Something that can get really annoying is if you have a toilet seat that just won’t stay up. It’s an especially big problem for men, and moreover, when the seat does not stay up, it can come crashing down and make a huge noise.
There are a few different reasons why this can happen, and there are a few different fixes too. Let’s figure out how to make that toilet seat stay up.
4 Reasons Your Toilet Seat Won’t Stay Up
There are a few different reasons why your toilet seat won’t stay up, so let’s take a quick look as to why this might be the case.
1. You Have a Cover on the Lid
If you have a cover on the lid, one of those soft covers that makes everything look nice, although they look good, they may cause this problem to occur. That toilet lid cover may make the lid far too thick, which therefore causes the lid to fall back down when it is propped up. It will also cause the seat to fall down when both the seat and lid are up.
2. The Toilet Lid Is Too Thick
One of the main reasons why your toilet seat may not stay up is because the lid and the seat together are too thick, which makes the seat sit short of 90 degrees and therefore makes it fall. Some toilet seats and lids are just built too thick, and due to their thickness, they lean forward a bit, and this leaning causes them to fall down.
3. The Seat Is Too Far Back
Yet another cause of a toilet seat constantly falling down is if the seat is too far back in relation to the tank. If the seat is mounted too far back, it won’t be able to achieve a fully vertical position when open, or in other words, you won’t ever be able to fully open it 100%. In this case, there is just not enough room for the seat and lid to stand up, so they fall.
4. The Toilet Is Not Level
The other possible cause of your toilet seat constantly falling down is if the toilet itself is not level. If the toilet leans forward too much, then the seat is going to be pulled down by gravity no matter what, not to mention that sitting on a crooked toilet is not particularly comfortable either.
5 Tips to Prevent Your Toilet Seat from Falling Down
OK, so now that we know all of the different possible reasons why that toilet seat is not staying up, let’s talk about all of the possible solutions.
1. Take Off the Cover
If you happen to have a cover on the lid of your toilet seat, stopping the seat from falling down could be as easy as simply taking that cover off. However thick that toilet lid cover is, it might just be enough to prevent the seat from falling down when you take it off.
2. Get a New Lid and/or Seat
OK, so in some cases, the only solution to your issue may be to purchase a new toilet seat. The reason for this is because as noted above, in some cases, you might just have a toilet seat and lid combination that is way too thick for your toilet. If you cannot possibly move the toilet seat back any more than it already is, and if the toilet is already totally level, then your only option may be to buy a thinner toilet seat and lid combo.
3. Move the Toilet Seat Forward
Seeing as one of the most likely causes of your toilet seat falling down is that the seat is placed too far forward, the solution here is to move the seat back. All you really have to do here is to use a wrench and a screwdriver to loosen the bolts that hold the toilet seat on the toilet. Once the bolts are loosened, you can then pull the seat forward a little bit (although it won’t be by much), at which point you can then retighten the bolts.
4. Level the Toilet
If none of the previous fixes worked, even buying a new toilet seat and lid, then the problem is most likely that the toilet is not level. Use a bubble level to check the toilet, and if it is not level, you will then need to level it. The solution here is to get some toilet shims that you can push under the front of the toilet. These are like very small and thin triangular blocks that you can push under the base of a toilet to raise it up. Since the issue here is the seat falling down, you will want to insert three of these shims under the front of the toilet, one right in the middle, and the others off to either side.
5. Get a Soft Close Lid
If your toilet seat keeps falling down no matter what, a good solution is to get yourself a soft close toilet lid. Now, this may not completely prevent the seat and lid from falling down, but it will make the whole process much slower. It actually takes a bit of force to start the initial closing process with a soft close toilet lid, and this may actually be enough to prevent it from falling down.
If you think this is the solution, check my list of the best soft close toilet lids.
How to Fix a Wobbly Toilet Seat
Your toilet seat may also just be a bit wobbly, which could be caused by old or loose washers, loose screws, or a buildup of dirt and debris. If your toilet seat is wobbly, the first thing that you will want to do is to unscrew the bolts and take everything apart.
You will likely need both a wrench and a screwdriver for this. With everything taken apart, now it is time to get some rubbing alcohol and a wet rag, so you can thoroughly clean all of the components, including the bolts, the nuts, and the holes into which the bolts go.
With that done, get yourself some new rubber washers that match the size of your toilet seat (the bolts), and then insert them as directed. After the new rubber washers are in place, you can now reinsert the bolts and tighten them. If your toilet seat is still wobbly at this point, there is probably not much else you can do, at least not unless you just buy a new toilet.
On a side note, the cause of a wobbly toilet seat may also be that you have the wrong size of seat, or in other words, maybe you have an elongated seat on a round toilet or the other way around. So, ensure that you do have the right kind of toilet seat mounted!
Mistakes to Avoid, Tips & Tricks
Lastly, here are some additional tips:
- Do all of the checks first, particularly in terms of the easy stuff. In other words, don’t go leveling your toilet with shims if you have not yet checked it with a bubble level first, and not before doing the easier fixes, such as taking the cover off.
- This fix may be as simple as just repositioning the toilet seat.
Summary
There you have it folks, everything you need to know about fixing a toilet seat that just won’t stay up. We hope that we were able to help, and if not, then it might be time for you to invest in a new toilet seat.