how to fix sinking office chair

How to Fix your Sinking Office Chair

Have you spent hundreds of bucks to get the office chair that may help increase your productivity at work? Are you worried you wasted your money on a chair as it started sinking after a short time? Are you wondering how to fix your sinking office chair? Or are you thinking of throwing out this one and buy yourself a new chair?

Well, you are not alone. Most people spend long hours working at a desk. To get the maximum out of any work they do at their desk, they need to get the best chair that is ergonomic and comfortable. For this very reason, they spend lots of money on office chairs. But with time, their office chair starts sinking every time they sit on them, losing their productivity at work. And they get worried about how to get their office chair fixed?

But don't worry. You do not have to throw away your chairs. While you can get your chairs replaced, it can be expensive. There are some easy and cheap ways to help you fix your sinking office chairs. But before checking them out first, let us know the types of office chairs.

Contents

Hydraulic and Pneumatic Chairs
What Makes your Office Chair Sink?
How To Fix Your Sinking Office Chair?
- 1. Hose Clamp Method:
- 2. PVC Pipe Method:
- 3. Replacing The Cylinder:
- 4. Readymade Kits:
- Conclusion

Hydraulic and Pneumatic Chairs

Before we jump to the remedy to the sinking chairs, we need to understand the how office chair works. An office chair comprises a seat, a cylinder, and a base. The cylinder connects the seat to the base of the chair. Moreover, it is responsible for adjusting the height of the chair by two technologies- hydraulic and pneumatic.

Hydraulic Chairs:

The hydraulic chair uses compressible liquids to lift heavy loads. As it generates more power, it is most commonly used in factories. The components of a hydraulic chair are:

Two hollow chambers to contain, compressible liquid in one chamber, and pressurized gas in another.
A hollow conduit that connects both chambers
A lever to adjust the height of the chair

Pneumatic Chairs:

A pneumatic chair uses compressible gases to lift the weight. They are mostly used in office chairs. The components of a pneumatic chair are:

A padded back support
A lever to adjust the height of the chair
A gas cylinder containing compressed air.

What Makes your Office Chair Sink?

As we discussed earlier, most office chairs work on a pneumatic mechanism. It has a cylinder that contains a spring filled with a compressible gas. When you move the cylinder further in, it causes the air inside the chambers to compress, allowing the seat to move up.

With time, this chamber can be faulty and worn out, depending on its daily use. If your chair starts sinking, it means the cylinder is not working and worn out. And you may need to get your cylinder repaired to fix your sinking chair. Or maybe your cylinder is fine, but it is not moving up and down easily due to friction.

Oil The Components:

Before you try other methods to fix your sinking chair, always check if your chair is causing any friction while adjusting it. If you feel any friction, it means your chair needs lubrication. You can oil the components of your chair to see if it is moving up and down smoothly. If the friction is removed, most likely your problem is also solved.

How To Fix Your Sinking Office Chair?

Now we know what causes our chair to sink. It is time to fix our sinking office chair. Following are the ways with which you can fix your office chair without costing an arm and leg.

Hose Clamp Method
PVC Pipe Method
Replacing the Cylinder
Readymade kits

1. Hose Clamp Method:

One of the ways to fix the sinking chair is to use a jubilee clamp with some duct tape.

THINGS TO WILL NEED:

Jubilee clamp
Duct tape
Screwdriver

Access To The Metallic Cylinder:

Most chairs have cylinders protected with a plastic tube. Remove it by sliding up or down to get access to the cylinder.

Adjust The Height Of The Cylinder:

As you won't be able to adjust the height after you fix your office chair with this method, make sure to get the right height. Adjust the height so that your knees are at a 90-degree angle with your feet flat when sitting.

Wrap The Clamp:

Loosen up the jubilee clamp and wrap it around the cylinder but do not tighten it just yet. To give a tight grip to the clamp to hold the clamp, wrap the uppermost part of the cylinder with duct tape. It will ensure a firm grip for the clamp to prevent the chair from sinking.

