Trying to figure out why your toilet seat won’t stay up

My toilet seat won't stay up you've simply gotta find a toilet seat that continues to remain up.  If the options below are out of your price range or you're just looking for another way to keep your toilet bowl seat up and stop it from falling down, read more below.

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Keeping a toilet lid and seat open is an issue for many households around the world. Having to place a toilet seat up after it's fallen exposes you to germs and is unsanitary. There are toilet seat hook gadgets on the market that are practical and helpful, but they will only help you in the short term. Long term fixes such as fixing screws, hinges, and replacing your old toilet seat with a new one and a stay-put toilet seat will save you time and effort.

How do soft closing toilet seats work?

There are really two types of soft closing toilet seats. The first ones use a hydraulic system to dampen how quickly the seat will close. The second one uses springs in the hinge, this is the most modern and most reliable type of slow closing toilet seat.

The Hydraulic type ones have a really smooth action and are easy to install. Unfortunately over time like all hydraulic systems they tend to leak. Unless it's under warranty and you are brave enough to disassemble and replace the oil, there is no easy way to have one repaired.

The Spring Hinge toilet seats aren't what I would call hard to install but are definitely inconvenient. As if replacing a toilet seat wasn't enough of a home improvement inconvenience. The action of the toilet seat isn't uniform but it's quiet, slow, and reliable. Springs have a much lower failure rate since they are only one moving component. You have just the hinge, no piston, no oil, just a spring which is fair to say they are twice as reliable.

How to know when it's time to fix a toilet seat that will not stay up?

1. Problem: When you lift the seat or lid with your hand all the way to the tank and one or both fall closed.
2. Problem: When you lift either the seat or lid all they way to the tank and one or the other closes.
3. Problem: When you hear the slow close toilet seat slams shut during a visitor's bathroom use.
4. Problem: When you check the toilet seat and see loose screws, broken hinge, or wobbly hinges.
5. Problem: When you sit down you feel the seat move back and forth.

Reasons why toilet seat will not stay up

It's just too old. Sometimes you'll have a toilet seat for years and years, and you won't upgrade them until they stop working. Or perhaps the toilet bowl and seat came with the house. If this sounds like you and it's missing a screws, posts, or your whisper close toilet seat not working, it's time to upgrade to a self-opening and self-closing toilet seat.

Heavy handedness. You could have a bathroom user who is heavy handed and shuts or opens doors forcefully or with some gusto. Adults, teens, and children are all known to be in a hurry to go to work, hang out with friends, or play. Rapidly opening and slamming shut the toilet seat will wear down and age your seat and hinges over time, causing it to fall shut. You should try a slow-close toilet seat hinge for your on the go lifestyle.

The parts are loose. Family Handyman instructs that you may have to replace the toilet seat bolt using the screw head, toilet seat nut, and rubber bushing. Another method is to place toilet seat stabilizers (rubber shims), stoppers, and bumpers on the bottom of the seat to prevent a hard impact between the toilet seat and the porcelain bowl when it falls from the up position. You'll want to read the article to see what tools you'll need.

The downside of having a falling seat

• It's way annoying and many people find it gross to touch a toilet lid for longer than a few seconds.
• There are 13,175 toilet related injuries every year, so you may want to look before you sit down or replace that toilet seat.
• Small hands and even genitals are at risk of being injured from a heavy and unstable toilet seat. 100 boys each year are taken to the emergency room due to penile injuries from toilet seats.
• Accidents and messes. Pets and even kids play inside the bathroom or toilet bowl, leaving them vulnerable to a slamming seat.
• Interrupted sleep. If you or your family are light sleepers a seat slamming in the middle of the night or during a nap is terrifying.
• Leaking cash. Over time, repetitive lid and seat slamming can cause cracks and splits in the wood or plastic. This can cause you to have to purchase another toilet seat sooner.
• Yuck factor. Falling toilet seats lead to cracks and crevices that harbor bacteria from waste and excess cleaning products over time causing dermatitis in some cases.

The benefits of having a stabilized, slow-closing, or self-closing toilet seat

• Germs. You won't have to touch the dirty surface of a toilet for longer than what's necessary. With a self-opening and closing toilet seat, you won't have to touch it at all.  Consider it a bathroom germ privacy policy.
• Kid-friendly. You won't have to worry about children's fingers and hands getting hurt by a falling seat.
• Time-friendly. Slow closing seats will give children learning to potty train more reaction time.
• Peace of mind. You won't get woken up or startled by the sound of the seat hitting the porcelain.
• Increased safety. You won't have to worry about the toilet seat causing any injuries to family, friends, and pets.
• Save money. It will reduce the need to purchase another toilet seat at a faster rate, protecting the integrity of the toilet seat over time, and also keeping the toilet seat and your bottom in tip-top condition.

What to do about falling toilet seats

1. Purchase a toilet seat that is slow-closing hinge, soft-closing, or self-closing. Remember to measure your toilet bowl length first to determine if you need a round, elongated, or another type of seat.
2. Buy a new toilet seat and lid with a warranty. Read the fine print. You may not return the seat the hardware store, but you can probably get a replacement from the manufacturer.
3. Fix it by using tools and by checking out this video on how to fix a falling toilet seat. This may cost you some money to replace the parts, but is worth it if you are saving money or just want to do it yourself.
4. Buy a tightening kit from your local hardware store. This is an easy way to do it, just remember to look at the type of toilet you have and cross reference to make sure that it will be compatible with the kit.
5. Or follow these directions as told by The Today Show. The segment does a good job of easily explaining how to fix when toilet seat falls when set against the tank.

Conclusion

We can all agree and come to terms that a falling toilet lid is an annoyance and a safety and health risk for everyone. Make a small one time investment in the short term that will benefit you in the long run. When my toilet seat will not stay up I make the leap and purchase a bathroom product that will make it more enjoyable and safer to use the bathroom. Or keep your skin and immune system healthy by fixing and maintaining the integrity of your already existing toilet seat. For further peace of mind, it's worth it to replace your worn out toilet seat with a new quiet-close, soft-close, or self-opening and closing toilet seat.