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A sinking office chair can be frustrating because when you find that your office chair is sinking, it may be when you feel uncomfortable, which will also affect your work efficiency. This common problem happens unexpectedly, and the office chair you are using becomes the source of trouble.
A comfortable office chair is one of the best investments you can make for yourself at work. An ergonomic office chair will help you relieve office chair butt and back pain. Find the right height for your office chair. If your office chair sinks, how can you fix it?
Facing this tricky problem, we need to know how to fix it. Next, this blog will tell you in detail how to fix a sinking office chair.
Key Takeaways:
The taper of the gas lift and the tray connection does not match, or the connection is worn after long-term use. You need to replace the gas lift and tray with matching tapers (replacing one of them can solve the problem)
If the chair cannot be raised or lowered after just receiving it, it may be that the gas lift and the tray are not fixed in the correct position. You can disassemble them and put them together again
The gas lift leaks, which is manifested as the chair slowly descending within a day after using it for a period of time. You can replace the gas lift to solve it.
What Causes Office Chairs to Keep Sinking?
Office chair sinking is usually caused by a problem with its cylinder, which manifests itself as the chair slowly sinking over a day after a period of use. The cylinder is a key component responsible for adjusting the height of the office chair, because the cylinder contains compressed air, which can be used to raise or lower the seat through the adjustment rod.
Even the most expensive chairs can experience sinking. Next, let's find out why they sink:
1. Generally, wear and tear is a common culprit for an office chair sinking over time. The cylinder worn, or the connection between the cylinder and the tray is worn, causing the cylinder's sealing performance to decrease and the air pressure to slowly decrease. As a result, the chair can no longer maintain its height and begins to gradually sink.
When a chair is often subjected to more than its designed weight and capacity, it will wear and tear, accelerating the damage to the cylinder. Sudden forceful movements or strong knocks can also damage the cylinder over time.
2. Another reason for the sinking of an office chair may be a malfunction in the adjustment mechanism. The taper of the connection between the cylinder and the tray does not match, and the gas rod and tray need to be replaced with a matching taper.
3. If you have just received the chair and it cannot be raised or lowered, it is possible that the gas rod and tray are not fixed in the correct position.
4. In some cases, external factors such as temperature changes can also affect the air pressure in the cylinder, although this is less common.
After understanding the height adjustment mechanism of the office chair, when you can identify these signs of wear and potential failures, it can help you identify simple problems, whether to replace the parts of the chair, or even whether it is impossible to modify, and whether to replace a new chair.
Next, we will explore the problem-solving techniques for these problems to ensure that your chair can be comfortable for you to sit in and your office chair can be at the correct ergonomic height.
Step-by-Step Guide to Fixing a Sinking Office Chair
1. Start With a Simple Inspection
Before we delve deeper into the solution to the sinking of office chairs, it is best to do some simple inspections and adjustments to the chair.
First, check whether the taper of the adjustment rod and the tray connection is mismatched? Or the connection is worn out after long-term use, which requires the replacement of the gas rod and tray with matching tapers.
Then check whether there is any visible damage on the outside of the cylinder? For example, whether there is rust or even scratches and dents, which indicate that the inside of the cylinder is damaged. Although these cannot be easily repaired, it will be quick to find a solution after you understand the cause.
Finally, the correct sitting habits will help you extend the life of the office chair and make you feel more comfortable.
These simple inspections, if it is a small problem, you can quickly solve it. If it is more complicated, you should also start to consider repair or replacement after the inspection.
2. Temporary Repair
After a simple inspection, if the problem is more complicated and cannot be repaired immediately, but it is urgently needed, then we can try a temporary repair:
Method 1: Clamp
The most common method is to use a clamp, wrap the clamp around the cylinder, make it at the desired height and tighten it. Although this can prevent the chair from sinking further, it will also prevent the chair from adjusting its height.
Method 2: PVC pipe
We need to first measure the length of the exposed part of the gas pressure rod when the office chair reaches the desired height, and cut a section of PVC pipe to the length of the exposed part of the cylinder. Then cut the pipe along the length and clamp it on the cylinder. The completed PVC pipe is like a support, supporting the height of the chair and preventing the chair from sinking further.
Method 3: Use thick rubber bands or tape
This is the simplest method, using thick rubber bands or tape to wrap it tightly around the cylinder to make it at the desired height. This method is not so beautiful, so it is only used in emergencies for temporary repairs.
