How to Replace Toilet Seat with Hidden Bolts Easily

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Deborah Beams
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Last updated: August 12, 2023
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Is your toilet seat broken or do you simply want to change it to give this essential room in the house a special atmosphere? Nowadays, the toilet seat has become a real decorative object for the toilet. More so are those with hidden bolts.

There are now various types of toilet seats Trusted Source Toilet seat - Wikipedia Toilet seats are manufactured in a range of different styles and colors, and they may be furnished matching the style of the toilet itself. They are usually built to fit the shape of the toilet bowl: two examples of this being the elongated bowl and the regular bowl. en.m.wikipedia.org in all colors, different mechanisms, and shapes. They are also more and more sophisticated: there are those with flaps with brakes to slow down the descent, heated or even automatic models with motion detectors. Some models now even come with paddings. On the hygiene side, the principle of the clip-on toilet seat allows it to be easily removed to allow easier cleaning of the bowl. However, those with hidden bolts may not be easier to replace. In this article, we will see how to replace toilet seat with hidden bolts.

Whether the toilet is suspended or classic, here is how to replace a toilet seat with hidden fixings. It’s super easy and will only take a few minutes of your time.

Things you’ll need to replace a toilet seat

How to Replace Toilet Seat with Hidden Bolts Easily

When choosing the new toilet seat, pay special attention to the material it was made from. There are wooden or plastic seats. If the material is too light, the toilet seat will be more likely to break after short use.

According to most reviews, the SS114#03 Transitional Toilet Seat, designed by Toto is by far one of the most reliable and time-proven ones. It has a soft close mechanism that prevents the slamming of the cover.

Poor quality material can cause the seat to tip constantly and awkwardly. The market offers a wide range of more or less classic models, also offered in different colors. The choice is linked to your taste and the furnishings of your bathroom. Don’t skimp on the quality or you might regret it. If it’s going to be used by heavy persons, there are models with more resistant materials.

Note that the toilet hole can be oval, rounded but wider at the top, or even rectangular, and the cover will need to match to be properly closed. However, some products allow you to choose either an elongated or round seat.

The Hibbent Premium One-Click Elongated Toilet Seat with Cover is one of the best toilet seats with an elongated and oval shape. Additionally, it is easy to install and has a quick-release mechanism for easy replacement and cleaning.

Also, remember to measure the width and depth of the toilet seat and the distance between the two axes of the holes in the toilet bowl. For this, you need a measuring tape.

With this information, you can be sure to get a new toilet seat at the DIY store of your choice that will hold securely in place. Toilet seats are usually sold with their mounting rods, washers, gaskets, and nuts.

You will also need a pair of cleaning gloves, to avoid getting dirty. If the flap to be removed is very old, the nuts may be seized, difficult to remove. You will then need to provide yourself with penetrating oil and an adjustable wrench to loosen the nuts.

Once equipped with the replacement toilet seat and these few utensils, you will be able to change the toilet seat. This is a relatively simple operation to perform if you follow the steps in order.

In summary, you’ll need the following:

  • Duct tape
  • Flathead & star screwdriver
  • A pair of protective gloves
  • A wrench
  • Penetrating oil

Why change the toilet seat

If your toilet seat is broken, changing it will prevent you from having to continually endure using a damaged object. It can also be a matter of safety, especially with elderly people who could slip if the toilet seat malfunctions and causes them to lose their balance.

But changing a toilet seat can also help improve the aesthetics of the toilet room. For example, all colors and even patterned models are now available.

You can also benefit from the innovations of a recent model, from mechanical or technological improvements for your toilet seat. There now exists models with brakes to slow down the descent of the cover: they do not fold down loudly. Some models can also be clipped, which makes it possible to remove them more easily, clean them, and clean the bowl. Other models are heated, or equipped with a motion detector.

How to remove a toilet seat with hidden fixings

How to Replace Toilet Seat with Hidden Bolts Easily

Most of the time, the flap is usually fixed by butterfly-shaped nuts and washers, positioned at the back, under the bezel hinges. To remove the old flaps of these toilet seats with fixings at the back, all you needed was to position yourself in front of the toilet bowl, hands on each side to reach and unscrew the nuts. The nuts must be unscrewed and the washers and gaskets removed. However, things are different with models whose screws are hidden out, obviously for aesthetic reasons. To remove a toilet seat with hidden fixings, take the following steps:

  1. Put on protective gloves for hygiene and safety purposes.
  2. Tape the seat to the toilet cover with duct tape.
  3. Check out the caps covering the hinges and bolt to determine how they are oriented.
  4. Remove the plastic caps by easing your flathead screwdriver below the cap while popping it up.
  5. Remove the seat of the toilet from the bowl. Many toilet seats with a quick-release mechanism allow easy removal via the hinges. By removing the seat, you’ll be able to access the hinges.
  6. Use a screwdriver type according to the screw shape and unfasten the hinges.

Tips

If you have not purchased a new toilet seat with its mounting kit, you should keep the old nuts, and other fixing accessories from the hinges, as they will be useful for mounting the new seat.

Once the nuts are unscrewed. Put the old seat on the ground. At this point, take the opportunity to clean the top of the bowl.

Plastic nuts are unscrewed by hand, stainless steel nuts may require an adjustable wrench. If the nuts are rusty (which happens especially with old and steel nuts), you should apply penetrating oil the day before. The washers can also be metal or plastic. The seals are made of rubber.

How to attach a new toilet seat with hidden bolts

Once you have the new toilet seat in your possession, all you have to do is put it in place. Generally, toilet seats are sold with a kit containing fixing rods, washers, gaskets, and nuts.

  • We advise you to mount the fixing kit for the first time on the new toilet seat and a table-type work surface, outside the toilet, to check that all the parts are available and to understand the fixing mechanism. Once this check has been carried out, you can easily mount the new toilet seat on the toilet.
  • You must insert the new flap by placing it on the bowl and positioning its fixing rods in the corresponding holes. Then put on the gaskets, the two washers, then tighten the wing nuts on. The flap must be symmetrical and that’s it.

Final thoughts

In the toilet, the toilet seat is the cover that closes and opens onto the seat. With use, it may break, dislodge and crack. You may also no longer like its aesthetic or color, and simply want to change it to a new one.

If the toilet seat to be removed is very old, it may be fixed with metal hardware and the latter may be seized. In this case, you will need to equip yourself with penetrating oil and an adjustable wrench to be able to loosen the nuts.

Even though most toilets have universal dimensions, it is best to ensure the dimensions of the toilet seat as well as the mounting rods before purchasing the new toilet seat. Choose stainless steel fixing systems because they are more resistant than plastic ones.

We’ve seen how to replace a toilet seat with hidden bolts. The procedure is different with the regular seats as you have to remove the plastic caps to keep the hinges and bolts in view before removing the seat.

References

1.
Toilet seat - Wikipedia
Toilet seats are manufactured in a range of different styles and colors, and they may be furnished matching the style of the toilet itself. They are usually built to fit the shape of the toilet bowl: two examples of this being the elongated bowl and the regular bowl.
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