Andrew P.
Electrical Engineer
I've lost track of how many toilets I've encountered in public restrooms, institutions and private houses that have wobbly, loose toilet seats. It seems to be particularly problematic with the seats that use nylon bolts and washers. New seats come with some double-sided foam tape pads that are supposed to prevent this, but I've never seen the adhesive hold for more than four to six months before it lets go and the seat gets wobbly. About 15 years ago I hit on a solution that I've applied to the toilet seats in my house and a few other places, and in all that time they've stayed solid as a rock.
The Problem:
The holes in the china bowl are considerably larger than the nylon seat bolts. As weight is repeatedly applied to the seat, it tends to slide around and the sliding motion loosens the nuts. Very annoying.
The Fix:
Go to your local auto parts supply store with one of the nylon bolts and buy a foot of synthetic rubber fuel hose, of a size that will snugly fit over the bolt threads. It can even be slightly undersized. Cut a couple of short "donut" pieces equal to the thickness of the china where the seat bolts pass through. (A sharp, serrated bread knife or steak knife works well for this task.) Fit the bolts through the seat hinge tabs, slip on the rubber donuts and tighten the nuts as usual. If the donuts are too large, you can cut a small wedge out of each one with a sharp utility knife or single-edge razor blade so they resemble the letter "C" and try again. Trim as needed until the seat bolts barely fit through the holes with the rubber shims in place. Now that sliding is prevented by the rubber shims, the nuts will tend to stay snug.
Note: I tried vinyl electrical tape for this purpose, with less than satisfactory results. The tape is too soft, and any "give" soon results in the nuts loosening. The Neoprene or Buna-N synthetic rubber of the fuel hose is resilient, but it won't cold flow like many plastics.
The Problem:
The holes in the china bowl are considerably larger than the nylon seat bolts. As weight is repeatedly applied to the seat, it tends to slide around and the sliding motion loosens the nuts. Very annoying.
The Fix:
Go to your local auto parts supply store with one of the nylon bolts and buy a foot of synthetic rubber fuel hose, of a size that will snugly fit over the bolt threads. It can even be slightly undersized. Cut a couple of short "donut" pieces equal to the thickness of the china where the seat bolts pass through. (A sharp, serrated bread knife or steak knife works well for this task.) Fit the bolts through the seat hinge tabs, slip on the rubber donuts and tighten the nuts as usual. If the donuts are too large, you can cut a small wedge out of each one with a sharp utility knife or single-edge razor blade so they resemble the letter "C" and try again. Trim as needed until the seat bolts barely fit through the holes with the rubber shims in place. Now that sliding is prevented by the rubber shims, the nuts will tend to stay snug.
Note: I tried vinyl electrical tape for this purpose, with less than satisfactory results. The tape is too soft, and any "give" soon results in the nuts loosening. The Neoprene or Buna-N synthetic rubber of the fuel hose is resilient, but it won't cold flow like many plastics.
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