These methods can only solve the urgent need temporarily, not permanently. In addition, these temporary fixes may affect the ergonomics of the chair. If you want a permanent fix, you can only replace the accessories or the chair itself.
3. When to Replace the Office Chair Gas Cylinder
The life of the gas cylinder is related to time and frequency of use. If your chair has been used for several years and is used frequently, or the chair has been hit by heavy objects and now the chair is sinking, we need to check the gas cylinder first.
Case 1: When you start to adjust the office chair because it is sinking, do you hear any sound in the gas cylinder area? Any popping or hissing sound may indicate that the gas cylinder is damaged or leaking.
Case 2: When you adjust the chair to rise or fall, the transition of the office chair is not smooth, it will rise or fall suddenly, and even get stuck. Then this may also be the cause of the cylinder. Check the degree of wear of the cylinder carefully.
Case 3: If simple treatment and temporary repair cannot solve the problem, your chair continues to fall when trying to lower it to a fixed height. At this time, the sealing of the gas cylinder of the office chair may have been damaged and can no longer maintain pressure.
When these situations are very obvious, you can consider replacing the cylinder to increase the life of your office chair.
4. Choosing the Right Gas Cylinder Replacement Parts
When you want to replace the cylinder and choose a new one, in order to make your office chair flexible and have a long service life. Please note that you need to find the right cylinder model and size for your office chair.
The specific data of the cylinder model and size can usually be found in the user manual that comes with the purchased office chair package. If for some reason your office chair user manual is lost, at this time we need to measure the current cylinder in use to ensure that the new cylinder you are about to choose can meet these specifications.
When we consider buying a new cylinder, please choose a reputable manufacturer with a good reputation, not just look at the price. Although the budget is limited, investing in high-quality parts will make your office chair better.
After the product arrives, please check the load-bearing capacity of the cylinder. Choose a cylinder that can support your weight to prevent office chair fatigue and safe use.
If you really don’t know what cylinder to choose, remember to contact a professional or your office chair manufacturer, who will give the most professional guidance based on your situation.
Solving the problem of chair sinking by replacing the cylinder is the most convenient way. Replace the right components to extend the life of your office chair.
5. Contact the Vendor
If your chair is under warranty and you find that it continues to sink, you may wish to contact the vendor from whom you purchased the chair to inquire about the situation and check which warranty terms apply to you.
To use this process, first find your purchase receipt. You can then find the warranty document for the chair in the paper document that came with your chair, in your email, or on the vendor's website. Having this information ready will help you communicate with the vendor and let them know about your situation as soon as possible.
Please describe the problem you may encounter as clearly as possible in your email, and emphasize the current dilemma. The time period when the chair sinks, is it when sitting down? Or when adjusting the position of the chair?
Don't forget to ask about the warranty coverage of the chair. Check carefully and ask if the chair sinking is covered by the warranty. The vendor will guide you to understand the warranty terms and conditions based on your situation and clarify the steps to solve this problem. They may ask you to provide more information and photos to evaluate the situation, but try to cooperate in order to solve this problem as soon as possible.
If your warranty covers the sinking of the chair, please use the warranty service you should.
How Can We Ensure the Life of the Office Chair?
Boulies Chair chairs are all quality-assured gas cylinders, and the Boulies Class-4 gas lift has safety certifications such as BIFM (certified by SGS) and provides excellent stability and support. This ensures the quality of the office chairs and gives you peace of mind in the event of any defects or problems.
We use the highest quality materials for every component of our office chairs:
- 100% Cold-cure foam
- XL PU casters
- Full-length backrest recline
- Aluminum base
- Class 4 (Top Class)
- Extra Strong Steel Frame
We are committed to providing high-quality office chairs, from Strong Steel Frame to 100% Cold-cure foam to reliable mechanisms to ensure that Boulies chairs are durable and maintain their function and shape for a long time. Our quality reduces the probability of common problems such as office chairs sinking, but if a problem occurs, please contact us as soon as possible.
Summary
For the problem of office chair sinking, we need a lot of patience. Whether it is using temporary repairs or replacing the cylinder, this problem can be solved. We will provide you with a series of methods that can be used to restore the function of your office chair.
In addition, regular maintenance is also the key to extending the service life of office chairs and preventing sinking. Regularly checking and tightening components and paying attention to wear will help you maintain the chair. A good office chair can help you have good comfort and work efficiency when working.
Doing so will not only restore the function of the chair, but also ensure its safe and reliable use.
