Office Chair Won’t Stay Up? How to Fix a Sinking Office Chair
You set up the height of your office chair again for the fourth time, certain you’ve adjusted it correctly. Then you go to sit down, and you feel the chair sink several inches. What is happening? How do you fix a sinking office chair?
Here’s how to stop your office chair from sinking:
- Buy a new cylinder
- Reinforce the cylinder with PVC pipe
- Add a hose clamp
- Screw the chair into place
- Upgrade your office chair
I’m sure you’re more than tired of your office chair sinking whenever you use it. It’s next to impossible to get work done when you feel like your seat is well below your desk. This guide will first explain why your chair keeps sinking. Then I’ll present the solutions from the intro, so keep reading!
Why Won’t My Office Chair Stay Up?
All office chairs feature a cylinder. The cylinder is attached to the seat base and freely moves your chair up and down when you adjust it via the included lever.
It’s technically the nitrogen gas in the chair that moves the cylinder. Housing the nitrogen gas is gas springs, which pressurize the gas. The spring builds up energy thanks to the presence of the gas.
The longer you have your office chair and the more you use it, the more that the cylinder’s seal begins to wear down. This can lead to nitrogen gas leaks.
Now the cylinder can’t move as much as it did before. This causes a scenario like I described in the intro, where even though you can lift your chair to the desired height, it sinks as soon as you sit down.
Trying to adjust the cylinder while standing and then sitting down again will always lead to the same outcome. What you need to do is fix the cylinder directly, which is what I’m about to delve into now.
How to Fix a Sinking Office Chair – 5 Methods to Try
The following methods per the intro are technically considered modifying your chair. Thus, if your office chair is still actively covered under warranty, you might want to rethink some of the tactics I’m going to describe to you in this section.
Following through with them can void your warranty. If something else goes wrong with your chair down the line, you’d be obligated to pay for the repairs (or replacement) yourself.
For those whose office chair warranty has already long since expired, then you’re free to try these methods as you see fit.
Buy a New Cylinder
The most obvious solution–and among the most effective in the long run–is to get rid of the bum cylinder and replace it with a new one.
This can be costlier than the other methods I’ll talk about, which is something to keep in mind.
Not all office chair cylinders are equal. This is something I’ve discussed on the blog in the past, but it’s been a while, so here’s a refresher.
You have to buy an office chair cylinder according to a certain set of criteria. If you don’t, then the cylinder might not fit your chair, or you won’t be able to raise or lower your chair to the parameters that are right for you.
First, you want to measure the height of your seat when you’re sitting in with your feet flat on the ground. Your thighs should be parallel to the ground and your knees should be precisely at 90 degrees.
You’ll need a second person with a measuring tape or a ruler to determine how much space is between the base of your kneecap and the floor.
You’ll also have to measure your exact height if you don’t already know it.
Most office chair cylinders are five inches, but depending on your height, you might need a cylinder that’s slightly smaller or larger.
Next, you have to replace the cylinder. That starts with removing the cylinder that’s already in your office chair.
I’d recommend a good rubber mallet and a sizable pipe wrench for the job.
Take your chair and put it on a table upside down. Wrap your pipe wrench around the cylinder, then rotate the wrench for only a quarter turn. The cylinder should immediately loosen.
Since your chair is already upside-down, the cylinder should come right out. If it doesn’t want to, you can knock the stubborn cylinder out of the chair with your rubber mallet.
Be sure to have cardboard, paper towels, or old dish towels on the floor. Remember, the cylinder is full of gas, so you don’t exactly want it leaking on your floor.
When your new cylinder arrives, you can install it a lot more easily than you removed the old one.
Take your office chair and position it so the base is right-side up. Insert the cylinder where the old one was. When it’s secure, position your chair upright and then try using the cylinder.
It should work like a charm!
Reinforce the Cylinder with PVC Pipe
Although a new office chair cylinder isn’t particularly expensive, you might not necessarily want to replace yours for your own reasons.
In that case, you can always reinforce the cylinder using some PVC pipe.
This method keeps the cylinder in a perpetually upright position so your chair no longer sinks when you sit in it.
You will have to be comfortable with the chair height you select, as you won’t be able to adjust it without taking the pipe out.
To use this method, you first need to measure the height of the chair cylinder, including its length and diameter.
