Have you gone to the bathroom recently and felt that you were sitting on a loose toilet seat? You probably figured that it was an easy fix to do yourself, as you just need to tighten the bolts. But when you went to access them underside the toilet, where you thought they should be, you could not find those bolts at all! You are probably wondering how to tighten the toilet seat with no access underside?
If you need some guidance, then read on for our guide.
Can You Learn How to Tighten Toilet Seat with No Access Underside?
You absolutely can! It may make you feel better to know that even though the bolts may not be in an intuitive spot, it is not difficult to tighten the toilet seat with no access underside. Often, many toilet seats have small holes for underside access that have just been hidden from your view.
There are other types of toilet seats as well that may have slightly different holes and connectors, but with a little guidance, you can certainly figure these out too!
Before we get into our step-by-step guide on how to tighten toilet set with no access underside, let us consider what kinds of tools are necessary for this project.
Keep reading for valuable information!
Is There a Tool for Tightening Toilet Seats?
Fortunately, you do not need any kind of specialized tool for tightening toilet seats. In fact, you may already have them around the house or garage.
To create your own toilet seat tightening kit, gather an adjustable or socket wrench, flathead screwdriver, and a pair of pliers, as this should be all you need to tighten those toilet seat fittings.
And though it is not necessary, you may consider wearing protective equipment such as gloves and goggles, so your hands and eyes do not encounter any fragments of anything that come off your toilet in the process.
How Do You Tighten a Toilet Seat with Concealed Fittings?
Step 1: Recheck the toilet
Since most normal toilets have holes somewhere for underside access, the first thing you will want to do is recheck for them around your toilet. A common place to look would be the seat hinges, where there may be hidden buttons that you can press to release the lid and reveal the fixing bolts and screws.
In some cases, there are toilet seats with special covers where you may have to slide it sideways or simply pry it up to get to the fittings underneath. These covers are there to protect the fixing bolts from anything that could damage the locks. In this situation, look carefully for a piece that is roundly cut to find the covers.
The above instructions work well for most toilets that are installed on the floor, but if yours is installed into the wall, you may have to take the toilet off its attaching base. The holes to tighten your wobbly toilet seat should be by the bolts that connect the toilet to the wall.
Step 2: Readjust the seat
Now that you have located the underside access to the toilet seat bolts, you can adjust the seat before tightening everything back into place. If you find that your seat is out of alignment, you will likely want to center it. You can use clamps to help you keep it in place.
Step 3: Tighten the bolts
Once you have the toilet seat centered in place, you can start tightening the bolts. A flathead screwdriver would be most appropriate here, but if you find that another screwdriver head is more suitable, go for it, as you do not want to damage the bolts and shorten their lifespan. Tighten the screw as much as you can until it will not screw in anymore.
In the underside access of some toilets, like soft-close toilets, a special wingnut can be adjusted to get a more secure fit for your toilet seat. In these situations, you can hold the nut in place with a pair of pliers while using the screwdriver to tighten the bolts. The wing located on the nut will prevent the bolt from turning back on itself by locking it in place. Again, keep tightening the bolt until the seat feels secure.
Step 4: Check the tension
By now, your toilet seat should be securely back in place. But before you pack up your tools, double-check the tension by hitting the bolts to see if anything moves around. If something does, retighten the bolts as much as possible. If everything seems secure, close the lid, and just make sure nothing is getting in the way of it closing properly. Then you are done!
How Do I Stop My Toilet Seat from Moving Sideways?
The only additional equipment you will need here is two adhesive washers. First, locate the screws that attach the toilet seat to the bowl. Then, use your flathead screwdriver to hold the screw still while you remove the nut underneath.
If this is just a plastic nut, you can likely remove it by hand, but if it is especially tight or made of metal, turn it with your pliers. Now remove the lid, clean the ceramic thoroughly, and then put the seat back in place. Put the screws back in the holes, and then grab your washers.
Peel off the backing and then slide it down each bolt until it reaches the bowl. Finally, you just tighten the nut as much you can, thereby securing the bolt and preventing your seat from slipping.
How Do You Fix a Toilet Seat That Keeps Falling?
Most commonly, the reason a toilet seat keeps falling is that the seat was placed too far back by the tank. All you need do is unscrew the seat, pull it to the front as much as you can, and then securely tighten it into place.
