In the course of changing a toilet seat, you first remove the old seat and replace it with the new one. How to change toilet seats is a question that is well answered by deliberating on other associate questions. For example, how do you remove the old toilet seat? How do you reattach a toilet seat? And the most important, how do you identify a toilet seat size that is suitable for replacing the old one? Are toilet seats a standard size? These are some of the questions that you need to answer to get started.
One thing you need to understand is that wear and tear can cause the necessity of replacing a toilet seat. Broken or cracked toilet seats might prompt you to change the old toilet seats. All in all, you need to understand how to change toilet seats for you to complete this simple do-it-yourself project.
Will you wish to call a professional plumber even for simple do-it-yourself projects such as replacing a toilet seat? This is a simple knowledge that you can acquire and in the next couple of minutes, you have the work done. Here is what you need to get started.
Contents
Materials Required
- Hacksaw
- Rubber gloves
- New toilet seat accompanied with nuts, and bolts etc
- Wrench
Procedure
- The first step starts with identifying the suitable toilet seat that is worth replacing the current one. To find a suitable model, you can first research. We earlier wrote an article about the best toilet seats, which can be helpful to you.
- A new toilet seat comes with nuts, bolts, and hinges; this means that you will need to dispose of the old toilet seat along with its nuts, bolts, and hinges.
- Beware that seats come into main shapes; that is, elongated and round toilet seats. You only buy a toilet seat that can match your toilet bowl.
- Since all toilet seats are not of the same size, make sure that you measure the dimensions of the old toilet seat before ordering a new one; it is recommendable that they match in size.
- Once you have acquired the toilet seat that you think can fit well on your bowl, it is time to get started in the real work. Start by wearing rubber gloves since they are recommended for protecting your hands.
- You can clean the old toilet seat to enable you to have a view of all the parts. At the back, there are two bolts that hold the seat to the toilet bowl. In some cases, these bolts are covered with plastic caps. To unscrew the bolts, you will need to pop off the plastic caps, and then use a wrench to loosen the bolts.
- You will remove the two nuts from the bolts and then pull out the bolts. Finally, you will remove the seat from the bowl.
- In case the nuts and the bolts have rusted and are hard to remove due to corrosion, you can cut them using a hacksaw.
- Make sure that you confirm whether the new toilet seat has the bolts, hinges, and nuts before starting the installation process.
- Also, check the installation manual provided by the manufacturer and ensure all the parts described are available; familiarize with the installation manual.
- At the back of the rim, align the bolt with the bowl holes; thread the bolts to attach the seat, lid and bowl together.
- Ensure that the new seat aligns well with the bowl and tighten the nuts; you have finished!
Tips and Warnings
- You must have realized that plastic bolts and buts are cost-effective and can be an option when replacing a toilet seat; but, have you realized that they have their downside? They result in bizarre movement of the toilet seat. It is advisable to purchase them alongside plastic holders, which will help to prevent such movements.
- You can use a deep socket wrench if the regular wrench is unable to penetrate and loosen the bolts and nuts. But first, you can try penetrating lubricant before trying this choice.
- You can use a drill if lubricant, regular wrench, and deep socket wrench did not help you out.
- When handling and working with the tools and especially the metallic ones, be cautious that they don’t accidentally hit and break the toilet bowl thereby resulting in a need for replacement of the entire unit.
- Threat the new bolts and nuts properly and don’t use excess power to avoid damaging them early before they do their work.
- Hand gloves and safety goggles are important so that no grime, dirt, plastic or metal particles get into your eyes.
When Should You Change Your Toilet Seat?
- Crack/chips in the toilet seat – when your toilet seat either cracks or develops chips, the best decision about it is buying and replacing it with a new one. Chips and cracks are common especially for plastic toilet seats, which are widely used in many toilets.
- Loose bolts – if your bolts and nuts can no longer hold the seat tight regardless of all efforts to make them tight, it is time to buy a new seat. It happens when bolts strip and the best decision is always to buy a new seat.
- Warmth and bidet – if you are now frequently experiencing coldness that is excess from your toilet seat, this might be the right time to change it. Sometimes, having a heated toilet seat can be a great idea in case coldness was your issue. Also, you might wish to upgrade and buy a more luxurious toilet seat. A bidet toilet seat adds more convenience if this might be a consideration.
- Toddlers – you need to install a toilet seat that has a smaller option attached if you have children. The advantage of having such a choice is that you won’t need to keep changing toilet seats.
Conclusion
In summary, many beginning do-it-yourself enthusiasts learn how to change toilet seats by using simple articles such as this one. With the help of this article and many others handling home improvement do-it-yourself projects, you can really become a pro. Replacing a toilet seat is one of the common do-it-yourself projects that you can significantly save money on when you decide to learn and work on your own.