilet seat fixings at the underside of the ceramic. 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