Ideally, you should measure the cylinder not when it’s out of your chair, but when it’s in and your chair is extended to your preferred height.
Next, you need to purchase or obtain PVC pipe that’s at least as long as the cylinder’s diameter. The diameter of the PVC can somewhat exceed the diameter of the cylinder, but don’t surpass 1.5 inches in diameter.
Otherwise, the whole thing might be too big to go back into your office chair.
You don’t necessarily need a single piece of PVC pipe. Several pieces work just as well.
Plus, you can take out pieces to customize the height of your chair. You can’t do the same with one piece of PVC.
If you find or buy a piece of PVC that’s larger than what’s required, you’ll need to cut it down to size. I’d suggest a hacksaw, but only if you’re comfortable with metalworking.
You’d have to secure the PVC pipe with a vise so it doesn’t move the moment you begin cutting it with the saw.
Once you have a piece (or several pieces) of PVC that fit your cylinder, slot them into place. Now use your chair. Are you sinking anymore? You shouldn’t be!
Add a Hose Clamp
In the same vein as using PVC pipe for your office chair’s cylinder is to install a hose clamp.
Hose clamps, which are also referred to as hose locks or hose clips, can secure around the cylinder. Then you tighten the clamp so the cylinder can’t slide out of place.
If you’re interested in this method, then you want to begin as you did with the PVC pipe. That is, raise your office chair to its preferred height.
Then take the plastic skirt off the cylinder.
This will entail you flipping the chair upside down. Apply pressure on the chair’s retaining clip, which is nearer the base. Don’t use your hands for this, but rather, a screwdriver.
You’ll have to detach your chair’s wheels before you can get to the skirt. Be sure to reattach the wheels, but leave the plastic skirt off for now.
You’ll need a hose clamp that’s at least ¾ inches if yours is a standard-sized cylinder. You can order a hose clamp online or buy one at a hardware store.
The hose clamp will have a screw. Unwind that screw now so you can tug the belt end out. This will allow you to secure the hose clamp around the office chair cylinder.
Leave the clamp loose around the cylinder right this moment. Wrap duct tape around the cylinder to help it stay secure. Then lift the hose clamp to the highest point of the cylinder.
Rotate the clamp’s screw that you loosened before, which will begin to tighten the hose clamp. Reattach the plastic skirt if you want.
Now all that’s left to do is try your chair. It shouldn’t sink down, but keep in mind that you can’t manually adjust the chair with the duct tape and hose clamp present.
Screw the Chair Into Place
If you have some screws and a power drill, then you can tighten up your office chair cylinder and skip the PVC pipe and hose clamp.
First, raise your chair to your desired height. Turn your chair so you can access the underside with a power drill.
Find the center of the shaft nearest the chair base. The drill bit you use should match the screw size of the office chair. Make a hole.
The screw should be able to fit perfectly into the hole you drilled. Turn the screw with a screwdriver so it’s as tight as it can be, but don’t strip it.
As you have before, go and sit in your office chair. It should stay upright, and there’s no need to tinker directly with the cylinder in this case.
Upgrade Your Office Chair
I mentioned before that you don’t have to replace your office chair just because it’s sinking. However, you have to put it into perspective.
If your chair is older and is having other problems besides the sinking, then you’re better off treating yourself to a new chair.
Using a chair that no longer suits you and is uncomfortable can create a slew of negative consequences.
You’re likelier to experience body pain, especially across your upper half in the shoulders, neck, and/or back.
Your chair might not be properly supporting your posture. Without proper posture, you’re likelier to experience jaw pain, increased headaches, nerve constriction, and reduced circulation.
According to health resource BackFit Health & Spine, your lung function lessens in the wrong type of chair.
Your digestion is even impacted. It could take you longer to digest that power breakfast you had this morning or the lunch out with your colleagues.
If you’re worried about the cost of a new office chair, I’ve reviewed many, many different models available at a variety of price points.
Whether your budget is under $100 or well over $1,000, there’s an office chair for you!
Conclusion
When your office chair won’t stay up, using the chair becomes very frustrating. A sinking office chair is often caused by issues with the cylinder, which loses gas over time and can’t support the position you want to stay in.
The methods I outlined today will fix your office chair sinking problem. Whether you tinker with PVC pipes and hose clamps or you decide to replace either the faulty cylinder or the entire office chair, you don’t have to deal with a sinking chair anymore!
