How to repair an office chair with your own hands?

Computer chairs have long outgrown their status as exclusively office furniture. Today they are increasingly being purchased for apartments and houses, which is explained by the versatility, ergonomics and durability of the design. But even such reliable products can experience breakdowns, the most common of which are malfunctions in the gas spring. To find out the degree of wear of this part, you will have to figure out how to remove the gas lift from an office chair to repair it or completely replace it. You can cope with the task without professional help, the main thing is to know the features, the operating principle of this mechanism and strictly follow the instructions presented in the article .

Required Tools

Most often, the crosspiece breaks in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe articulation of the beams. There is no point in gluing, welding or soldering the part, because the base bears the bulk of the load, and such repairs will not save the situation. It is advisable to replace the cross with a new part. To do this, you will need the simplest tools that any home craftsman has:

• flat screwdriver;
• hammer (mallet);
• circular punch (preferably);
• adjustable wrench (for gas lift repair);
• hex keys.

If the chair is used for a long period of time, then the gas lift sits quite firmly. A special lubricant for hard-to-remove fasteners will help make the repair process easier. If this is not available, it is recommended to use:

• vinegar essence;
• kerosene or VD40;
• soap solution.

Use any of the above products to lubricate the connection, wait about 10 minutes. If the crosspiece is made of plastic, and the repair is carried out in winter, the furniture can be taken outside to cool down. As a result, the part will shrink, this should help.

The gas lift mount is standard for all office chairs, so there is no need to worry about the compatibility of new parts.

Kerosene

Preparation of soap solution

Circular punch

A set of keys

Vinegar essence

WD-40

How to remove the cross with your own hands

How to remove a broken crosspiece from an office chair? To do this you will need special tools. But often they are not at hand, so a liquid for separating parts will come to the rescue. The connections can also be lubricated with kerosene, vinegar essence or soap solution. In order for the solution to penetrate the joints, you need to wait about 10 minutes.

Repairing the crosspiece of a computer chair consists of several stages. First, remove the broken part in such a way as not to damage the lifting device, which is located in the cross itself. This element has the shape of a cylinder, and at the top and bottom it is cone-shaped. You need to disconnect the crosspiece with a special hammer.

First, remove the support by getting rid of the screws. Using the support you can adjust the height of the chair. Remove the seat before replacing the support.

Repairs are carried out using a rubber hammer, but if necessary, you can use a steel one.

A homemade chair requires effort if the joints have high humidity. Be careful not to overdo it so the hammer won't bend the support. In order to remove the support, you need to do the following: the cross is turned over from top to bottom, and under it we see a lock washer. Repair of this element must be as careful as possible, since the washer holds the cartridge rod. Remove the washer and remove the rod from the cartridge. Inside we will see the bearing and oil seal. You can knock them out of the cross using a hammer. Remember to reassemble the cartridge in reverse order.

Now you know how to repair a damaged crosspiece. In order to remove it safely, you will need to be patient. If you act carelessly, you can damage not only the cartridge, but also the mechanism itself for lowering and raising the chair. To ensure the process goes smoothly, we recommend watching the training video. With the proper skills, you can remove the cross from a chair in the office in ten minutes, maximum half an hour, if you have all the necessary tools.

Procedure

A computer office chair is a complex structural product where each unit carries a heavy load. For those who do not know how to remove and how to replace the crosspiece on the chair, a master class is presented. Necessary:

1. Turn the product upside down. Install it so that the center of the cross is easily accessible and clearly visible from the master. It is most convenient to place the chair with its back on the floor or sitting on a high stool.
2. Remove the movable rollers. They are not fastened with special bolts, so they can be removed quite easily with simple force by vertically pushing them up.
3. Lubricate the joints of the parts with the prepared liquid, wait 5-10 minutes until it penetrates inside the complex components.
4. Remove the spring safety latch and remove the parts under the valve. Remember the sequence of installation of the rings in order to subsequently assemble the structure as accurately as possible. Set the details aside.
5. Knock out the gas lift with a simple, precise blow. To do this, use a drift with a hammer.
6. Remove the crosspiece with vigorous movement. To do this, the five-arm is pulled up while turning counterclockwise.

In the event of a gas lift failure, careful dismantling of the entire support may be necessary. A sign of a malfunctioning pneumatic cartridge is the absence of air in the cavity.

It is quite easy to remove the gas lift from the plastic base. If the cross is metal, the process will be more labor intensive and more penetrating fluid will be required. This is due to the fact that the parts of the chair are bonded to each other through the process of natural corrosion and shrinkage.

To complete the computer chair repair process, replace the broken elements with serviceable ones and reassemble in the reverse order. Necessary:

1. Fix the new part in the piaster socket and secure the plastic protective cover.
2. Place the beam support on the steel cylinder and secure the structure with a targeted blow of a rubber hammer.
3. Assemble the outer washer and latch in a strictly prescribed manner.
4. Install the movable wheels in the mounting location.

Even if your experience in repair is minimal, if you have all the necessary tools, the process of disassembly, replacement and assembly will take no more than half an hour. You must work carefully, especially if the cross is made of plastic. If anything is unclear, it’s worth watching a video on how to remove the crosspiece from an office chair.

