The box should clearly state which one it is. The Bemis STA-TITE ® toilet seat does exactly what it says: stay tight. Pry them up with a flat-head screwdriver to expose the screw heads. 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. 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. Some seats come with "centering" nuts, (kind of conical looking). Make sure that the screwdriver head is big enough to fit into the notches of the bolt head. If it's metal, or it's simply too tight to turn, use adjustable pliers to turn it. You could get a set of allen keys and have someone else try to tighten the seat. Tighten the bolts that hold the seat to the bowl; they are loose. 69 nuoshen 6 Pack Toilet Seat Screws，Toilet Seat Fittings Toilet Seat Hinges Expanding Rubber Top Nuts Screw Fixings Fix … If your seat is more seriously damaged, then you may consider buying a new toilet seat. Tighten the screws, remove the seat, put the hinge caps back on, and reinstall the seat and lid. Any ideas? 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. Then, turn it on top with your screwdriver to tighten it. In the front of the cover, look for a small groove that is designed to help you pry up the cover. Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Only a year old. How can I fix the loose seat? The seat has become loose, with normal toilets I know you just tighten it with the bolts underneath the seat. The friction from the slipping screwdriver will quickly wear down the bolt and make it unusable. This one however the toilet / ceramic is sealed with no access to the underside. The flapper or float ball seats against the valve opening and keeps water in the tank until the flush handle is operated. Decide which screwdriver is the best fit. Chris Deziel has a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in humanities. If I tighten the screw too tightly, can I break the toilet? I never have and I tighten the toilet seats I install with an impact driver. Remove the nut and bolt and take the seat off the bowl. 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. Well, fix that loose toilet seat once and for all. The nut will push the washer into the hole, securing the bolt and stopping the seat from slipping. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 331,130 times. There is a nut that holds the screw where it protrudes beneath the toilet lid. To fix a loose toilet seat, locate the screws that hold the seat on. 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. 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. This causes it to move, wobble or rock when in use. 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. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Ease the cistern forward very slightly, (from your question this shouldn't be difficult). You can buy plastic plugs from your local hardware store. Here’s how: Locate the two screws which hold the toilet seat in place: These are usually at the back of the toilet seat. 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. That leads to leaks and major repairs. Or find some regular hex nuts the same thread use one to tighten the seat … Securing a toilet seat is not nearly as hard as it seems. Once you get them off, replace them with new ones. Then, simply replace the cover and your job is done. For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to install a new toilet seat, scroll down. Then caulk around the toilet and snug down the nuts on the bolts. 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. In cheap toilets, the screws are made of plastic. Use a screwdriver to tighten these bolts, and you should be able to solve the problem. Insert the screw back in the holes. By using our site, you agree to our. What do I do if the holes for my toilet are too big for the screws? Look at the front of the toilet is it round or egg shaped (elongated). After a few months, it's moving. This article has been viewed 331,130 times. As you work, check the toilet for stability by sitting on the seat and rocking in all directions. 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. Remove the lid from the cistern. 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! Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. The reason is that the holes for the bolts are purposely oversized so that the bolts won't crack the porcelain. Temporarily reinstall the seat and lid by pressing them back down onto the hinge pins. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. 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. Manufacturers make these washers specifically for this purpose. 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 . For tips from our Handyman reviewer on how to install a new toilet seat, scroll down. I have an 'off the floor' toilet, which doesn't give access to the underside. You may need to gently hammer the plugs in place. The seat is usually attached to the toilet bowl with bolts and nuts. Can I fix it without replacing it? The toilet seat on the first toilet seems to be working o.k., but the toilet seat on the second one keeps … You should use either a 9/16 or 1/2 inch deep-pocket wrench to fix a loose toilet seat. If the nut is plastic, you should be able to do this by hand. Save the bolts and nuts from the old seat in case you need to replace a bolt on your new seat. Remove it completely and check the tightness. Lower the seat and locate the two screw covers at the back of the seat. 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. Take the plastic ones with you to measure for the right size. What would prevent the seat on my toilet from becoming loose so often? I have looked at the seat itself and it has no plastic caps to flick off in order to access a screw. If it's metal, continue tightening it with adjustable pliers. This should provide enough tension to make the bolt tight! Close the seat and lid, and align them with the front and sides of the bowl. 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). Tighten the nut by hand as far as it will go. Buy some new bolts that are made out of metal at your local hardware store and replace the plastic bolts. Flip up the plastic caps at the seat-bolts with a screwdriver to expose the slotted heads of each toilet-seat bolt. I noticed it has 2 plastic screws holding the seat down. It may be held by top-fixing bolts. As a landscape builder, he helped establish two gardening companies. Replace the hinge-bolt cover. It's a simple fix. What size deep-pocket wrench should I use? If you just want to replace the seat completely, remember that there are only two types of toilet seats: round and elongated. Put the flat-head screwdriver in the screw slot and hold it steady while you unscrew the nut from underneath the bowl. The slight movement works on the nuts over time, gradually loosening them. Toilet seats do wear out. Slide it up the bolt so it’s wedged tightly into the underside of the hinge-bolt hole. You should be able to find them at a hardware store. What do I do if my toilet lid no longer closes softly on it's own? Most are in the front, a few have little twist locks and are recognized by notches on the covers. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. You will need to unscrew these first. Then, use a small screwdriver to pry up both the seat and the cover. No, you'll need to replace it. Fortunately, there's something you can do to keep the toilet seat from coming loose so often. Examine the cap's covering the bolt and hinges to determine their orientation. 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. You’ll see a nut, and it should be unmovable with your fingers. How can I fix this without replacing the seat? If you need instructions, then this article has some good tips on how to fix a loose toilet seat with no access. If the seat or bolts are damaged, you may need to go to the hardware store to replace these parts. I bought a toilet seat with plastic bolts and screwed it on as tight as it can go. First, clamp the nut with vice grips. 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. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. You can keep the bolts secure by packing the holes with special washers. Taping the seat and the lid together makes the unit easier to handle. Keep in mind that plastic toilet seats are easier to sanitize than wooden seats, and they hold their color for longer. Find the screws and pry up the cover. If the screwdriver is too small, then the bolt will not turn. Now, 5 years later, it just slams down. Flip the toilet seat back over and set it flat on the toilet bowl. To steady a rocking toilet, cut plastic shims to fit and slip them underneath (you may have to remove caulk before adding shims). Insert the screw back in the holes. How to Fix a Loose Toilet: Install rubber bushings. It's a 15-minute fix that'll last for years. 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. Using the tool provided in the kit, slide a washer from the toilet-seat tightening kit onto the hinge bolt, underneath the toilet. 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. Take the screws with you to find the best fit. You may crack the porcelain. Then use the tightening tool from the kit to snug up the nut. What should I do? My seat was designed to close slowly. 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