Do-it-yourself gas lift replacement on an office chair

Design features

All computer chairs have the same design, regardless of make and model. Some parts of the product can be removed and replaced with new ones to repair damage. Experts recommend choosing furniture from domestic manufacturers so that there are no difficulties with the selection of spare parts. The structural elements of the computer chair are listed in the table.

To understand how to properly disassemble an office chair, you need to know which elements can be detached. Removable parts are armrests (on some models), rollers on the crosspiece and gas lift. The upholstery and filling can be changed for the seat and backrest, but this type of repair requires special equipment and is difficult to perform at home. The frame of the product can be monolithic or consisting of separate parts, fastened together by metal plates. In the second case, the components can be disconnected independently in the event of a malfunction.

Computer chair

Structural elements

Computer chair design

Replacing the crosspiece

This is what a metal crosspiece looks like with plastic covers on the bottom.

A separate case is the breakage of the crosspiece. Although this part is made from particularly durable materials, it cannot be damaged, especially if it is made of plastic.

Types of crosspieces: plastic, aluminum, metal with wooden pads

Fortunately, replacing this part with a new one is quite simple. You will need:

1. new crosspiece;
2. hammer;
3. pliers.

To replace, follow the instructions: turn the computer chair upside down, pull the wheels out of the mountings. Take pliers and knock out the gas lift in a circular motion, applying pinpoint blows along its edges.

To remove the plastic crosspiece from the gas lift, you need to hold on to the gas lift and tap the crosspiece from above around the attachment point with light hammer blows

After detaching the spider, fit the casters onto the new one and insert the second part of the chair into the hole. You don't have to worry about incompatibilities, as all office chairs have a standardized gas lift mount.

To knock out the gas lift from the cross, it is better to use a spacer of the appropriate size. to prevent blows to the central part of the gas lift

Thus, you can fix any office chair with your own efforts, without the costly purchase of a new chair.

Operating tips

An office chair, especially a renovated one, is a rather fragile and vulnerable structure. During operation, it is recommended to strictly adhere to the instructions. If you ignore the existing rules, the shelf life of the product will be significantly reduced. In order for the furniture in the office to serve for a long time, the following points must be borne in mind:

1. It is not recommended to use the chairs in a room with high air humidity.
2. If the furniture was brought into the office or apartment from frost, you cannot immediately start assembling, because fragile plastic parts are very sensitive to temperature extremes. It is better to start installation at least in a day.
3. Do not put pressure on the bolts during assembly, otherwise the nut may fall under the upholstery and you will have to dismantle the seat in search of the fastener.
4. Do not exceed the permissible load on the rollers and spider.

Do not sit on the chair alone, otherwise the base of the product may break. For employees with a large weight, it is recommended to choose chairs with a metal cross: it is stronger and more reliable than a plastic one. It is strictly forbidden to fall on the seat with a swing.

It should be remembered about the fragility of the armrests. In no case should you sit on them. Experts recommend tightening all fastening bolts once a quarter so that they do not loosen over time. You should not use the seat to transport heavy objects, this quickly deteriorates the upholstery and breaks down mechanisms. You cannot carry the chair on the floor if it is covered with tiles: when the rollers fall into the joints between its fragments, this leads to rapid wear.

In computer chairs, the fabric is quite vulnerable to external influences. The seat and backrest should be vacuumed weekly to prevent dust accumulation. In case of stubborn stains, use only the products recommended in the instructions for use. It is strictly forbidden to use folk methods.

In order for the chair to serve for a long time and not break, it is necessary to strictly observe the requirements for operation. If the warranty for a piece of furniture has already expired, you can do the simplest repairs yourself. The success of the repair depends on the severity of the breakdown, as well as the quality of the spare parts selected to repair the problem.

