The Toilet Riser Has to Match the Bowl: Decide Whether to Fit It Yourself or Hire the Job

A raised toilet seat looks like a simple swap. The fit is where the job goes wrong. Before you decide who installs it, measure the bowl and check the fixing points.

Local option: New Plan Care gives families in the St. Louis area in-home help so a parent can stay home: companionship, help with bathing and dressing, meals, and overnight care. Call (314) 405-0887.

Match the bowl first

Measure the bowl from the back wall to the front edge, and note whether the bowl is round or elongated. A riser that fits a round bowl can sit loose on an elongated one. Check the bowl shape listed by the manufacturer against your measurement before you buy or open anything.

Check the locks and the rocking

Once the riser is set, sit on it with the lock engaged and push gently from side to side. If it moves, the clips are not seated or the feet are not level. Do not use it until the movement is gone. Confirm the frame is locked before anyone sits, and check again after the first few uses, since a loose clip is easy to miss.

Decide the job in three questions

Ask yourself: Do I have the tools the instructions list? Can I reach behind the bowl and under the rim without straining? Is someone else able to check the fit with me? If the answer to any of these is no, plan on hiring the install or asking a family member with the tools to help.

If you hire it out

Ask what the install includes. Ask whether the old seat is removed and taken away, whether the fit is tested with someone sitting on it, and whether the company will come back if the riser shifts. Get the answers in writing. Ask your city or county building office whether any permit applies to bathroom work at your address, since the rules can differ from one place to the next.

If you do it yourself

Read the manufacturer's steps once all the way through before you open the box. Set the frame, tighten the fixing points by hand, then use the tool the instructions name. Test the fit before the first use and again at the end of the day. Keep the instruction sheet in a bathroom drawer so the next person can find it.

For more on who in the area does home work after a discharge, see Local Help After a Discharge.