How to Fix an Office Chair That Won’t Go Up or Stuck in the Lowest Position

Is your office chair stuck in the lowest position?

If you’re struggling to get that chair to go back up, you’ve come to the right page. We’re going to discuss how you can get your office chair to move up and down again.

After many years of use, your office chair may start to sink. Sometimes people notice that their chair will get stuck in the lowest position. If this happened to you, it doesn’t mean you’re due for a replacement. This is a problem that you can easily fix on your own. However, you may need help from a friend. 

You don’t have to continue working in your office chair’s lowest position. Follow the hacks below to get your chair back to a height you can work with. 

How to Fix

Short Answer:

1. Stand on the base of the chair.
2. Grab the seat base.
3. Pull up the seat upward really, really hard.
4. Don’t forget to lift the lever while pulling the seat upward.

But sad to say that you may have to do this every few weeks. 

Does your chair makes a Squeaky and Creaky sound if this happens you might like this post: Fix Squeaky & Creaky Office/Gaming Chair.

1. The Easiest Way to Get Your Office Chair to Rise Again

Your chair isn’t broken, it’s just stuck. This could happen for a number of reasons, but wear and tear is the biggest culprit. The first solution we’re going to discuss is the easiest. For this one, you will need a friend and some bicycle lubricant.

1. Start by applying some bicycle lubricant to the cylinder of the chair. This step is optional, but it will make the process a lot easier. 
2. Have your helper hold the base of the chair firm to the ground so it won’t move.
3. While they are holding the base down, you will need to lift the lever while pulling the seat upward. 
4. Make sure you pull the chair all the way up to the highest position.
5. After this, it should start to work properly again.

2. The Lever is Loose

If the reason your chair won’t lift isn’t the gas cylinder, then you may have a problem with the lifting mechanism.

This will happen when the lever is loose and can no longer reach the button that triggers the chair to move up and down. You may be able to solve this problem on your own by placing the lever back into alignment.

However, if the lever will not go back into place, then you may need to get the chair repaired by a professional.

3. Lubricate Inside of the Piston. 100% Permanent fix

The office chair does go up or down often this is because the seal lubricant of the gas cylinder has been rubbed away or has dried out. To fix an office chair permanently that won’t go up or stuck in the lowest position you have to lubricate the gas cylinder from the inside, not the outside mechanism.

Notice

• Before you do anything first try the first method if it works then you can use this trick. Honestly, I know definitely this technique will work for you.
• However, If the seat just immediately drops to the bottom position when you sit on it. If this happens you have no choice but to replace the cylinder.
• Don’t forget to check if the lever is loose or not. If the lever is loose you have nothing to do with the gas cylinder.

How to fix an office chair that won’t go up Permanently

Now what we are going to do is use a little hydraulic jack oil to lubricate the support shaft and the valve mechanism.

1. Remove the cylinder from the seat mechanism.
2. Someone grab the cylinder in a button-up orientation.
3. Make an aluminum foil cofferdam around the button end of the cylinder.
4. add about a tablespoon of hydraulic jack oil.
5. press the button with a screwdriver the piston extended and a little oil lubricated the valve.
6. 
7. Now  Make an aluminum foil dam around to the o the rod end of the cylinder
8. add some hydraulic oil.
9. then compress the bottom of the cylinder several times with your hand
10. 
11. In this way, the oil will enter inside the bottom of the cylinder.

After doing that you can reassemble the chair.

That way you will get rid of this problem permanently.

4. The Gas Cylinder May Need to Be Replaced

The gas cylinder is what allows your chair to move up and down. If your chair is stuck in the lowest position, it may be because the cylinder is faulty. When the cylinder gets stuck, you won’t be able to move your chair.

Luckily, it’s easy to find a replacement cylinder at nearly any hardware store. 

If your gas cylinder is the reason you can’t move your chair up, follow these steps to replace it:

Replacing a faulty gas cylinder

Step 1:

Make sure you know the exact size of cylinder your chair needs so the replacement will fit properly.

Step 2:

Turn the chair to its side or upside down.

Step 3:

Remove the bottom base of the chair from the cylinder. It’s easy to do this by gently hitting it with a hammer or mallet until you can separate them.

Step 4:

Fasten a pipe wrench to the top of the cylinder to remove it from the chair’s lifting mechanism. 

Step 5:

To install the new gas cylinder, start by placing the thinner end into the lifting mechanism and rotating it until it is tightly in place. 

Step 6:

Attach the base to the new cylinder and test to see if the chair will move up and down again.

Final Thoughts

Office ergonomics are important to make sure you don’t end up with a sore back or legs. This is why you always need to work with your chair at the proper height. If your chair is stuck in the lowest position, then you will not be properly aligned with your desk and keyboard. On top of being very uncomfortable, this could leave you with pain in your body.

When your office chair is stuck in the lowest position, the main culprit is a faulty gas cylinder. If it gets damaged, it may prevent you from being able to move your chair up. The easiest solution to this office chair won’t go up problem is to replace the gas cylinder. This is very easy to do and your chair should be comfortable again.