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Every toilet seat I ever buy is impossible to fix tight enough to stop it moving around. Is there a trick to get them to stay still? Is it the toilet itself? Genuinely baffled by this, we must have had five different ones, with a variety of fitting set ups, none of which stay still.
Perhaps it's not the seat that is the issue (just saying)
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solution
I've had this in previous houses. I never did find the solution
Try a bit of this? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/muc-off-carbon-gripper/rp-prod115119?gs=1&gclid=COCw1-jwqMkCFePnwgod-_sBZQ&gclsrc=aw.ds
(on the ceramic, when assembling the fitting)
Rachel
I've had this in previous houses
was it this house?
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😆 just re-tightened our two on Sunday!
looking at the ones at work, i think it's caused by the ones with the nice tidy covers over the bolts. The work ones just have big bolts going down straight through - not the most attractive but probably cheap and effective!
You can get a plastic tool that gives you a grip on the horrible plastic wing-nut.
It's weird how modern this problem seems to be. I agree with the OP, and yet I don't remember a single toilet seat in my parents' house growing up needing tightening. Ever.
Are they all just crap now? Or has the art of fabricating a solid toilet seat gone down the pan?
One of our bog seats at home is like this and I think they all are at work.
I wonder if a rubber washer between the ceramic & the plastic nut would sort it out by providing just a bit more friction?
I am tempted to try this by cutting a small disc out of an old inner tube.
It's plastic fittings that cause the issue in my experience. You can't tighten them to the desired level without splitting the nut on the seam.
Get something with all metal fittings and they are fine.
It's really due to the bolts being smaller diameter than the holes in the pan. Use some hydraulic/plastic hose cut as a sleeve spacer on yer bolts and they'll stop wandering around.
Top tips.
I did at one point start drawing a cnc machined toilet seat hinge system with sealed bearings and stuff.
Perhaps it's one for Kickstarter.
I've tried all metal before, same problems (although of course I haven't tried every seat with metals fittings). The one I bought last week has those expanding bolt things (like plasterboard fixings) and on top a bid round rubber block on top. It's the rubber that slides on the top of thebceranic toilet, so I wonder if some sort of double sided adhesive, like a GoPro 3m pad, might solve it?
After years of battling with various seats, I've concluded that you need metal hardware and good rubber seals.
Another thing, has anyone had a soft close seat soft close for any longer than a few months?
brant - MemberI did at one point start drawing a cnc machined toilet seat hinge system with sealed bearings and stuff.
Perhaps it's one for Kickstarter.
Soft close, I hope?
Get something with all metal fittings and they are fine.
I'd say that metal ones would run the risk of cracking the porcelain by overtightening, whereas plastic would fail before doing any real damage.
boblo, the one I've just got is the first one I've had without that problem. The plastic plugs into which the bolts go are super tight. It's slip between the ceramic and rubber that is the problem here.
Another thing, has anyone had a soft close seat soft close for any longer than a few months?
Yup - two years and one year (respectively) for two in our house. A third one being fitted this week, I'll report back later....
The Mrs's uses two thin rubber washers, one on pan on top the other underneath where the nut thing goes and some No-More-Nails ceramic fixing paste (like tile paste)
brant - MemberI did at one point start drawing a cnc machined toilet seat hinge system with sealed bearings and stuff.
Perhaps it's one for Kickstarter.
With a proper squared off location hole in ceramic, to prevent movement even if clamp is not tight? Or use of a self tightening joint - the heavier you are, the more it clamps?
#win
I thought it was just me! Have to tighten every year or so.
My wifes entry/exit twist is the cause of the problem me thinks. May need to produce a laminated card on how to approach/depart to reduce twist.
I'd say that metal ones would run the risk of cracking the porcelain by overtightening,
That would be user error then 😉
Seriously though, I've installed loads and never cracked a pan yet.
The best ones are those that are tightened from the top with a nut, which is then covered over when installed.
Get it all clean, dry and assemble with a thin layer of silicone seal on the contacting faces. Tighten up nicely with a bit of grease on the threads. Allow to dry and set before misuse.
Another thing, has anyone had a soft close seat soft close for any longer than a few months?
five years no problems with ours in the bathroom.
The fact that I didn't put a soft close on the downstairs dunny though reminds me every time I slam the lid over 😳
One of the recurring problems with rental properties, bog seats. I've found the Tavistock ones to have very good fixings, never had to replace one yet, and lift off completely for cleaning. Come with expanding plugs for fixing entirely from the top, and metal hardware for bolting through, together with a handy box spanner for nipping up from below.
five years no problems with ours in the bathroom.
What.....how.......I don't understand.
Whatever the reason, I'm blaming the wife.
I've never considered this but it's true. We had a bog seat with fancy chrome hinges/covers which was always coming loose. Drove me mental. Replaced it with a cheap white plastic one from B&Q some years ago - not had to adjust it since.looking at the ones at work, i think it's caused by the ones with the nice tidy covers over the bolts. The work ones just have big bolts going down straight through - not the most attractive but probably cheap and effective!
That would be user error then
Well, err, yes. The point being you *can* keep tightening a metal fixing to the stage where it could break something else whereas it would be difficult to do the same with a plastic fixing.
Ask this bloke....his must be pretty "sturdy"
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Mine has a cam lock instead of bolts to fit it. Hasn't moved a mm since it was fitted.
Throw away the plastic wing nut, replace with metal repair washer and a nut. Tighten with a spanner. Don't be a ham fisted klutz.
isnt it down to the amount of leverage coming from the front edge of the toilet lid, if this is the case, wouldnt it be solved by having a couple of lugs that locate the seat onto the pan, maybe incorporated into the pad the seat rests on?.
mine doesnt do it, i have a cheap one which lifts right off when it needs cleaning
I wonder if I can file the bumper things a little bit to create such lugs.
I replaced the plastic bolts in ours with Stainless slot-headed machine screws (M6 I think) with Nyloc nuts underneath.
I also used a large penny washer + thin rubber washer underneath.
Both toilet seats have been rock-solid since (has been just over 2 years)
[quote=sandwicheater ]I thought it was just me! Have to tighten every year or so.
+1 - so pleased to see a thread on the issue with potential solutions.
In my case it's just one of the three (oooh!) toilets in the house which has the problem, the one which due to the layout you tend to approach slightly from the side, hence a sideways force on the seat.