Toilet lid mount: how to securely and safely install a seat on the bowl

A significant role in the comfort of visiting the toilet is played by a plastic or wooden seat, which is installed on the toilet bowl. Even more important, oddly enough, is the fixture for the toilet lid, because it is this element that holds the structure in place and allows it to rise and fall.

Read below about the features of the fittings used and the process of fixing them with your own hands.

Features and varieties

When buying, it is rare that anyone pays attention to the design of the seat that comes with the sanitary ware for the restroom. And even fewer people are interested in what bolts are used to secure the toilet lid ().

Meanwhile, this is such an important element that a separate regulatory document is devoted to its description and technical characteristics - GOST, which has the number 15062-83.

This industry instruction fixes the following requirements:

fastening the lid to the toilet can be done with separate fittings, which must be included with the seat;

bolts can be part of the design of the circle itself with a lid and be an integral element of it;
the fastening fittings must ensure free rotation of the lid and the toilet bowl;
the thread on the bolts, screws and nuts of the fastening must be of high quality and provide the ability to tighten and unscrew the fasteners manually;
the bolts used to secure the lids must withstand at least 25,000 cycles of opening and closing the toilet seat;
fasteners can be made from any polymer, the strength of which will be sufficient to securely fasten the seat to the toilet bowl (high and low pressure polyethylene, polypropylene, plastic polyurethane and others similar).

In the photo - fittings that meet the requirements of GOST

Note! The current GOST does not provide for the manufacture of fasteners for covers made of carbon steel or non-ferrous metals. However, on sale you can find a large number of such models, which, however, have excellent consumer properties. If you are not embarrassed by a higher price, it is better to buy just such varieties.

Currently, two main types of fasteners are produced:

With a shelf. In this case, holes are used to fix the seat through which the tank is fixed. Therefore, separate fittings for fixing are not needed.
No shelf. For such models, separate holes are provided in the toilet bowl, fixing occurs with the help of special mounting hardware that comes with the kit.

Installation procedure

Removing the old seat

Before you attach the lid to the toilet, you need to get rid of the old seat, which is installed on the plumbing device and has ceased to satisfy you for some reason.

The procedure for carrying out this operation depends on what material the fasteners are made of. All possible options for action are presented in the table.

Fastening material	Dismantling procedure
Plastic	In this case, you can arm yourself with a knife and cut off the heads of the fasteners. If difficulties arise, heat the tip of the knife, then repeat the operation. Don't be afraid, even if melted plastic gets on the ceramic of the toilet bowl, it can be easily cleaned from there.
Brass and other non-ferrous metals	Given that this material is not subject to corrosion, the nuts are easily twisted. If something went wrong, moisten the attachment points with WD-40 or kerosene, then repeat the dismantling operation.
Steel	The most unpleasant case in terms of dismantling. Most often, due to the increased level of humidity, the fasteners are covered with corrosion, which will prevent the nut from being twisted from the mounting bolt. In this case, you need to use either a grinder or a manual hacksaw for metal. They should cut off the heads, and then dismantle the circle.

Advice! In order not to damage faience or porcelain, it is recommended to protect the toilet bowl with a piece of plywood or other suitable material.

Attaching the new seat

Now consider how to fix the toilet lid. Mounting accessories must be included with the product you purchased. If the quality of the bolts suits you, you can use them.

Otherwise, buy other mounts in the store that are more reliable and aesthetically pleasing.

Give preference to polymer varieties. They are not subject to corrosion, they are easier to twist and unscrew, and the seat with such fasteners fidgets less on the toilet bowl.

The installation procedure is as follows:

The seat is applied to the top of the plumbing fixture. If the fastening reinforcement is built-in, then its ends must enter the holes intended for this. Otherwise, align the ears of the cover with the attachment points and insert individual bolts there.
Then the structure is shifted as far forward as possible, after which the nuts are tightened. In this way, the seat is fixed as firmly as possible and does not move from side to side during use.

Repair of damaged fasteners

It is not uncommon for plastic fittings for toilet lids to break. This can happen as a result of lowering the lid too quickly, dropping a heavy object on it, and so on. It is better to replace damaged bolts with new ones, but if a trip to the hardware store is not planned in the near future, you can fix the breakdown yourself.

Suitable for this:

acetone - apply liquid to the two halves of the broken fastener, wait a few seconds, connect the parts and leave to harden;
dichloroethane - acts similarly, but is very toxic (take precautions when handling this substance);
Cyanoacrylate is the ingredient found in most fast-acting adhesives and is great for repairing plastic fasteners.

Note! Polyethylene and polypropylene are not glued, but welded. Melt the ends of the bolt and join them. After hardening, clean the sags on the sides of the joint.