How To Fix A Sinking Office Chair

An institute spends a lot of investment on office furniture, making sure that the workers get comfortable and supportable chairs. Office chairs are ergonomic in nature which are best suitable for the officers who work for long hours. No matter how much you spend on the chairs, some won’t work up and sink.

Are you the one who is facing the same problem of a sunk chair? Then you are in the right place because here we will tell you about different methods of how to fix a sinking office chair. The sinking of the chair does not mean that the whole chair has defaulted. 

Working for hours can let a chair sink a bit, but by using some techniques, one can fix it. If you are thinking of throwing the chair and buying another one for you, then stop! Instead of throwing it, you need to learn how to fix it. You need to avoid spending a lot of money while trying to fix the same chair on your own.

There are different ways and methods that one can learn of fixing a sinking chair. Once you have learned them, you can repair your office chair easily and work again in a comfortable manner. Sinking the chair does not destroy the chair as a whole, but you just need to fix it for normal usage.

Here are some methods to repair the sinking chair by saving your money on buying a new one. A sinking chair can decrease your production of work. So instead of wasting time, one can simply fix it and increase its productivity at work. 

Why Do Office Chairs Sink?

A sinking office chair doesn’t every time mean the entire chair is faulty. The reason for why this happens begins with an office chair cylinder–the part that connects base to seat as well as what allows us to adjust our seating position upwards or downwards depending on preference/need at any given point during workday (or other times).

Inside the cylindrical device is nitrogen gas; so anytime we operate its attached mechanism via pulling down levers, say by leaning forward slightly while seated towards the desktop.

Office chairs are designed to lift up when you pull the lever. But over time, this function weakens due to a loss of Nitrogen gas inside it which has low pressure in one chamber and high pressure in another.

Also Read: How To Fix A Wobbly Office Chair

How to Fix A Sinking Chair ( A Step By Step Guide)

Fixing a sinking chair is not that tricky and difficult. Once you get to know the proper method of fixing, you can easily repair it. Sitting on a chair for almost the whole day might sink your working chair. Here are some easy and simple ways of fixing a sinking office chair. 

Method 1 – By Using a Hose Clamp

The first method of fixing a sinking office chair is through the hose clamp. A hose clamp is basically a device that stabilizes and holds the chair. One can fix the chair by using a hose clamp in a stepwise manner. Following are the steps to follow while fixing a chair.

1. Slide the Plastic Covering

You might have noticed that most of the office chairs have a plastic covering over the metallic surfaces. You need to slide the plastic covering from the flexible cylinder. Slide the plastic skirt in a way that you see the metallic cylinder under it.

The metallic cylinder basically joins the wheels of the chair and provides full support. This extendible cylinder is covered with plastic that needs to be removed by sliding it up and down. As the cylinder is visible now, you can fix it by adjusting its height.

2. Favorable Height

After the metal cylinder is visible, the next step is to adjust the height of the chair accordingly. At this stage, you have to adjust the height very carefully as, after that, you cannot do it again. The best way to adjust the height is that it should be at your knees level while you are standing. 

If the plastic is covering the metallic cylinder at the height you want to fix, then it will be difficult for you to repair. For that, you need to remove the plastic first by turning the chair upside down. The screwdriver should be used for removing the clip. Then remove the wheels and the plastic skirt for fixing.

3. Wrapping a Hose Clamp

Now the 3rd step is to wrap a hose clamp around the metal cylinder for popper gripping and to tighten the sinking chair. The hose clamp (jubilee clip) should be about 2 cm, which is of high quality and provides the best results.

For pulling out the belt, you need to lose the screw on the hose clamp. After losing the screw, you have to wrap the clamp around the visible metallic cylinder. The wrapping of the clamp should not be done too tight for now. 

Also Check: How to Fix an Office Chair that Won’t Stay Up?

4. Improving Grip of the Clamp

After wrapping now, you have to grip the clamp as recommended. The gripping should be so proper and tight that it should lift the chair up. The clamp should be given some space so that you can grip a tape or a rubber around it properly.

The wrapping layers should be double or triple layers which will provide great support to the cylinder. The part of the cylinder which is more visible should be wrapped with multiple layers of rubber or tape. Before that, you need to clean the area of the cylinder if there is some dust on it.

5. Tight the Clamp

Now you need to tighten the clamp as much as you can do it. Also, move the hose clamp to the top side of the metallic cylinder for proper fixation.

For the best results, check that the height of the chair is according to your need. Tight the hose clamp by increasing the speed of rotation.