Tighten The Clamp With A Screw:

Once you place your clamp in the right position, double-check the height of the chair. Now tighten the clamp by rotating the screw with a screwdriver.

Test The Chair:

Hopefully, the chair is fixed with this method. Though you won't be able to slide your chair up and down, it will prevent it from sinking.

But if the chair is at the wrong height, move the chair height or lower according to your requirements. And if it is still sinking, you might need to add a rubber under the clamp or more duct tape. Or you can do the PVC method described below.

2. PVC Pipe Method:

Another method to fix a sinking chair is to use a PVC pipe whose size is slightly larger than the cylinder.

THINGS YOU WILL NEED:

PVC pipes
Measuring tape/ruler
Saw or any other cutting device
A bench vise

Measure The Cylinder:

A plastic tube covers the metallic cylinder of your office chair. Remove it to access the cylinder. Now measure the diameter and length of the cylinder. You do not need to exact measurements.

To roughly estimate the diameter, place the ruler horizontally. It will give you its diameter. And to get the length of the chair, measure it vertically after adjusting its height according to your preference.

Use PVC Pipe:

Get a PVC pipe to cover the cylinder of the chair. Your pipe should be the same size as the diameter or slightly larger. The pipe needs to cover the cylinder from the wheelbase to the seat. Make sure you get enough size, according to your preferred height, to fix your sinking chair.

Cut PVC Pipe:

Before you cut the PVC pipe, take care of two things. Firstly, double-check the height to get the proper length. Secondly, always wear a protective mask when cutting a PVC pipe to prevent inhaling particles.

Now secure your PVC pipe with a bench vise. Use a saw to cut through the pipe from top to bottom but on one side. You want to get a PVC pipe with a slit in it.

Place PVC Pipe Onto The Cylinder:

After removing the plastic cover from the cylinder, place your slit pipe onto the cylinder and push it against the cylinder. It will help to snap the PVC pipe to the cylinder.

You do not need one long piece. If it is difficult to snap one large piece of the pipe, you can try small pieces and snap them on.

Test The Chair:

When you get the required height by snapping the pipe onto the cylinder, it should hold the chair perfectly. And it will prevent it from the future sinking of your chair.

3. Replacing The Cylinder:

The PVC method and the hose methods are temporary methods to fix the sinking of the office chair. When you use these methods, they do not allow more adjustments. Nor they look professional or pleasing to the eye. Therefore, if the cause of the sinking of your office chair is a worn-out pneumatic cylinder, you can replace them.

Almost all the chairs are built on the same anatomy. And you can find the spare parts easily in the market. However, we advise you to get it done by a professional. Replacing a pneumatic cylinder is simple but removing it is risky and tedious. As the pneumatic cylinder gas contains compressed gases, you can hurt yourself in the process. So it is advisable to take your chair to the professional and get it done.

4. Readymade Kits:

If you are not comfortable using any of the above methods, get readymade kits from the market to fix your sinking chair. These kits are c-shaped spacers.

Secure The Position Of The Chair:

Raise your chair to the desired position at knee level when standing. And when you sit on the chair, your knees should be perpendicular with your feet lie flat on the ground.

Attaching The Spacers To The Cylinder:

Attach the spacers to the cylinder of your chair to fix it. Do it one at a time until they fully hold the chair and prevent it from further sinking.

Test Your Chair:

Once you attach the spacers, check the chair by sitting on it. If it is not at the required height, correct it before fixing it permanently.

Bonding The Spacers:

Once you are satisfied with the adjustment, finish it by bonding the spacers to the cylinder permanently.

Conclusion

We have discussed the cheap and fast methods in detail, so you don't face any problem while fixing your sinking office chair.

Always remember to check if your chair needs oiling or cleaning only. If it is not the case, try these methods to fix your chair and get comfortable and relaxed while working. The hose and PVC methods can be done easily by yourself, but if it still needs replacing, take the chair to the professional.