Operating rules

Types of office chairs

There are three types of chairs on the office furniture market today:

1. For the leader
   Such a piece of furniture usually has the maximum possibilities: a five-beam steel crosspiece; synchromechanism (a device that makes the seat and backrest repeat the movements of the owner); mechanisms for adjusting the backrest resistance, seat depth, negative tilt, etc.
2. For staff
   Furniture of this type has more modest characteristics and functionality. Most of the varieties are lightweight (providing high mobility), equipped with mechanisms for adjusting the height of the seat, armrests, backrest angle.
3. For visitors
   Office chairs of this modification are simply beautiful, stable and comfortable furniture, devoid of any functionality. Often they do not even have a rotation mechanism and are produced on four legs, instead of one supporting leg with a crosspiece on wheels.

Breakdown reasons

Computer chairs, if used correctly, serve for many years. In the event of a manufacturing defect of the gas spring, the furniture can be changed, especially if there is a guarantee for it. But replacing the gas lift, with your own hands or with the help of professionals, may also be necessary if the product is used incorrectly. The main causes of breakdowns:

1. Creation of an advantage. It is not recommended to sit on one side of the seat, you need to sit in the middle.
2. Irregular maintenance of furniture. It is recommended to lubricate the parts at the intervals specified in the instructions for use.
3. Frequent arrangement of two people in the same chair. The structure can support a weight not exceeding 120 kilograms.

It is not recommended to sit down from a jump or takeoff run, otherwise the gas spring is likely to break, as a result, you will have to change the gas lift on the office chair, which will entail additional financial costs.

The principle of gas lift operation

How to repair with your own hands?

Despite the complexity of the design of a computer chair, you can carry out a high-quality repair yourself at home. In order to repair a product, you need to have basic professional skills, as well as a standard set of tools.

To restore the integrity of the cross, you can use two repair methods.

The first method involves filling the voids of the cross with polypropylene pipes, followed by fixing them with glue or a soldering iron. This method is short-lived and is only suitable for emergency repairs.

Professional craftsmen recommend using the second repair method, which consists of the following steps:

• dismantling of rollers;
• removal of piastres;
• dismantling the retaining clip;
• dismantling of the gas lift.

If during operation the swinging mechanism has failed and the back is not kept in an upright position, then experts recommend replacing it completely. To dismantle the element, it is necessary to unscrew the fixing bolts or nuts, remove the gas lift and dismantle the damaged swing mechanism.

If the breakdown is insignificant, then you can try to restore the old element, otherwise you need to purchase and install a new part. If the chair was made in another country, then you may encounter the problem of inconsistency in the size of the elements. Experts recommend installing adapter plates to help prevent additional holes from being drilled.

A gas lift is a non-repairable element, in case of a breakdown of which a new part must be installed. The repair process includes the following stages of work:

• dismantling of all external elements;
• removing the protective cover;
• removing the spring latch from the seat;
• dismantling by bearing and all fixing elements;
• removal of the cross;
• removal of the cover;
• dismantling of the damaged gas lift.

In order to avoid inaccuracies during the work, it is better to photograph all the stages.

Structural elements and common breakdowns

You should not buy furniture for home and office if the manufacturer gives a guarantee for less than one and a half years. Practice shows that such products fail quickly. If, after the expiration of the warranty period, the furniture begins to perform poorly its basic functions, you must first of all find out the causes of the malfunction. They can be different. The most common problems are described in the table below. When you know what is broken, it is easier to plan and carry out repairs.

The main structural elements of the product: seat, backrest and crosspiece with rollers. If at least one part of the general mechanism fails, the chair cannot be used until the malfunction is completely eliminated. Repair may require additional parts to replace broken or worn parts. They can be found in service centers or ordered online from a furniture manufacturer. There you can also find out how to repair a chair with your own hands at minimal cost.

To facilitate self-repair, it is recommended to choose domestic-made office furniture. Chairs from foreign manufacturers are of good quality and long service life, but in the event of a malfunction, it is very difficult to get spare parts. Not all furniture companies in Europe have official representatives in Russia.

