The good news is that installing a toilet seat is one of the easiest DIY jobs you will come across. You shouldn’t need an emergency plumber as there is no need to touch the plumbing system or even turn the water off!
In fact, using the following guide you should be done in minutes.
Gloves & Cleaning Rag
You are dealing with the toilet and you will probably feel more comfortable if you put some gloves on first. You can then lift the existing toilet seat and give the pan a wipe with a little disinfectant. It doesn’t take long to clean it.
Remove the Bolts
Older toilet seats are often fastened in position with metal bolts. You’ll need a pair of plyers to grip the butterfly nut and perhaps a screwdriver to hold the bolt as your turn. Slowly unscrew the nut from the bolt. It may be stiff or even a little rusty but, once you get it moving it should be fairly smooth.
Repeat with the second bolt and you can lift the old toilet seat away from your pan. You will probably want to put it straight into the bin.
The New Toilet Seat
You can now remove the new toilet seat from its packaging. Toilet seats have universal holes, meaning that you don’t have to worry about whether the hoes will align, they will.
In the packaging, you should find the seat and its fittings separately. Take a moment to look at them. The fittings are normally plastic and may slot into a groove on the toilet seat.
Adding The Bolts
You can now slide the first bolt, with any provided washers, through the pan and start winding the bolt onto the bottom. You’ll want to do this with both bolts and wind them two-thirds of the way up.
It will then be possible to position the toilet seat on your pan. The head of the bolt will slide into a groove or slot on the toilet seat. Do one side, slide the toilet seat to the side, and then bring it back to position both bolts properly.
Getting Your Position Right
You can now continue tightening the bolts. This should be done by hand, using tools is likely to place too much force on the bolts and could damage them.
As the bolts start to get tight you can, and should, start moving the toilet seat. You’ll want the front curve of your seat to match the curve of your pan. Alongside this, the sides of the seat should be sat on the pan symmetrically. This will ensure even weight distribution when you use the toilet.
With the seat in the right position gradually tighten the bolts. Check the seat doesn’t move as you do so and get the bolts as tight as you can. The aim is to ensure the seat won’t move in use.
The best way to ensure you have achieved this goal is to test it by sitting on it!
