Fix a Loose Toilet Seat

If your toilet seat is loose, then you need to tighten it. The seat is usually attached to the toilet bowl with two long screws. Use a screwdriver to tighten these bolts, and you should be able to solve the problem. If your seat is more seriously damaged, then you may consider buying a new toilet seat.

Steps

Tightening the Seat

  1. Find the screws and pry up the cover. 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. The screws are secured by two nuts underneath. In the front of the cover, look for a small groove that is designed to help you pry up the cover. Then, use a small screwdriver to pry up both the seat and the cover.[1]
    • In cheap toilets, the screws are made from plastic. Most toilets, however, use steel screws, and more expensive models may even use brass or stainless steel.[2] Be especially careful with plastic screws!
  2. Center the toilet seat on the toilet. If the seat is loose, then it may wobble back and forth, in and out of alignment with the rim of the toilet bowl. Straighten out the seat so that it rests evenly atop the bowl. Consider sitting down to test it out for comfort.[3]
  3. Tighten the bolt. Turn the screwdriver clockwise to tighten. Remember: "righty tighty, lefty loosey." There usually is a nut with a wing attached to prevent the nut from turning.
    • Decide which screwdriver is the best fit. Make sure that the screwdriver head is big enough to fit into the notches of the bolt head. If the screwdriver is too small, then the bolt will not turn. The friction from the slipping screwdriver will quickly wear down the bolt and make it unusable.
  4. Apply tension. If the bolt keeps turning without tightening up, clamp the nut underneath with a small pair of pliers. Clamp onto the end of the nut, and hold it steady as you screw the bolt. Once you have twisted the bolt several times, the wing on the nut should prevent it from turning anymore.
  5. Keep screwing until the seat is tight. Once the seat does not wobble back and forth, push down the lid. It should click closed.

Replacing the Seat

  1. Consider buying a new toilet seat. If the bolts are damaged, then you may just want to replace the individual pieces but leave the seat intact. If the body of the seat itself is in poor shape, however, then you may just want to swap it out for the sake of longevity. Look for toilet seats at a local hardware or home-and-garden store.
  2. Know which type of seat you need. There are two standard commercial toilet seat shapes: round and elongated. The round seats are perfectly round, while the "elongated" seats are oblong and egg-shaped. Buy the seat that matches your bowl.
    • Try to find a seat made by the same company that manufactured your toilet. Off-brand seats may well do the trick, but they may not fit quite so perfectly.
  3. Install the new seat. You will need to unscrew the old seat, set it aside, and then tighten the new seat onto the bowl. Make sure that the new seat is aligned straight onto the toilet!
    • Save the bolts and nuts from the old seat in case you need to replace a bolt on your new seat.



Tips

  • If you have a broken bolt already, you can buy generic plastic ones at the hardware store.
  • Be sure you have a place that is made to pry up. Most are in the front, a few have little twist locks and are recognized by notches on the covers.
  • If you just want to replace the seat completely, remember that there are only two types of toilet seats: round and elongated. Look at the front of the toilet is it round or egg shaped (elongated). The box should clearly state which one it is.

Things You'll Need

  • Large screwdriver
  • Small screwdriver
  • Small pair of pliers

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.familyhandyman.com/plumbing/toilet-repair/toilet-seat-repair-keep-your-seat-tight/view-all
  2. ↑ http://www.diydoctor.org.uk/projects/toilet-seat.htm
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tn0a2XFV1xo
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