Whether your toilet seat is broken or you’re just wanting to give your bathroom a facelift, installing a new toilet seat is an easy DIY task that most should manage with, all you will need is some time, tools, and a bit of know-how. Unbolt the old seat and bolt the new one into place, the only bit of difficulty that you may encounter is removing the old bolts, but with a little bit of elbow grease and some HD-40 spray-on grease, you should be able to replace your old toilet seat without any hassle.
Here are 3 easy steps on how to install a new toilet seat:
Step 1 – Choosing a new toilet seat
Before you rush out to buy your new toilet seat, take the time to accurately measure your toilet bowl and old toilet seat. Measure the distance between the bolt holes on top of the toilet bowl and make sure that the measurements on the new toilet seat that you would like to buy match up. Having the right info on hand to buy the right size toilet seat is crucial to ensure that you don’t need to make another trip to the shop.
There are generally 2 types of toilet shapes – round and oblong/elongated
Step 2 – Gather the tools that you will need
You will need the following tools to install your new toilet seat;
- Flathead screwdriver
- Adjustable wrench
- Spray on oil such as a can of HD-40 (optional)
- Small hacksaw (optional)
Let’s get started installing the new toilet seat!
Step 3 – Removing the old toilet seat
Loosen the mounting bolts at the hinges of the old toilet seat on the toilet bowl with the flat head screwdriver. Locate the nuts on either side of the underside of the toilet bowl (there should be one on either side of the bowl) and grip them as you loosen the bolts on top of the toilet bowl.
Now remove the old nuts under the toilet bowl using the adjustable wrench, turning the wrench counter-clockwise. Some older toilets may have metal bolts that have rusted or newer toilets whose plastic bolts are stuck tight from grime collected over the years. Spray the nuts with the HD-40 and wait a few seconds for it to permeate and coat the bolts. This should significantly help with loosening the stubborn bolts. Be careful though, if the bolts are made of plastic you could crack and break the nuts and bolts. If this happens or the nuts just will not loosen on the old toilet seat, use the small hack saw to cut them off by placing the blade of the hack saw between the nut and the toilet bowl and using small back and forth movements, saw it off. You will not need the old nuts and bolts again.
Step 4 – Install the new toilet seat
Before installing the new toilet seat, give the toilet bowl a good sanitise and scrub as you can now access areas previously inaccessible.
Take the new toilet seat out of its packaging and carefully place the new hardware to the side where you can access it easily. You do not want to lose it!
Align the holes of the hinges on the new toilet seat with the holes on the bowl of the toilet and drop the new bolts into the holes, securing the new toilet seat to the toilet bowl. Now screw the new nuts onto the bolts underneath the toilet bowl and tighten them with the adjustable wrench. Be aware of not over-tightening the bolts so that they can be easily removed when needed in the future.
In conclusion, replacing and installing a new toilet seat is a simple DIY project and if you follow these steps you should have no problem replacing your old and tired toilet seat. Enjoy your new throne!
Contact us if you don’t get it quite right…we’re here to help 🙌
