How Long Should a Toilet Seat Last?

John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 08:49

Specifically the soft close function of it?

Ours stopped "soft closing" around a year after purchase (even though it was technically installed and used for probably a month less than that; I know warranty starts from purchase date though).

Warranty is only one year and the manufacturer has refused warranty claim because its just outside of warranty.

I emailed ACCC the same question, and they just responded with a lengthy template response, not specific to my enquiry.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Home & Garden Toilet Seat

Comments

  • foxmulder on 03/09/2019 - 08:52
    +1

    How much is it?

  • GG57 on 03/09/2019 - 08:53
    +1

    How much was it?
    The soft-closing from Bunnings (and probably elsewhere) are not expensive. If it is that much of an issue for you, to manually close the lid, I'd just buy a replacement.
    The installation takes >5 minutes.

    • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 09:01

      Whole toilet with seat included cost (don't judge) about $600. They offered a new seat for $130. Bunnings sells one that looks like it would fit for $60.

      It's not a big deal, but if I had a choice to get a free replacement under "warranty" (with a bit of pushing) over a paying for a new one, I would choose a free one…

      • [Deactivated] on 03/09/2019 - 09:40

        Could you negotiate a refund instead of a replacement and use that money to buy a seat from Bunnings?

        • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 10:41

          Didn't bother asking for a refund, pretty sure they wouldn't entertain it as it was bought as a package (not just the toilet seat).

  • EightImmortals on 03/09/2019 - 08:56
    +2

    OMG! You mean you might have to …gasp!…put the seat down by hand! You poor bastard. I suggest you call Lifeline before Bunnings, wouldn't want things to get out of hand.

    • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 08:59

      Yes, I know it's not a big deal. Although does make a very loud noise now when my 3 year old closes it now.

      It's more the fact it has probably failed prematurely…hence the question "how long should it last?"

      Have not had a soft close toilet seat before, so wasn't sure if it was common for it to fail after 1 year.

      • EightImmortals on 03/09/2019 - 09:07
        -4

        Does your 3 year old slam it down in the middle of the night when people are sleeping? Also, you could, you know, show him how to close it gently instead of slamming it. Give him a cookie when he does so, you'd be amazed at what 3 year olds can learn and do when they are motivated. :)

        • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 09:10

          No, she never goes in the night. But almost always when the 11 month old is napping! :S Yes, she will learn eventually…not really the point of my post though.

          • pjetson on 03/09/2019 - 09:48
            +7

            @John Kimble:

            not really the point of my post though

            You should know by now that the part of a post that's not relevant to the question is the part that gets the most comments :-)

            • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 09:51
              +3

              @pjetson: Yes, I suppose I am guilty of doing this in other people's posts on occasion…haha

              • EightImmortals on 03/09/2019 - 09:52
                -3

                @John Kimble: Yeah fair enough. I guess you could ask the plumber to start an investigation but I'm afraid he wont find anything to go on. :P

      • HighAndDry on 03/09/2019 - 10:18
        +1

        Although does make a very loud noise now when my 3 year old closes it now.

        The soft-stop decelerates the lid, so how long it lasts is probably related to how hard the lid is being slammed too. Does your kid have a penchant for slamming the lid down?

        • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 10:26

          Does your kid have a penchant for slamming the lid down?

          Don't recall specifically but based on everything else she does, possibly leaning to probably.

          If she has contributed to it's failure, I guess I don't feel as bad not getting warranty replacement I suppose…

          • RockyRaccoon on 03/09/2019 - 11:39
            +1

            @John Kimble: the instructions with my soft close seat, says that you shouldnt force it down, obviously that means it can damage the soft close mechanism

      • pjetson on 03/09/2019 - 12:51
        +1

        Although does make a very loud noise now when my 3 year old closes it now

        If you put the seat down yourself, your daughter won't have to close it.

    • Zedsdeadbabyzedsdead on 03/09/2019 - 09:18
      +1

      Sounds like a great cistern….

  • [Deactivated] on 03/09/2019 - 09:20

    Sounds like it's not fit for service.

    • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 09:49

      Sorry, can you expand on this please?

  • Skramit on 03/09/2019 - 09:39
    +7

    If I get a hold of it after a few proper KFC zinger sessions, about 3 weeks.

    • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 09:48
      +1

      😂

      I suspect this will take top comment spot eventually…

    • hey aj on 03/09/2019 - 10:04
      +8

      The pain was excruciating, never before had Skramit felt such a searing heat. This was now the third cycle in the last twenty minutes, a new personal record.

      He was in full damage control now, both arms were extended out, palms bracing the walls, trying to hold up his body and compensate as his legs began to buckle from the squat he had been holding now for two full minutes.

      With sweat still pouring down his face, he managed to utter out some final words just before he began to feel a surge from the deep places of his being… "Worth it".

