One of the plastic hinges of my toilet seat broke yesterday, so I looked for a new one on Amazon. Many of them have a “slow close” feature. This one for example:

www.amazon.com/dp/B076KW4YSM/r..._api_i_DdQ2DbZM08TQ6

What is the mechanism for that “slow close” feature? I don’t think simple friction would be reliable, so I’m guessing pneumatic, even though I don’t see hardware for that. Are these “slow close” mechanisms reliable? If you have one, do you like it?

I'm pretty sure it IS friction, actually.

We have them on our handy-crappers and like them. Worked flawlessly for many years. Not sure HOW many years, but more than 10, could be as much as 20.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I'm pretty sure it IS friction, actually.
<snip>

If the mechanism is friction, then you feel the resistance when you raise the seat too?

We have them on two out of three, and will go the same route if the third one ever takes a crap, so to speak. Haven't priced them on Amazon, but ours came from Lowes. Keeps you from accidentally dropping it, which I suppose might even crack the toilet bowl in a worst case scenario.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
I'm pretty sure it IS friction, actually.
<snip>

If the mechanism is friction, then you feel the resistance when you raise the seat too?

Hadn't thought of that. Learned something from az4783054's post.

Hate when that happens...

When you have one you need more. Otherwise you slam the others and scare the crap out of everyone. They appear to work by a one way friction mechanism. Much more resistant when closing.

Don’t know what the mechanism is, but put one in after an old one dies and liked it so replaced the other two as well. They are great. The only thing is you get used to them so you have to be careful when go somewhere else that doesn’t have slow closers as the normal seats will get away from you if you are running on autopilot...

quote:

Originally posted by Oz_Shadow:
When you have one you need more. Otherwise you slam the others and scare the crap out of everyone. They appear to work by a one way friction mechanism. Much more resistant when closing.

Yep, nobody more than myself, for fear I’m going to break the bowl.

Thanks folks – you convinced me that I want the slow-close type. I just bought this one which also has an easy-to-remove feature, which make it easier to clean the toilet bowl rim:

MAYFAIR Sculptured Modern Geometric Toilet Seat will Slow Close and Never Loosen, ELONGATED, Durable Enameled Wood, White, 137SLOW 000

www.amazon.com/dp/B06XB2KT79/r..._api_i_9dS2Db1V9Q7P5

Kinda off topic but IMO open front seats are the way to go. I see some are available with slow close. That said, open front seats can be problems for the very heavy, inherently less strong.

The toilet cover is a very thin plastic which aids in it slowly lowering. But that means if you try to sit on the closed lid it will bend.

We bought ours to prevent “small” fingers from getting smashed....Once you have this style seat you really miss it when you go to someone’s house you do not know and they have the regular type....Mark

I like that easy to remove feature, much better than the plastic nuts. This will make it a pleasure to schiff...

We bought ours after listening to our five boys constantly dropping the seats, painful. Would never go back now.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
Thanks folks – you convinced me that I want the slow-close type. I just bought this one which also has an easy-to-remove feature, which make it easier to clean the toilet bowl rim:

MAYFAIR Sculptured Modern Geometric Toilet Seat will Slow Close and Never Loosen, ELONGATED, Durable Enameled Wood, White, 137SLOW 000

www.amazon.com/dp/B06XB2KT79/r..._api_i_9dS2Db1V9Q7P5

Hate to give you the bad news you just bought three or four new toilet seats... Once you get used to slow close ones you will slam all others and scare the shit out of yourself and others. Once you have one there is no going back.

"My" toilet his a sculpted large open front seat and no lid. I very seldom even raise it. Never heard of a "slow closing" one--they must be new.

flashguy

The hinge itself seems very small. I wouldn't think there's an air cylinder housed in there. I was under the impression it was a hinge pin with a highly viscous grease that causes the needed resistance to slow the fall.

Most of the slow close and soft opening features are based upon a friction material (usually felt) held under spring tension with a wedge based gearset that would allow for directional operation.

quote:

Originally posted by shiftyvtec:
The hinge itself seems very small. I wouldn't think there's an air cylinder housed in there. I was under the impression it was a hinge pin with a highly viscous grease that causes the needed resistance to slow the fall.

This is correct, not sure where that webpage got it's info from but it is completely wrong. Take apart a slow close hinge and it is full of very thick, but not quite sticky clear plumbers grease. I'm not sure if it's actually a type of plumbers grease, but it looks and feels very similar, however much thicker.