A loose toilet seat can be a hassle, to put it mildly. What causes toilet seats to become loose, anyway? Nonstop sitting, shutting and opening can all make the bolts that attach seats to toilet foundations become noticeably loose. This can take place in a gradual manner. Loose toilet seats are problematic due to the fact that they move around practically incessantly. Beyond that, they can also pose considerable hazards to people. If a person falls off a loose toilet seat, he or she may experience a serious injury. It’s crucial to note that loose toilet seats are often particularly hazardous to users who are overweight or older.
Thankfully, toilet seat tightening doesn’t have to be as hard you as might fear. Do you want to learn how to tighten a toilet seat properly? These tips can help you greatly.
All About How to Fix a Toilet Seat That’s Loose
Fixing a loose toilet seat doesn’t usually require a substantial time commitment. If you do it the right way, it should take you anywhere between 15 and 20 minutes in total. Since this toilet seat repair job is relatively simple, it’s suitable even for newbies in the home improvement arena.
Round Up All the Essential Supplies
Make sure you gather any and all required tools and equipment pieces first. The only thing that’s absolutely vital is a screwdriver. Other things you can get to make things even easier are a hacksaw blade, pliers, an adjustable wrench and lastly, a ratchet wrench that has a deep socket.
Locate the Bolts
Although there are toilet seat bolts that are visible, the majority of seats are equipped with plastic snaps. You can conceal them by snapping them shut. Get your screwdriver in order to open these covers. Once you do this, the bolts will be visible. The bolts are responsible for attaching the seat to the upper part of the bowl.
Tighten Up the Bolts
Some toilet seat bolts are equipped with heads that are slotted. If yours are part of that group, you can tighten them up using your screwdriver. Move them in the direction of the clock. Don’t stop until they’re completely firm in place. Make sure to tighten them consistently on the two sides. This will keep your seat even.
You may notice your bolts whirling around instead of tightening. If that’s the situation, get your pliers to grab the nut that’s connected to the mounting bolt. Do this from under your toilet. Tighten the seat bolt, on the other hand, from the top using the screwdriver.
Tighten Up the Bolts From Underneath Them
You may have to tighten up the aforementioned mounting nut. Do this from directly below it. Go below the toilet bowl and rotate the seat nuts in the direction of the clock. Make them totally tight. If you wish to simplify this process, you may want to use a ratchet wrench that features a deep socket. Note, though, that adjustable wrenches can be effective, too.
Swap Out the Bolts
Bolt replacement may be necessary as well. It’s necessary any time seal bolts just don’t tighten. It’s also necessary any time these bolts break. Luckily, replacement bolts are easily on hand at most hardware stores these days. If the bolts are frozen, you can use a hacksaw blade to get them off. Utilize the blade exclusively. You can ignore the hacksaw.
Consider Toilet Seat Tightening Kit Use
You may want to protect yourself from the inconvenience of a toilet seat that becomes loose frequently. Head to your nearest hardware store to search for a designated toilet seat tightening kit. These kinds of kits consist of various washer sets. You can put them on the nuts in the middle of the lower part of the toilet and the bolts. Make a point to take advantage of the tightening device that’s part of the kit. Tighten up the bolts meticulously.
Think About Possibly Buying a Brand New Toilet Seat
While tightening is a relatively fast and basic project for most people, it may give you the opportunity to evaluate the current state of your toilet seat. If it looks shabby and like it’s seen much better days, you may want to abandon the idea of simply tightening in favor of buying a new one entirely.
What Degree of Toilet Seat Wobbling Is Acceptable?
If you raise the lid of your toilet seat and observe subtle wobbling, that isn’t unusual at all. If you move the lid right or left and notice a bit of wobbling, that isn’t cause for alarm at all, either. This movement is the result of the quick-release function arrangement. This simplifies and speeds up toilet seat removal for hassle-free cleaning purposes.
You can check the wobbliness of your seat by shutting the lid and lightly moving it right or left. You may see it move just a tad. After that, put it back to its normal spot. You can do that once the side pressure is gone.
A seat that moves more than a quarter of an inch at the bowl front might be faulty. It might call for full replacement as well.
Your toilet seat wobbling may be of an acceptable level, too. That doesn’t mean it won’t annoy you. If the subtle seat wobbling is a source of frustration, you can try putting a bit of plumbers’ tape on the mounting posts. After you finish that, you can put the seat back on again.
Another Consideration
Has your toilet seat been far from tight for a while? Remnants of cleaning product or urine below the mounting bases may be behind the seat movement. If that’s your situation, screw tightening won’t help. You’ll have to take off the mounting bases and seat. Then you’ll have to cleanse and dry all the components, particularly the transparent rubber gaskets that are on the lower part of the mounting bases. You’ll have to reinstall as well.