How to remove a toilet seat (worst design in the history of design)

[diyisnotmyfriend]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to remove a toilet seat (photos attached). It is a Tuscany BTW. There are no holes, no buttons, no caps and no obvious way to get into the nuts at all. My plan right now is to demolish the entire toilet, which seems excessive for a wobbly seat. All thoughts gratefully received!

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Are the nuts not accessible from underneath?

 

[Jackrae]

Looks like the chromed parts should be 'knocked" towards the middle of the gap in the seat. Once that's done it will release the seat and give access to the base fixings that are fixed to the porcelain.

 

[muggles]

I think the chrome parts should slide inwards to take them off, revealing the screws below

 

[Jackrae]

Sounds like an echo

 

[diyisnotmyfriend]

Are the nuts not accessible from underneath?

Nope, it's completely sealed in all directions.

 

[Jackrae]

If you look under the toilet do you have two holes which are blocked by 'rubber' fittings. If so the rubber fitting are probably expanding gripper plugs which are squeezed by tension screws in the thin base plates on which the seat hinges are slid. Note that if it's a 'posh' toilet the holes may not be visible from the underside.

 

[diyisnotmyfriend]

Looks like the chromed parts should be 'knocked" towards the middle of the gap in the seat. Once that's done it will release the seat and give access to the base fixings that are fixed to the porcelain.

I can see what you mean. But when I've tried knocking it using a hammer and screwdriver, the whole chrome block moves, so nothing seems to be sliding off.

 

[oldbuffer]

1. Have you checked for any grub screws in the rear of the fixing blocks securing the chrome caps to the blocks mounted to the pan above the white rubber seals?
2. Somebody put it on, so it must be possible to take it off.
3. I suspect your third photograph holds the key. It is clearly made in two parts, the upper, larger, decorative chrome cap, and the base of which you can see the outline. The only reason for making them separate parts is to enable them to be separated.

 

[Jackrae]

Bigger hammer and I'd suggest a suitably shaped pice of wood rather than a screwdriver. The sliding surfaces are probably stuck together with corrosion products (pee salts) and just need a bit of persuasion.

Edit : Forget that idea, looking at the photos it's clear the upper chromed section (the saddle) will not slide towards the centre area.
Can you take a photo of the end of the seat to confirm that the pivot rod isn't inserted through the seat into the chromed saddle, and then perhaps a blanking cap fitted to seal the rod in.

As has been said, it went together so there must be a means of it comming apart.

 

[kidgreen61]

Cant see from pics, but is there a button under seat which releases it from hinges?
If there is, you'll be able to access them from the top.

People who design things like this should be hanged, publicly.

 

[diyisnotmyfriend]

If you look under the toilet do you have two holes which are blocked by 'rubber' fittings. If so the rubber fitting are probably expanding gripper plugs which are squeezed by tension screws in the thin base plates on which the seat hinges are slid. Note that if it's a 'posh' toilet the holes may not be visible from the underside.

There's a couple of plugs on the side at the bottom. Nothing in there though.

 

[muggles]

Probably held in place by a few years of fine. Give it a liberal dose of WD40 and try again

 

[Elkato531]

Are there clips that slide in and hold the hinge together. The 3rd pic shows a separate fillet. Can you pry that out with a small screwdriver?

 

[diyisnotmyfriend]

Update: I tried the WD40+slide route. It didn't work because it turns out that the bottom part of the chrome fitting is not a slider but some kind of cap (picture attached). There's nothing obvious on the inside though, so it just seems decorative. Also, the screw joining the seat to the basin is on the outer edge of the fitting, so it can't slide inwards. I hate this seat so much.