How to Change a Toilet Seat

It's not often that a toilet seat needs replacing, but with years of use one can split, chip or even discolor. More likely, a toilet seat is replaced in the course of redecorating a bathroom. The seat is a separate unit and is sold with all of the necessary nuts and bolts included.

What you will need:
Reciprocating Saw with a metal cutting blade
Slip Joint Pliers
Screwdrivers
Pencil
Deep Socket set
Toilet seat kit
Rust solvent (WD-40)
Masking tape
Cardboard or stiff paper
Crescent Wrench
Old Towels for clean up

Toilet seats are available in plastic, decorative wood and vinyl padded styles and come in a variety of colors and patterns. Select a style suited to your taste and décor. Just be certain that the shape of the new seat matches the shape of your bowl. Shapes vary from round or elongated and proper fit is necessary for practical as well as the obvious aesthetic reasons.

Most new toilet seats designed for home installation come with plastic nuts and bolts, but some models use brass. Plastic is the material of choice because it will never rust.

Removing the old seat

Fit a socket wrench over the nuts under the bowl and turn counterclockwise. If you need more leverage, pry up the caps that cover the bolt tops. Hold the bolt in place with a screwdriver.

If bolts have rusted so that you cannot free them, soak the nuts and bolts overnight with a rust solvent such as WD-40. Try again to remove the bolts with a socket wrench.

As a last resort, use a reciepercating saw with a metal cutting blade to cut off the old rusted bolts. Protect the toilet from scratches with cardboard or masking tape. Once the bolts are free, remove the old seat.

Installing the new seat

To ensure that the replacement seat will match the existing bowl, trace an outline of the bowl onto cardboard or stiff paper. Bring this pattern with you when you purchase the new seat.

Make sure the seat sits squarely over the bowl. Slip the two plastic bolts through the two holes in the bowl. Manufacturer's instructions will show you the proper placement of any washers.

Tighten plastic nuts on underside of the bowl by hand. Stop when the nut is snug. Do not over tighten or you may crack the nuts.