Toilet seat - help needed

kingfisherblue

My wooden toilet seat is rather old and worn and I would like to replace it with a new one. Now, I've never done this before. My ex used to do all this type of thing.

My 12 year old son knew where the screws were, but he was unable to move them at all. I've had a go, but they won't budge. I've tried using a pair of pliers to give some leverage, but still nothing.

How can I sort this out? Has anyone any ideas, please?

Thanks for any suggestions or advice

phill99

The screws have more than likely rusted so the not wont release from the bolt. I've had this before and have had to cut them off with a junior hacksaw. Quite easy but needs a bit of elbow grease!

Becles

You could try soaking the bolts in WD40. Let it sink in for a while and then try again with the pliers. I had to do that on rusty toilet seat bolts and I managed to get them off in the end.

maninthestreet

Sounds like you don't have anything to go on.

kingfisherblue

Thanks for your replies. I'll try the WD40 first, then the hacksaw. The toilet is quite close to the wall, so using a hacksaw will be quite awkward on one side.

The toilet is still usable, and luckily we also have a downstairs toilet in the wetroom.

mishkanorman

Have you tried tightening them then loosen ? Sometimes that can crack the rust/build up enough to undo them

DVardysShadow

kingfisherblue wrote: »

WD40

WD40 seems to have mind share for this job, but for rusted threads, the product to use is 'plusgas'. This is a penetrating oil which attacks the rust and is a different product altogether. While WD40 lubricates and indeed prevents rust, it has very little direct effect on rust itself.

DIY sheds do not generally stock plusgas because WD40 has the biggest mind share. The place to go is a car mechanics type of place, but not Halfords, because they only give mindshare to WD40. If a hardware shop stocks it, and some do, it is a good hardware shop.

If I had the choice of only 1 of WD40 and plusgas to keep by me, it would be plusgas every time.

kingfisherblue

mishkanorman, they won't move either way - I'm not sure which way tightens and which way loosens.

DVardy, there are a couple of independent hardware shops in St. Helens, so I'll try them on Monday. Thank you.

flashg67

Anti-clockwise to loosen them, but remember if you're looking at them from above, it'll be the other way round, IYKWIM?

DVardysShadow

flashg67 wrote: »

Anti-clockwise to loosen them, but remember if you're looking at them from above, it'll be the other way round, IYKWIM?

To put it another way, clockwise takes the nut away from you - tightens up when the nut is on your side, loosens when it is on the other side

keystone

If you are changing the seat anyway it doesn't matter if you damage it. Just remove the seat and fittings from around the bolt which will give you plently of access for the brute force and ignorance approach which is prolly what is needed.

Cheers

PS Concur the plusgas suggestion BTW.