Anchor bolts are located on the lower side of the toilets and are responsible for fixing a seat with the flange area or to the ground. The spinning of anchor bolts causes wobbly toilets, leading to leakage from the bottom side and smells in bathrooms.
Why Are Toilet Anchor Bolts Spinning? Spinning of toilet anchor bolts is due to the corroded or broken ring, loose screws, rusted anchor bolts, incorrect hole size, mixing of moisture and dirt in these areas, and temperature changes.
It is necessary to fix the wobbly toilets because their parts can come apart, and you can fall from them. In addition, it is also challenging to remove the spinning bolts.
| Causes | Solutions |
| Corroded or broken ring | Replace the broken plastic r metal ring |
| Loose screws | Use nuts and T-head type bolts |
| Rusted anchor bolts | Coat the bolts with nail paint |
| Inaccurate hole size | Use screws of the correct size and drill holes according to their diameter |
| Mixing of moisture and dirt | Clean the screws and spray lubricant |
| Temperature changes | Use plastic or brass anchor bolts |
Corroded or broken ring
The flange or anchor bolts are located near the ground area of the toilets and help hold them firmly in their place and prevent their unusual movements.
The metal or plastic rings are present near the flange area of these fixtures to hold the screws. However, these rings can rust and break and eventually do not provide sufficient support to the screws.
The seats can move here and there when you sit on them because of spinning issues. In addition, the metal rings corrode easily when moisture from the bowl comes in contact with them.
The corroded rings can also break over time and cannot provide enough support to the flange screws. In addition, plastic rings can break because of their age and non-durable material.
Remove the toilets to inspect their lower areas and flange rings. The corroded metal and rubber rings appear blackish brown in color, and you can replace them with new ones.
Loose screws
Many people feel the right and left movement of the seats while using them. The unwanted movement comes because of their poor fixing and attachment.
Toilet anchor bolts cannot provide a grip to the toilet seats for their firm attachment to the ground surface. The issue comes when these screws become loose and cannot hold the attached parts correctly.
These become loose when you do not tighten or maintain them properly. Moreover, these can also become loose with their age, weight of people and their frequent use of bathrooms.
The issue also comes when people do not tighten them when they become slightly loose. You can face the problem when not installing the nuts on their upper surface.
You can prevent the bolts from spinning and loosening by using the T-head type screws. Furthermore, you can also install nuts at the end of screws to fasten them correctly.
Rusted anchor bolts
These toilet anchor bolts are mounted on the flange area that is close to the ground surface. The mounted location makes them more vulnerable to rust.
The oxygen and water come in contact with their surface, triggering the oxidation reaction. The corrosion can lead to the decaying of metals, and these cannot provide a firm grip on seats.
These can lose their strength and ability to adhere tightly to the toilet seats on the ground surface. Rusting issues come when toilets and showers are installed in the bathrooms.
The water splashes from showers can also come on nearby fixtures and increase the risk of their damage. You can face the problem that these are installed near the vanity and bathtubs.
Add these fixtures away from showers, bathtubs, and sinks so water cannot directly contact their surfaces. I prefer to coat them with nail paint because of their easy accessibility at home to seal the metal and prevent rusting.
Moreover, it is also better to use brass and stainless-steel type screws for these fixtures instead of metallic ones. You can also clean the corroded screws for reinstallation if they are not broken.
Use the vinegar or alcohol solution to remove the rust from their surface, and then install them again for a better grip.
Inaccurate hole size
The right size of holes in the toilet seats and anchor bolts is essential in their correct attachment. You can face the spinning issue because of mismatched hole size and incorrect size screws for their fastening.
Toilet anchor bolts’ size depends on the seats’ dimensions, weight, and design. You need the larger ones for heavy weight and larger fixtures, which can provide more grip and keep them in their place.
The smaller ones do not match perfectly with larger toilets, and these cannot hold them perfectly. However, you cannot use the larger screws for smaller fixtures because these cannot fit perfectly in the hole.
It is also necessary to drill the hole in the seats according to the size of the mounted screws. Careful use of a drilling machine is essential to make the correct size hole for their mounting.
The spinning issue comes when screws are larger, and these cannot fit in them properly. Moreover, the fitting becomes poor when drilling small holes for the larger bolts.
Measure their diameter and then drill the holes in the seats according to these dimensions. You can increase or decrease the hole diameter if you face an issue with their fastening.
Mixing of moisture and dirt
The mixing of moisture and debris cause the spinning of anchor bolts. You cannot stop moisture from entering these areas if toilets and showers are in the same bathroom.
Moisture comes in contact with flange bolts and mixes with the debris present there. Moisture and debris mixture works as the lubricant and allows unusual seat movement because of poor grip and friction.
These can move unevenly when there is more friction between the screws and the mounted surface. In addition, debris and dirt can accumulate over these areas when these fixtures age.
These are enclosed spaces, and you cannot clean them regularly. In addition, the dirt and debris from these spaces are hard to remove because you need special tools for their cleaning.
Moisture can also come in contact with these screws when you flush the toilets after every use. Remove the anchor screws and clean the debris from them and their mounted area.
You can spray them with sealant and high-quality lubricant to resolve the problem.
Temperature changes
Temperature changes cause toilet anchor bolts to spin because of their contraction and expansion. The metal-type screws are more susceptible to temperature fluctuations because they are sensitive to heat and cold.
The metal expands during exposure to mild heat and contracts during cold temperatures. As a result, the metal screws contract during winter, and their size decreases.
It cannot fit correctly into the holes of the toilet seats because of their reduced size. In addition, you can face the spinning issue because loose screws cannot hold the seats correctly.
It is better to use the screws of other materials instead of metals because of their thermal expansion and contraction properties.
You can fasten the nuts and washer according to temperature fluctuations. Moreover, it is better to use brass or plastic anchor bolts because these are less susceptible to temperature fluctuations.
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