How to repair an office chair
Is your working from home setup suffering from an overuse injury? Here’s how to fix that faulty chair and get back in the hot seat
Learning how to repair an office chair probably isn’t a job you ever imagined you would have to do, but with more and more people working from home, it’s fast becoming an essential skill. Chances are, the time you spend in your office chair has risen dramatically in the past few years, which means the chances of it developing a fault have also gone up.
Even the best office chairs are at risk of a faulty gas lift or a missing castor, so instead of shelling out for a replacement, why not attempt to put it right? That way, you can sit back in full confidence that you aren’t suddenly going to disappear from view at your next Zoom meeting.
In this guide, we’ll cover the basic steps you need to take to rectify some of the most common issues with office chairs. So whether you’re trying to fix an annoying squeak, or looking for a way to address an unwieldy wobble, here’s what you need to know.
How to fix a squeaky office chair
A squeaky office chair is the last thing you want when you’re on video calls all day. It might not be a structural problem, but it can certainly become annoying.
The good news is that it’s usually a very easy fix. Simply locate the source of the squeaking and apply some oil to the area to get the offending parts moving smoothly once again. If it ever starts up again, simply repeat the process to eliminate the squeak.
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How to fix a wobbly office chair
There are a number of reasons that an office chair could be wobbling, the simplest of which is uneven ground. So, first and foremost, check that the surface on which your office chair is sitting is firm and level.
If all is well and good in that regard, you’ll need to look at the chair itself. Chances are that the culprit is a loose bolt, so work your way around the chair and tighten up all the bolts one by one to ensure they’re all secure.
If this fails to correct the issue, then it’s time to speak to a local furniture repair company.
How to fix a sinking office chair
Lowering oneself on an office chair is one of life’s purest and simplest pleasures, but the mechanism responsible for the fun is often one of the first to fail. The seals required to ensure the gas-powered lifts of chairs work properly can become defective over time. If this is the case, you’ll need to buy a new gas lift.
Thankfully, they can be bought relatively cheaply – and you can even install them yourself. Nevertheless, for full peace of mind, it might be best to have a professional replace it for you.
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How to fix an office chair castor
Most office chairs sit on a number of small wheels known as “castors”. They’re great for moving around your workspace without standing up, but they can break over time.
One common reason that a castor might break is that something has become lodged, which is stopping the castor from spinning. As such, your first job will be to inspect the problem castor to ensure no debris has become stuck inside.
If this doesn’t solve the issue then you’ll need to replace the castor. You’ll be pleased to learn that office chair castors are both cheap and easy to replace. They’re pretty universal, too, so no matter the brand of office chair you have, you should be able to find a replacement on Amazon for next to nothing. Simply pop out the old unit and replace it with the new one.