Structural elements

What is a gas lift in an office chair

The design of such furniture is multicomponent and complex, therefore, it is not recommended to repair office chairs with your own hands without first understanding their "stuffing". So, the main task of the back is to support the spine of a seated person. Its size and shape can be different, but the angle between it and the seat is always about 90 degrees, which allows you to relax the lower back when leaning back.

The seat can be of several types, they are discussed in the table.

The armrests serve as a support for the elbows, with their help, the load is removed from the spine and neck of a person. These elements can be adjustable or non-adjustable. A piastra is a metal platform on which a lever is attached. Its function is to change the height of the seat. As for the gas lift itself, it is a steel cylinder filled with inactive gas. He adjusts the product in height, it can be long, medium and short. There is also a cross - a bearing component of the structure. It is a large-diameter base with beams, the optimal number of them is 5 pieces. It is on the crosspiece that the main load falls.

The casters are used to move the computer chair. They are made from polymers, polyurethane or nylon. All of these components are the main building blocks. In addition to them, manufacturers equip products with additional mechanisms that improve the functionality of office furniture.

Having understood the general principles of construction, it is important to understand what a gas lift is in an office chair. The hydraulic cylinder, designed specifically for this type of furniture, is an elastic spring with compressed and injected air into it.

At high piston pressure, the structure is lowered, at low pressure, vice versa. The device is located in the crosspiece, and is fixed in the base of the seat.

Understanding the functions of the gas lift will help you repair a computer chair yourself:

1. It dampens the shock load on the spine. The structure acts as a shock absorber when a person sits down. The system springs the seat, which reduces the strain on the back.
2. Adjusts the sitting position. With the help of a gas lift, a person can easily adjust the height of the chair. If you press the special lever under the seat, you can quickly raise or lower the structure.
3. Rotates furniture around its axis. A seated person can, without getting up from the chair, turn around and take what he needs.

The gas cartridge system is quite simple, so fixing an office chair with a gas lift is not difficult. The principle of operation of the device is as follows:

1. The product includes a valve and two reservoirs. When the first element is closed or opened, compressed air flows through the bypass channel from one reservoir to another.
2. If the chair needs to be raised, press the lever. The valve will open, the air in it will begin to press on the piston, it will go down, and the seat will go up.
3. Release the lever to secure the computer furniture. The valve will close, the piston will stop and fix the structure in this position.
4. To lower the product, you need to press the lever again, the seat will lower under the weight of the seated person.

Step-by-step instructions for disassembly

Dismantling furniture is a phased disconnection of the main components. After elimination of the malfunction, the product is reassembled. Disassembling an office chair step by step is a laborious process, especially for beginners. If necessary, the broken elements are replaced with new ones, and the loosened fasteners are compacted. To disassemble the chair at home on your own, you must:

1. Place the furniture with the cross-piece facing up and unscrew the fasteners that connect the piastre to the seat. This requires a Phillips screwdriver. When the bolts are loosened, the seat will come off.
2. Unscrew the armrests from the metal plate to which they are attached.
3. Hit the piastre with a hammer or mallet to disconnect it from the gas lift. If the product has never been disassembled, this will require considerable physical effort. The main thing is not to bend the part during the dismantling process.
4. Unscrew the bolts connecting the permanent contact with the backrest and piastre.
5. Tap the crosspiece with a mallet to move it away from the air chuck.
6. Using a slotted screwdriver, remove the rollers from the cross-piece slots.

For dismantling the gas lift at home, it is recommended to use an annular drift. The pneumatic chuck contains very fragile fasteners that can be easily damaged by rough physical impact. To prevent this from happening, during disassembly, the cross must be fixed in a fixed position.

We unscrew the fasteners

Disconnecting the piastre from the seat

Detaching the armrests

Remove the pneumatic cartridge

Unscrew the bolts

We take out the rollers from the cross