At the end, you need to sit on a chair and check the quality of the assembly to ensure the serviceability of the new moving mechanism.

Stand on the crosspiece and, rocking the seat, pull it towards you until it, together with the swing mechanism, comes off the rod

Turn the chair upside down and, holding the crosspiece, strike with a hammer along the perimeter of the rod

Unscrew the mechanism from the seat, turn the structure upside down and knock the mechanism off the rod with a hammer

The perimeter of the gas lift, hitting which you can release the cross

What is the design

An office chair has long ceased to be part of the interior of an office exclusively. Thanks to the variety of models, which differ in appearance, design, ease of fit, and filling, the piece of furniture is used at home. It is comfortable to sit at a computer or at a desk, work, play, watch movies.

The computer chair consists of the following parts:

1. Back. It has an ergonomic shape and an angle of 90 degrees relative to the seat for better back support.
2. Seat. It can be soft, semi-soft, hard, depending on the filler - springs, foam rubber, wood, plastic. It is convenient when its front edge is semicircular.
3. Permanent. This is an element that connects the backrest and the seat, and also allows you to adjust the angle of inclination.
4. Armrests. Usually hard or with foam padding. They support the elbows, reducing the load on the spine.
5. Piastra. The mechanism by which the gas lift and the chair as a whole are controlled.
6. Cross. The lower part of the structure with rays, of which there are usually 5 pieces. Each beam ends with a roller.

The entire system is movable; you can turn and move the chair thanks to the casters without getting up. The seat is height adjustable. This is achieved through gas lift – perhaps the most important element. It is located between the cross and the seat in the area of ​​the chair leg. It is a hollow cylinder, inside of which there is a hydraulic spring filled with compressed air and two valves. By adjusting the air pressure, you can raise and lower the seat.

The gas pressure in the elevator, and, accordingly, the height of the chair, is adjusted by pressing the lever. If you press and release, the seat will rise, if you press and simultaneously press with your palm, it will lower.

In addition to adjusting the height, the gas lift allows the chair to rotate around its axis. It also acts as a shock absorber - it absorbs part of the load on the spine when a person sits down. Thanks to it, the chair is not hard, it is springy.

Advantages and features of Ikea hanging chairs, popular models

Chair design

Gas lift device

Precautionary measures

Repairing the product must be as careful as possible, because some expensive parts are protected by a thick layer of lubricant. Replacing the crosspiece on an office chair while observing safety precautions will help the technician significantly reduce repair time. Basic recommendations:

1. It is worth putting on fabric gloves with rubber coating on your hands and a protective mask on your face.
2. The surface of the floor or table where repairs will be carried out must be covered with old newspaper or oilcloth.
3. It is important to fix broken furniture firmly so that it does not wobble during repairs. A child or a fragile girl can even become an assistant.
4. Knock out the steel bearing as carefully as possible so as not to damage its complex structure.
5. It is safer to remove the crosspiece from the chair using a rubber or wooden hammer. The vapors of the penetrating liquid are quite dangerous to human health. If it is used, the room must be ventilated for 20-30 minutes.

Sudden inaccurate actions can damage not only the cartridge, but also the mechanism for raising and lowering the chair!

In order for the chair to last as long as possible after changing parts, it must be looked after regularly. It is important to check the tightness of connections every six months, inspect bolts and nuts. It is imperative to take into account the maximum load of the furniture, and do not sit on it suddenly to avoid breaking its elements.

When purchasing a chair, experts recommend initially choosing options with a wooden or chrome cross.

To summarize, we can say that removing the cross from a computer office chair is quite simple. To carry out the work, you only need a skilled man and simple available tools. Self-repair will not take much time, but will help extend the life of the product and avoid large expenses on new furniture.

In what cases is replacement necessary?

Since this is the most important element, you should not neglect the timely (in case of breakdown) replacement of the gas lift in an office chair. Such furniture is designed to last a long time, but problems do occur. The most common faults are:

• the seat does not stay in the desired position and falls spontaneously;
• the lifting mechanism does not react in any way to pressing the lever;
• the chair is fixed in the desired position, but falls down when you sit on it;
• the skew of the furniture in one direction is noticeable to the naked eye;
• The seat is loose and wobbles in different directions.

Most often, the gas lift breaks due to improper use of the chair. For this reason, the following actions are prohibited:

1. Creating an advantage. It occurs if you sit on one side. The correct position is in the middle.
2. Landing for two. The weight that this furniture can withstand does not exceed 120 kg.
3. Jumping from a running start or from a jump. Children especially love to do this. A sudden load damages the mechanism.

Characteristic features of relaxation chairs, types of products

In addition, timely maintenance of office chairs should not be neglected. It is recommended to lubricate the functional parts of the mechanism regularly. The timing is indicated in the instructions for the chair.

Using a piece of furniture for entertainment - spinning like on a carousel, riding around the room - is not forbidden. However, you should not abuse this. The main purpose of furniture is not play at all. This should be explained to children, teaching them to be careful.