      The Life Of Skramit, Chapter Twelve, The Zinger Stinger.

      • Skramit on 03/09/2019 - 14:18

        Its not so much the spice, it's the quantity. :D

  • DASH8 on 03/09/2019 - 10:17
    +5

    Failure after 12 months seems premature unless someone has been "helping" it down.

    I have 2 separate brands that are fine after 5 to 8 years.

    • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 10:27
      +3

      Thanks for the only actual answer to my question haha

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/7686164/redir

      • GG57 on 03/09/2019 - 10:46

        But, and I think this is why no-one else has offered a timeframe in answer to your question, wouldn't the seat be subject to a number of variables, such as how many times up / down on average per day.

        With due respect to DASH8, their seats may have been used a lot less than yours, and perhaps by adults who may not have "helped" the seat down.

        • John Kimble on 03/09/2019 - 10:49
          +2

          Yeah, I totally get that, just trying to get a general idea.

    • macfudd on 04/09/2019 - 22:29
      +1

      We had 3 identical soft close seats in our house. After 3 years only 1 still soft closes, but about 50% worse than originally.
      The other two barely lasted a year. Personally I have a theory about the ones that don't work being damaged by weight, not lids being forced down. One is the guest toilet and used by visitors - including my partners family who are very much on the large side (and who stay with us for weeks when they visit). The other is our ensuite toilet and was fine up until my partners first pregnancy.
      The only one that still works was pretty much only used by myself. But recently my father in law stayed for a week in the bedroom next to that loo and it's definitly not the same now, it's changed.

  • inherentchoice on 03/09/2019 - 10:44

    How Long Should a Toilet Seat Last?

    3000 number 2's and 7000 number 1's.

    • GG57 on 03/09/2019 - 10:47

      Male or female number 1's?

      • inherentchoice on 03/09/2019 - 10:48

        Depends if the male lifts both the seat and the lid, and closes it after?

  • [Deactivated] on 03/09/2019 - 10:56
    +1

    Get a "Don't stand on the toilet seat" sign. A disturbing number of people do it.

  • onetwothreefour on 03/09/2019 - 12:23
    +1

    I've had mine for 3 years which I bought from this deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/244326

    Still works fine for me, although I don't know if I'd get another soft closer as I tend to just push the lid down anyway as I don't like flushing with the lid up or even partially open.

  • Some Human on 03/09/2019 - 13:11
    +1

    I got the Bunnings one approx 5 years ago when I broke my previous one while breaking into my house. It was something like $20 at the time. Still soft closes like a champ. Not sure if they still make them the same quality.

  • Zedsdeadbabyzedsdead on 03/09/2019 - 14:16

    John be Kimble, John be quick, John jumped over the toilet seat.

  • Speckled Jim on 04/09/2019 - 09:34

    Seems a bullet-point feature of this toilet has let go prematurely.

    For reference, I installed this $149 Estilo in March 2017 and soft-close is virtually unchanged in speed and completely silent on touchdown.

    Two of the the under-seat buffer pads have crushed and split ever-so slightly, but are still in place.
    On the lookout for a polyurethane kit for better handling.

  • jonkvh on 04/09/2019 - 10:21
    +1

    Installed 2 new toilets a couple of years ago. Within six months, had to replace the plastic cistern in one. The seats are fine still. Problem is they're all Chinese made now, so you can expect failure of parts at anytime. Just get a similar fitting seat from Bunnings. Whoever you bought it from won't warranty it, I know I tried, even though it was within warranty.

    • John Kimble on 04/09/2019 - 10:39

      Whoever you bought it from won't warranty it, I know I tried, even though it was within warranty.

      Crazy!

  • backpaqer on 04/09/2019 - 10:22
    +2

    3yo in house… Toilet seat broken… Nothing unusual here… Move on.

    • John Kimble on 04/09/2019 - 10:39

      Everything broken haha

  • 82norm on 04/09/2019 - 22:25
    +1

    Have 3 soft closing toilet seats. All working fine 7 years on. One is particularly annoying as it seems to taking forever to close. 1st rule. Don’t force it to close.

  • AlienC on 14/09/2019 - 05:56
    -2

    Yes.

  • Eeples on 14/09/2019 - 20:49

    Have you had any especially heavy visitors lately?

  • jonkvh on 15/09/2019 - 08:50

    Though I'd better clarify my "wouldn't warranty it". The two toilets I had installed were end of line(got them at cost), they never stocked parts for them. It was kind of expected that the original cistern was crap anyway, so it would be replaced anyway since the failure rate was very high.

    The toilet would keep running or the dual flush system would fail in that, you'd only get the smaller flush cycle only. The real issue was the importer bringing them into Australia knowing the failure rate, but just dumped it onto the distributors/retailers anyway.

    The seat though has nothing wrong with it, just don't force it down.

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