If your office chair keeps sinking, the straightforward solution to the problem is to replace that cylinder. There are alternatives, as well.
The best possible fix, in the long run, is to replace the pneumatic cylinder that controls the height of the office chair. Doing so will restore the capabilities of the chair to its fullest. However, it’s not as simple as it sounds. The cylinder is often welded to the chair, making it difficult to remove the old one. Also, the replacement parts are expensive.
If you have a premium office chair that you wish to see restored completely, replacing the cylinder might be a better option. Make sure that you order the right model, which would match your office chair.
What you’ll need To fix the Sinking Chair ?
The solution is rather simple. You’ll find most of the material at home. Even if you do visit the hardware store, it won’t cost more than a few dollars. Here’s what’s required for the project:
- Pipe cutter or saw
- Ruler
- Marker
- PVC pipe/ hose clamp
Steps To Follow For Fixing Your Sinking Office Chair
Once you’ve gathered all the equipment, it’s time to learn how to fix a sinking office chair. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Take measurements
- Pull down the plastic that’s covering the metal cylinder under the seat of your office chair.
- Once the metal cylinder is exposed, hold a ruler against it to measure the diameter. You won’t be able to take an accurate measurement this way, but an estimate will work too.
- Adjust the seat at the ideal position and measure the length of the cylinder at this position.
Step 2: Prepare a PVC pipe
- Next, you need a PVC pipe that matches the diameter of the cylinder. If it’s not already available at home, you will find it easily at any hardware store.
- Get a reasonable length so that you cut the required pieces using a pipe cutter.
- Now cut the pipe, horizontally, into equal-sized pieces using a pipe cutter. Multiple pieces are required. Shorter pieces will be better to work with, in the later steps.
- Cut a vertical slit in each of the pieces using a pipe cutter. Be careful not to cut the pieces in half. We want vertical slits where we can push the PVC piece onto the metal cylinder of the office chair.
Step 3: Installing the pipe
Once you have the PVC pieces ready, we need to install them onto the metal cylinder. Here’s how you need to do it:
- Pull down the plastic wrap of the metal cylinder.
- Push one of the PVC pieces onto the metal cylinder using the slit end.
- Set the chair to the desired height and snap some more pieces, until the height is achieved.
That’s how you solve the problem: the office chair keeps sinking. Hopefully, with the above fix, you won’t be having any more trouble with your office chair and will be able to use it comfortably.
Step 4: Adjusting the height
With the fix we just tried, adjusting the height is not as simple as it was before the problem with the pneumatic cylinder arose. Instead of adjusting the height with the lever, you’ll have to remove/add PVC pieces.
- If the office chair won’t stay up still, pull the chair up, and snap another PVC piece onto the metal cylinder under the seat.
- If you’ve accidentally raised the chair too high, you will need to pry off a piece or two. You’ll need a screwdriver to do so. Remove, one by one, just enough pieces to set the chair to the perfect height.
Alternative Solution If Office Chair Keeps Sinking - Use a hose clamp
Instead of using a PVC pipe, a hose clamp may also be used to fix the problem.
- If you’re using a hose clamp, you’ll need to remove the wheelbase of the chair. This can be done by pushing the retaining clip using a screwdriver.
- After removing the plastic skirt from the end where the wheels have come off, push the base back on.
- Wrap some duct tape around the cylinder. This will result in a tight fit once you have attached the hose clamp and will hold up the chair correctly.
- Push a 2 cm hose clamp around the metal cylinder and tighten it using a screwdriver. The chair will lock in position since the clamp will prevent the seat from sliding down.
- To adjust the height, you will need to adjust the position of the clamp on the cylinder. Set it a little higher if you want to position the chair higher. Fix the clamp lower if you want the chair to be positioned lower.
Conclusion
So if your office chair keeps sinking, the chances are good that the problem will be resolved after the above fix. The solution is simple and barely takes minutes, once you’ve gathered the equipment. You will also have noticed that no special tools are required for the process. You may only need to purchase a PVC pipe or a hose clamp from the hardware store, both of which are quite inexpensive.
Since you’ve learned how to fix the problem, it’s time to get to work. Fix your office chair so that you can work comfortably on it.
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