6. Testing

Once the process is completed, now you have to test the chair. The chair should not be sinking and sliding because of the fixation of the hose clamp. The height that you have adjusted might not be stable for that, you have to move the clamp for the proper adjustment.

If the chair slides down fastly, then you have to grip the clamp tight again. For proper gripping, you can slide the clamp over the strip, which is wrapped around the cylinder. Or you can also use the PVC pipe method for proper fixing of the chair.

Method 2 – PVC Pipe Method

The other method for fixing an office chair is the PVC method which is done by using a plastic pipe to avoid sinking.  By using this method, one can repair the sinking chair and reuse it again. Following are the steps that use this method for sinking chairs.

1. Measuring the Chair Cylinder

First, you have to measure the chair cylinder by pulling down the plastic cover of the metallic cylinder. After pulling down the cylinder, you have to measure the diameter of the cylinder by using a ruler or measuring tape in a horizontal manner. 

Also, you have to measure the adjustable height of the chair that you want. For precise measurement, you can calculate the diameter from its circumference. The circumference measurement will give you an accurate calculation.  

2. PVC Pipe

After measuring the circumference, you need to buy the pipe that fits the cylinder perfectly. The size of the PVC pipe should be the same or slightly larger than the circumference. Usually, a pipe with a diameter of 3.8 cm works best for most office chairs. 

The pipe should be straight to avoid sinking and providing the proper support to the chair. And also, the pipe should be of appropriate height. Cut the pipe according to the proper height of the chair but into pieces for good results.

3. Cutting of the Pipe

You can cut the piper in different ways but in a proper and secure manner. The hacksaw should be used for cutting the pipe, but it should be cut only through one side. There should be a slit in the pipe instead of two half-pipes. 

You should wear a mask while doing so because you might inhale the particles. The particles can enter the mouth, which can be dangerous for your health. You should have proper tools for cutting the pipe for effective results.

You may also be interested to read about What Does the Knob Under My Chair Do

4. Fixing the Pipe

Now you can fix the pipe into the visible metallic cylinder. The PVC pipe should be attached to the cylinder for holding the chair and avoids sinking. These pieces of the pipe provide support to the chair and repair it.

After snapping the slit side of the piper against the cylinder, it will prevent the sliding of the chair. You might face trouble in fixing the pipe because you need to cut the smaller pieces of it. Then after that, you have to snap those pieces of the pipe again for better results. 

5. Adjust Height of the Chair

For adjusting the proper height of the chair, you can add more PVC pipes. If you want to raise the height of the chair, you can add another pipe and set the height accordingly. While adding the piper, you should be very careful.

Also check How to Make An Office Chair Higher?

If you are adding the pipe for raising the height of the chair, then you should do it carefully.

Because you cannot lower it down again. For that, you need to remove the pipe again, which is quite tiring. You need to make sure while adding the pipe for proper height. 

Method 3 – Replace the Cylinder

Main Points: Costs ~$30, Permanent Solution, Adjustable Chair, Professional

We recommend replacing the cylinder because this is especially true if you have invested in a high budget office chair, such as an office massage chair. It’s also permanent and very professional looking. As mentioned previously, the hose clamp and spacer options are temporary, only allow sitting at one single height, which isn’t desirable for most people.

Replacing a chair cylinder is easy and has your office chair feeling like new for another 6+ years.

It’s actually standard industry size, so most of the parts (chair cylinders, bases, caster wheels) are easily replaced on desk chairs. As long as you have an appropriate sized replacement part from us or elsewhere online / locally at Home Depot etc., it will fit 95% of computer chairs! If your office swivel keeps sinking constantly into that one spot then this simple fix should work perfectly!

 

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FAQs

Can you fix a sinking office chair?

Yes, you can fix a sinking chair by using different methods and repair it for further use. You can wrap a tape around a cylindrical pipe, or you can fix a hose clamp to fix the sinking chair easily. 

Why is my chair sinking?

The sinking of the chair means that the chair cylinder is not working in a proper manner. You need to fix that because it causes your chair to sink. 

How do you fix an office chair that won’t stay up?

If the office chair is sinking, you need to fix it instead of buying a new one. You can use a PVC pipe method to fix your chair, or you can attach a clamp and tighten the hose for proper gripping. 

Conclusion (How to fix a Sinking Office Chair)

Repairing the chair is more simple than buying a new chair. Sinking chairs can be fixed and repaired again by using different methods. Now you don’t need to worry if your chair is sinking. You can replace the whole cylinder, use the hose clamp and PVC pipe method and repair your chair easily.