Loose Duravit Starck 3 Toilet Seat hinges

[nojo608]

Part of the hinges on the above have become loose:
The loose parts are the two circular chrome plates from which vertical posts rise - the "soft-close" hinge that forms part of the seat and cover assembly, then clips onto these posts.
I cannot see how the plates/posts fix to the pedestal - they do not bolt through and rorating them (to tighten) does no good.
Can anybody please advise - its driving me crazy!
Oh yes - I cannot find any instalation instructions on the Duravit web-site and they do not return my emails.
Thanks.

 

[clf-gas]

The plates with pegs on them have a threaded fitting that goes into the hole in the pot, these have a fitting simular to a Wrall bolt only in plastic. Turning the top draws up a nut which compresses the plastic into the hole to form a snug fit.

 

[nojo608]

The plates with pegs on them have a threaded fitting that goes into the hole in the pot, these have a fitting simular to a Wrall bolt only in plastic. Turning the top draws up a nut which compresses the plastic into the hole to form a snug fit.

Thank you for your posting.
I have trried turning the plate with the post, and it rotates but does not tighten.
I wonder whether the threaded fitting you describe could have seperated from the top plate?

 

[nojo608]

Once again, Thank you for your advice.
I managed to remove what turned-out to be the covering plates and then tighten the crew underneath.

 

[njgt]

Just wanted to thank nojo608 for providing me with advice on this issue.
Three things spring to mind.
1. Why don't Duravit make these instruction clear on their internet site
2. What a poor design their toilet seat covers are as it doesn't matter how tight you screw the screw down (without breaking the thread) the seat sit doesn't rest firmly on the base, it still moves
3. Thank God for the internet in being able to help solve these simple problems

 

[bathstyle]

Woah, 2 years later he returns.........

I have always found Duravit seats to be superb but anything German is always incredibly over complicated, it's just the way the Germans make things.

 

[nojo608]

Woah, 2 years later he returns.........

I have always found Duravit seats to be superb but anything German is always incredibly over complicated, it's just the way the Germans make things.

Sadly, that does not, from my experience, ring true in this instance:

The bolts still loosen AND I have now had to replace two, £100+ Duravit loo seats in 18 months after both snapped - and, incidentally, before any wise cracks, my wife weighs 8 stone and I weigh 12.5!

 

[bathstyle]

I would seriously give Duravit in Milton Keynes a call, if they are snapping it is unacceptable. Duravit is known for manufacturing some of the best made products in the world but their Customer services Department is absolutely dreadful, so bad in fact that I was seriously thinking of composing a German written letter to the Head office there.

 

[sanitaryman]

I wouldn't advise calling Duravit customer services at all if I were you. I've never come across a more atrocious service -- I was also considering writing to the German parent company in the hope that they might be embarrassed by the damage that's being done to their reputation by such bad attitude towards customers.
If you get an e-mail or contact address for someone in Germany, post it on here because I'd like to contact them.
Duravit - good products, but just pray nothing goes wrong.

 

[rogerkellett]

I would like to say that my recent experience of Duravit customer service is totally different. The soft-close mechanism on a toilet seat ceased to work and I sent an email to Customer Services. I got an immediate reply to say that I needed replacement dampers but that they were out of stock. 2 weeks later I got a further email to say they were now in stock and a set was in the post to me. Sure enough they arrived this morning with full fitting instructions and I now have a toilet seat, as new, for no charge.
Either previous contributors were very unlucky or Duravit have revamped their customer services. Either way I would certainly recommend contacting them about any problems.

 

[PashtheFixer]

All, I've just has exactly the same problem as nojo608 described above but thought it would be useful to add a couple things re problems I encountered.

The first thing is getting the toilet seat off the brackets on the bowl. As I toilet seat got increasingly loose I got increasingly p*ssed off, so this morning I pulled it upwards quite hard and the seat pulls off the brackets. The brackets have to upright posts with one ring on each so you need to lift both the seat and the lid to the up position and then and hold the seat by the posts and pull firmly upwards, it pops off. I was nervous it would break but it didnt.

This exposes the upright posts on which the seat sits and the brackets which are circular metal discs.

It is not at all clear to look at but the brackets are in fact in two pieces and what you see in fact a cover which can be gently levered off to expose the screw which can them be tightened in to the wrall bolt fixing. I levered the cover off with a flat head screw driver (but be careful not to scratch the enamel)

Once you've tightened the bolt, with a philips screwdriver, you can clip on the covers can and then refix the seat.

Thanks to clf-gas as I wouldn't have worked it out otherwise, agree with nojo608 that it annoying that there's nothing about this on the Duravit website!

Incidentally, I have a Happy D soft close toilet seat but I gather then fixings are identical.

 

[46goat]

Hi All,

Does anyone know where I can get these fixings?

I have lost mine.

Thanks for any assistance...

 

[desdemona]

I joined the forum to say THANK YOU for the advice re fixing the happy D toilet seat. It had been driving me mad. There were no instructions on the duravit website and I was stuck, then googled & got the perfect answer on this website - fantastic!

 

[Niceoldman]

You can get these replacement hinges in packs of two from
www.splashdirect.com/search/search.aspx?keywords=ES074 quite cheap.

Trouble is the fastener ie rubber bulb and compression bolt still becomes loose as the molded threaded insert starts to pull through as the bolt is tightened or as the seat is twisted. This may occur if someone sits or rises awkwardly from the seat. It really needs a holding bar across the two hinges to counter any clockwise or anticlockwise movement of the hinge.

I am thinking of MIG welding a bright steel bar across the hinges and have the fixed unit chromed.
The throne ie pan we have is an extra high one fitted in a tight space and so it is damn near impossible to use and tighten a hex nut from the base. Therefore a Top Fix is the only means available.

Best of luck Goat46

 

[Kiwiclayton]

Hello all , after scrolling the web and Duravit website I finally worked out
and completed the process on how to tighten up the circular plates that secure the Duravit Starck 3 toilet seat in place.

Its very simple, but if your not shown you would probably never figure it out.

Steps as follows:

a. Lift seat and lid to fully upright position.

b. Place hands under edge of seat and pull upwards to remove from upright pins connected to circular plates on bowl. Its very likely this has never been done since you have owned the toilet (otherwise you wouldn't need to read this) so it is very likely some extra force needs to be used. The upright pins have a rubber seal/washer that can get a bit grubby which makes pulling the seat off a little tricky first.

c. The circular plates and upright pins will now be exposed. Now find a small flat head screw drivers and very carefully remove the silver circular covers by working your way around the outer perimeter of the silver plates.

d. Once the covers are removed you will see a screw with either a philips head or hexagonal head.

e. Before tightening up the circular plates rest seat back into position on the uprights pins ( but don't push hard down ) as we are just working out the best locations for the pins to be at this stage before tightening.

f. Remove seat and tighten up screws - DO NOT OVER DO THIS - secure so plates are firm but not really tight.

g. Put silver cover plates back into position.

h. Spray pins with silicon spray or light lubricant. ( it will make it easier next time to remove the seat ) .

I. Slide seat back onto the pins - YOUR DONE !

Hope this helps someone out there ,

Cheers
Clayton