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Squeaking toilet seats become even worse when left longer in such a condition. If your toilet seat makes noises when lifting the lid or when sitting on it, then it’s possible that the seat is a bit loose.
It’s important to repair a noisy toilet seat soonest possible. If you leave it unrepaired, the toilet base may break. Fixing a noisy toilet seat only requires a few tools and some time.
Fixing a Squeaking Toilet Seat
The first thing to do is to remove the covers that hide the screws. You’ll find it easier to work on the screw cover and screws with the lid closed. Prying off the covers will expose the screws.
You can pry them off covers using a screwdriver (flat-head type). In most toilet designs, the covers may be made of plastic, thus pry them off gently without exerting too much pressure on them as they can break easily.
Next, find the nuts that hold the screws in place. In most toilet designs, the nuts are located at the back area of the bowl.
Use a pair of pliers to keep the nut tight in place and rotate the screw with a screwdriver until it’s tight enough. Tighten all the screws and nuts. Try to wiggle the seat or sit on it to check whether it now feels secure.
A well-secured seat shouldn’t wiggle at all. You can put back the screw covers in place upon determining that the toilet seat is well-secured in place and is no longer wiggling or squeaking.
New Squeaking Toilet Seats
Hinges on most new seats are extremely tight. Thus, they may eventually become squeaky. In this case, the lid may loosen up as you close and open it regularly.
However, if the squeaking noise annoys, then you shouldn’t wait longer for the noise to stop. You can simply lubricate the hinges to eliminate the noise.
The best type of lubricant to use on the hinges is a dry spray-based household lubricant. A spray lubricant will easily penetrate the hinge areas that prove more challenging to access.
Upon applying the spray lubricant, open and close the seat repeatedly for the lubricant to completely coat the hinges. Once done, wipe off excess lubricant with a relatively damp cloth.
Other Toilet Problems
It’s necessary to know what different toilet sounds mean. For instance, if the toilet is whining rather than squeaking, then it’s likely that the toilet valve is not completely closed, or there’s a problem with the toilet ballcock assembly.
The ballcock assembly is also referred to as a float valve or ball tap. It comprises of a ball-shaped float that allows the toilet tank to refill without overflowing upon flushing.
If you notice that the toilet is whining, then clean the ballcock. If cleaning the ballcock doesn’t solve the problem, then you’ll need to replace it with a new one.
Thus, whenever the toilet is making unusual noises, troubleshoot it for all the possible problems to know whether it’s only squeaky or has some other problems.
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