One of the most comfortable pieces of furniture you can ever buy is a reclining chair. You can rest in this chair and adjust the position to suit your preferences. The recliner chair might become unpleasant, though. It’s possible that the footrest sags, the lever won’t move, or your chair reclines too much for comfort. This indicates that the tension on your chair needs to be adjusted.
The mechanics and design of a recliner can affect how the tension is adjusted. Nonetheless, there are common methods for expertly repairing an unpleasant recliner chair. We’ll walk you through fixing your chair and adjusting the tension on your recliner in this post.
How to Adjust Tension on Your Recliner
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Fixing a damaged and unpleasant reclining chair can redeem it. Any one of these three techniques can be used to change the tension.
1. Adjusting Recliner Tension
You should test the reclining tension of your chair before making any adjustments. You can test it by leaning back and sitting softly in the chair. You should adjust the seat tension if the footrest is not closing or the backseat is leaning back more than usual. Once the tension has been tested, you can proceed as follows to make the required modifications:
i) Tilt The Recliner Chair Forward
With the leg rests closed, position the chair upright. Next, slowly move the seat forward until the bottom of the recliner is visible.
ii) Find The Adjusting Mechanism
The adjusting mechanism is located at the bottom of the chair. Most recliners have wing nuts and thumb wheels attached to the frame with bolts. In case you do not find an adjustment mechanism, read the manual that came with the seat. It will help you locate it.
iii) Fix The Adjustment Mechanism
Turn the thumb wheels and wing nuts in the same direction to fix the adjustment mechanism. Rotate the thumb wheels or wing nuts in a clockwise direction if you need to increase the tension. Otherwise, if you need to reduce the tension in the chair, turn the thumb wheels or wing nuts counterclockwise.
iv) Test Your Adjustments
You now need to test and see whether your recliner’s comfort level has been adjusted to your liking. Therefore, place the chair upright and sit on it to see how well the backseat reclines.
Please note: This procedure also applies to how to adjust the footrest tension on a recliner.
2. Replacing Tension Springs
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There are various components to a reclining chair. Make sure you have the appropriate parts to change the tension before proceeding. If your recliner has no springs, you will need to buy new ones. It is advised to get wing nuts and thumb wheels from the recliner’s manufacturer. This guarantees that the parts you receive are appropriate for your seat.
Additionally, ensure you wear safety goggles when replacing the springs. They keep your eyes protected in case a spring pops when fixing the chair.
To replace tension springs, take the following actions:
i) Tilt Your Recliner
Tilt your recliner forward to see the adjusting mechanism at the bottom of the seat.
ii) Find And Remove The Broken Springs
Find the springs hanging loosely on the recliner’s frame and others held by tabs or clips. Use pliers to remove these damaged springs safely by grabbing one end of the spring and twisting it until it falls.
iii) Fit The New Springs
You will need screwdrivers and a few coins or a little flat metal for this stage. Make a gap between the loops on both ends with the screwdrivers. Insert the coins into the gaps you made. The loops will stay apart thanks to this.
The new spring’s other end needs to be fastened to the metal frame of the recliner. Using pliers, pull the tabs or clips to attach the other end to them. After adjusting the new spring, take out the coins you inserted between the loops. The spring will naturally return to its typical tension.
iv) Test The Adjustment
Put your recliner back into an upright position and sit on it. If you like how it feels, then the adjustment was successful. If not, repeat these steps until you achieve the comfort level you are looking for.
3. Changing Recliner Pitch
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Changing the bolts at the bottom of the seat will adjust the recliner’s pitch. The height of the seat front in an upright position is known as the recliner pitch. When seated, your feet won’t touch the floor if the pitch is too high, and the footrest will be too high up. Make a downward pitch adjustment to fix this.
A pitch that is too low will make it uncomfortable for your feet to rest on the footrest. Setting the pitch higher will fix this.
Frequently Asked Questions on Recliner Tension
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1. How Much Does It Cost if I Hire a Professional to Adjust My Recliner?
The reclining chair’s issue determines how much a repair will cost. To determine the problem’s cost, the expert will first evaluate it. Simple modifications like modifying the pitch of the recliner or the tension of the footrest could be less expensive than fixing and replacing the chair’s damaged components.
2. Why Does My Recliner Leave a Hole When I Sit There?
Your recliner seat feels like it has a hole because the spring is broken. You can check if this is the case by assessing the state of the springs attached to the bottom frame. If the springs hang through the cover, they are broken. You can get an expert to fix them or replace them.
3. How Do I Fix a Recliner That Leans Back Too Far?
Tightening the back bolts resolves this problem. The screws on the chair’s base can be tightened with a wrench. Shims can also be added behind the recliner chair’s legs.
4. How Do I Adjust My Lazyboy Recliner?
You can adjust your LazyBoy Recliner by first assessing the extent of the damage. This can be fixed by either adjusting the lever, replacing the tension spring, or tightening the wing nut and thumb wheel. Make any of these adjustments and continue to test until you get the correct setting for your comfort.
5. Where Can I Buy Spare Parts for My Recliner?
Always buy your recliner chair’s replacement parts directly from the manufacturer. This guarantees that you receive the right parts. components are also available online, but be sure to specify the model of the chair to ensure that the components you purchase fit properly.
Final Thoughts
Comfort is the main reason people choose recliner chairs. They are helpful for typical individuals who seek a unique sitting experience in their homes, as well as those who have medical concerns or back pain. Therefore, when a chair leans too far back or has an off-kilter pitch, some adjustments need to be made. When the right procedures are followed, repairing a recliner chair is easy. First, you must diagnose the chair in order to determine the source of the issue. In this way, you can prepare for the repair.
