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How To Replace a Toilet Seat

Whether your old toilet seat is cracked and scratched or its just time for an update, replacement should be a snap. Most toilet seats are held in place with just two large bolts. Usually you can remove the old seat and install a new one with just a screwdriver and five minutes time.

The bolts that fasten the toilet seat to the bolt are located near the seats hinges. The bolts may be visible or they may be hidden under a little removable cap. The bolt passes through the bowl and underneath is the nut. On many toilet seats, you can hold the nut with your fingers and use the screwdriver to loosen the bolt. If the nut is too small or corroded, you can use a pair of pliers to hold the nut while turning the bolt with the screwdriver.

In a worse case scenario, the nut may be rusted onto the bolt. First try loosening it by spraying it with a penetrating oil, like WD40, and wait a 15 minutes. If it is still holding fast, you may have to cut the bolt with a hack saw. Use a hack saw with a blade that extends out from the tool, so that you can slip it under the bolt head. You should be able to saw through the bolt by hand, in a just a few minutes.

After removing the bolts, remove the old seat. Take a moment to clean around holes in the toilet bowl. Place the new toilet seat in place, align it so that the front of the seat is even with the front of the bowl and drop in the new bolts. Many seats have large plastic nuts that are easy to grip with your fingers. Hold the nut while tightening the screw with your other hand. Tighten the screw with the screwdriver tight enough so that the seat does move. Do not over-tightening screw or you risk damaging the seat of the the bowl. If the seat shifts while seated, the seat requires additional tightening.

That's it. A sparkling new toilet seat in just a few minutes. An easy and inexpensive way to update your bathroom.






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