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How to Fix a Sinking Desk Chair

Daniel

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Fixing a sinking desk chair is not a hard job. Here we put the right information  on how you fix a sinking desk chair at home? Well-designed office chairs are meant to be long-lasting. However, as durable as they are, they may fall into a state of disrepair that makes them uncomfortable, and even unsafe. Do you ever feel like you are sinking when you sit on your desk chair? This means one thing. Your chair is letting you down. Chairs that have faulty adjustable cylinders have this as a common feature. You see, your desk chair uses a pneumatic/piston cylinder. This cylinder controls the height of your chair through its pressurized air operation. Most cylinders work quite well when the chair is relatively new.

However, after about five or so years, the cylinder may become faulty. Of course, this period will depend on the quality of the chair itself. Regardless, the bottom line is that the cylinder will require repair at some point. Most desk-chair cylinders fail because of defective seals. They become too faulty to maintain the required pressure. As such, you need a solution to restore their functionality. One way you can go about this is to look for a new replacement.

Nevertheless, getting a new replacement can be costly. In some cases, it is as dear as buying a new chair. As such, the best option is to repair the broken chair. You can hire someone to do this. Again, this has some monetary implications, and you should resort to it if you don’t have the DIY knowledge of pneumatic chair repair.

The Details Guide on How to Fix a Sinking Desk Chair DIY

This article will equip you with step-by-step methods on how to fix this problem. Before we delve into that, let’s look at exactly what goes wrong when your gas lift chair is not rising as expected.

Reasons For Gas Lift Chair Failure

If the desk chair behaves abnormally whenever you sit or get off the chair, it could be due to a number of reasons. You need to understand them so that you can know how to deal with them.

The first problem could be a poorly adjusted pneumatic cylinder. As such, you need to adjust it to its proper height. To do this, locate the lever beneath the chair. You should locate it just around the right front corner when you are seated on the chair.

Once you’ve located the lever handle, pull it upwards so that it touches the bottom of the chair seat. Sit on the chair to force the seat down. Once you achieve the chair height you deem appropriate, let go of the lever handle. The seat will remain at this height.

If you’d like to elevate the chair some more, unseat yourself to remove weight from the chair. Then, press release handle. This action will automatically lift the seat. Release the handle once you achieve the weight you desire.

The second problem has to do with the adjusting valve. If it is seating improperly, it fails to regulate airflow. As such, air gets into the cylinder, making the spring behave erratically.

To solve this anomaly, you need to start by flipping the chair upside down. If the seal is exposed (not concealed), look for debris or particles that might have blocked it. These are known to prevent the valve from sealing the air hole fully.

If the problem has nothing to do with the blocked vent hole, you may want to consider getting a refund under the purchase warranty.

The third problem is the more common one in desk chairs. It involves a faulty/broken piston. Since this is the biggest cause of desk chair problems, we are going to give it a more detailed approach. This will equip you with all the DIY knowledge you need to solve the problem.

You can use two approaches to repair the chair. The first is by using a PVC pipe, while the second is by using a hose clamp. Let’ look at each one of them in details.

What You Need To Repair A Broken Desk Chair

You require the following materials:

• PP (Polypropylene) water pipe – suitable for the optimum chair height
• Small zip ties

You need the following tools:

• A regular/rubber head hammer – wrap it in close to avoid damaging the chair during repair
• A tape measure – to measure the length of the tube you need to cut
• A suitable cutting tool – for cutting the water pipe
• A key/socket/screwdriver – for removing the screws

How To Repair The Chair Using Pvc Pipe

The 1st Step:

• Start by measuring the cylinder of your chair. This will give you an idea of the size of PP pipe you need.
• Ensure that you access the metal cylinder in order to get the right measurements. This may require that you remove the plastic skirt that covers the cylinder.
• Remember, you need to get this measurement while the chair is in the position of the height you desire
• It’s advisable that you get the circumference of the piston. You wouldn’t want investing in a PP pipe only to find out later that it’s too wide or too narrow!

Once you have the right measurements, you can now purchase the water pipe. The pipe should not be either bigger or smaller than the diameter of the cylinder. Remember, you’ll put it over the cylinder itself.

Don’t by the exact length of the pipe you need. Once you start the work, you may desire to do some adjustments. As such, it may become necessary that you cut your pipe further than you had initially planned to do.

Now, you are ready to begin the actual work of fixing your pc desk chair. To do so, just follow this simple procedure:

The 2nd Step:

• Ensure that you’re in the right protective gear. The pipe contains some harmful particles that are released when you cut it.
• Use your cutting tool to saw the PP pipe along its length. Ensure that you’ve secured it well as you do the cutting. This helps to avoid accidents as you work.
• Once, you are done, you should have a pipe with a long slit. The slit will run from top to bottom.

Once you accomplish the above procedure successfully, get ready to fit the PP pipe into the cylinder. Here’s how to go about this:

The 3rd Step:

• Expose the metal cylinder by adjusting the plastic skirt as is appropriate
• Place the slit side of the PP pipe against the cylinder
• Push the pipe so that it fits around the cylinder
• If the pipe is properly in place, it will hold the seat from sliding down when you sit on it

Now, as with all repairs, something may fail to work according to plan. If you discover that the chair is still too low after snapping in the PP pipe, you may have to make some adjustments. All you need is to raise the seat to the height you desire. On to the newly exposed part of the cylinder, snap another piece of pipe.

There, your chair is as good as new!

How To Repair a Desk Chair Using A Hose Clamp

This second option involves five simple steps that you can accomplish from the comfort of your home. Here we go!

Step 1: Expose the cylinder.

This entails removing its plastic skirt so that you can take the circumference of the cylinder. To achieve this, you can put the chair to lie on its back.

If the plastic skirt is still in the way, you may have to remove it all. Put the chair on its back; remove the wheels, and then the skirt. This should give you more room to operate.

Step 2: Adjust the chair height

Raise the chair to the height you desire. Now using this method gives fixed, permanent results. As such, you won’t be able to alter the height after repair.

This means that you need to get this step right. Ensure that the height you settle on is comfortable enough even when you’ll be sitting for long periods.

Step 3: Wrap the clamp around the cylinder

Loosen the hose clamp so that you can wrap it around the metal cylinder.

Step 4: Tighten the clamp

Ensure that the clamp fits well before you tighten. Once you are certain about its position, tighten it as much as you can around the cylinder. Remember, the tighter it is, the better will be the result. Then, clean the cylinder of any grease or dirt, then wrap it with duct tape.

Step 5: Ensure that the job is well done

If you tightened the clamp well, it will be strong enough to hold the seat in place. As I indicated earlier, the height you choose will be more or less permanent. To make further adjustments, you’ll have to re-do the entire procedure all over.

Final Words

To get the best results, be very keen on the instructions. If you are a fan of DIY projects, you can keep a handy kit nearby. This way, you won’t experience much hassle when you need to fix your sinking desk chair. This will help you conserve your environment (re-using resources). Also, it will enable you to continue using that office chair that you are fond of so much!

You might like also- Guide to How to Adjust an Office Chair