toilet seat fixings fell to the floor - please help

[finchfinch]

Hi,

The toilet seat was loose, so I decided to cleverly unscrew the mini rod, and to my horror the fixing on the otherside of the hole underneath, feel straight to the floor. I cannot access this now as the hole is too small. Please see photos. It's a back to wall toilet. Is it an easy job to disconnect this toilet and to retrieve the fixture part from the floor? I'm afraid of all things plumbing, but was wondering whether a monkey could do this, if so what steps are involved?

I've also seen an extendable magnet rod on amazon which can literally lift hammers, is it as simple as buying this tool? Will the fixing fit back through the hole?

Thanks in advance.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Or buy a new seat.

Andy

 

[finchfinch]

hmm isn't that a bit excessive? Will I not have the same problem when it comes to fitting the new seat? The problem is I cannot visualise the fixings, I thought the only way the seat can be installed correctly is to disconnect it from the wall and have access behind the toilet. If I only need to buy a new seat, then surely I just need to buy new fixings instead?

 

[conny]

We have these style in the college I work at. When this sort of thing happens we just call a plumber out because they always have to remove the pan from the coupling. What makes it worse is they have a silicone brad right around the back face.

 

[finchfinch]

damn, I thought so. Thanks, time to get the pros in.

 

[RandomGrinch]

damn, I thought so. Thanks, time to get the pros in.

Or do as @HERTS P&D says...
Check the size, but hidden fixings do exist..

Amazon.co.uk

 

[finchfinch]

thanks, the new toilet seat option seems over the top. The existing seat is fantastic quality and having a quick look online, the good sturdy ones do not come cheap. Just so it's clear, it's a back to wall toilet as per photos, so there is no way to access the bottom fixings. How would new fixings solve the problem?

 

[RandomGrinch]

thanks, the new toilet seat option seems over the top. The existing seat is fantastic quality and having a quick look online, the good sturdy ones do not come cheap. Just so it's clear, it's a back to wall toilet as per photos, so there is no way to access the bottom fixings. How would new fixings solve the problem?

Did you click the link?
Although even a seat would be cheaper than a plumber!

 

[finchfinch]

Thanks for the responses everyone, it was all taken on board. But I really wanted a like for like replacement on the hinges. This seemed like the most logical (and cheapest) way to go. In the end, I did source this from ideal standard's spares website.

It was a soft close hinge pack for my particular toilet model that I needed:

This took less than 2 minutes to install, without needing to remove the toilet or any nonsense like that. All for under £7!

Whilst I appreciate getting a new toilet seat is a valid option, this really seemed like a nuclear option which would also mean selling/getting rid of my perfectly fine working seat. This simply does not make sense, I would not be recommending this for others in the same situation as the first go to solution.

I hope this helps anyone else with a simliar problem.

 

[johnny2007]

Good find!
For future reference, I'm sure you now know that the seat can be unclipped and removed by pressing the 2 chrome buttons next to the hinges.
So if it comes loose again, don't unscrew anything, but remove the seat and tighten the hinges.

 

[Madrab]

Good you got the spares.

For anyone in the future - there are lots of top down toilet seat fixings, that are fitted from the top of the pan, whether they would fit the ideal specifically is another matter but a lot of the thread/bolt sizes are the same.

Top Down Fittings

 

[finchfinch]

Good find!
For future reference, I'm sure you now know that the seat can be unclipped and removed by pressing the 2 chrome buttons next to the hinges.
So if it comes loose again, don't unscrew anything, but remove the seat and tighten the hinges.

oh yes, definitely! I learned the hard way

 

[opps]

Those toggle fittings are super stoopid.

I recall working on a customers toilet in the past. I loosened the fittings and they fell into the cavity in the pan. I had to remove the pan and roll it around the garden until they fell out. That took about 2 hours.

As per @Madrab 's sage advice, I should have replaced them with "blind hole" fittings. That said, not all such fittings are created equally. I once tried to use the rubber types on a seat fitted by a builder on a Duravit loo. They were too loose and would pull out. I then ordered the original Duravit (nylon) ones (from memory, Duravit posted them out for free), and soon understood why the builder hadn't used the ones supplied. They were so rigid that you couldn't push them in to the hole.

I dropped the plugs in to a cup of boiling water and they went in without issue.

 

[dilalio]

Didn't read all the words above.

But... It's a top access fitting.
Just buy new fixings each time you drop one. It's a feckin fixing!

Do you save the screws each time you replace a Bog roll holder?

 

[opps]

Didn't read all the words above.

Evidentially not.

These are the type of "toggle" fittings that I am referring to



If you try to remove the fitting, the lower part falls in to the cavity. The above costs £38.99. I don't know any local plumbers' merchants that stock them.

Would you be happy if a plumber told you that you would have to wait 3 days for delivery before you can use the loo seat again, and that there would be an additional charge for them to come back.

As per @Madrab 's post whenever it is possible I fit a new blindhole/topdown fitting. In the example above though the threaded rod is part of the fitting and not a separate machine screw.

Do you save the screws each time you replace a Bog roll holder?

If it is a like for like and the plugs are interset fixings, then yes I would.