How to Fix a Recliner Footrest

in Categories?GUIDES

Your chair is considerably more than just furniture in the house. It is that piece of furniture where you go to relax after a hectic day of work. It is where you can take a nap, watch television, take a nice massage, or read a book. However, with time everything needs to get recharged or repaired whether it’s a machine, furniture, or a human being. Likewise, today we are here to solve another problem of your life which is how to fix a recliner footrest.

Almost all the recliners come with a footrest where our tired legs can relax and get the feel of a bed. Nothing is more painful when your favorite recliner does not work like before and spending more and more money to fix it can be frustrating too. So, let us see how you can fix your recliner footrest if it is not working like before and save some money too.

Now,?before you go into the various methods?of fixing your recliner footrest, you should initially sort out why it quit working in any case. I am sure you would not want to waste time experimenting with different ways to fix your footrest. So you should get more acquainted with the reason behind your broken footrest.

Table of Contents

The reasons behind a broken Footrest?

Banging your recliner Footrest too hard

Try to remember if you have banged your footrest excessively hard or some sorts of accidents have happened or not. Mostly this is the reason for a broken footrest when hitting the footrest too hard or putting too much weight on it, makes the mechanism of your footrest slower than before. Sooner than later the component quits working and remains in the last position you left it in.

So,?it does not matter whether you have a new recliner?or an old one, just be cautious when shutting down your footrest or any sensitive part of your recliner. Slamming it down or pulling it up excessively fast can harm your footrest’s usefulness.

If your recliner has aged

Like everything else, a chair will age, and as I said, everything needs to get recharged or repaired at some point. With time all the parts of your recliner turn out to be loose, particularly when you or another person in the family has assembled the chair by himself. Screws can turn out to be loose too, so you need to look for the loose ends which can be one of the major reasons for a broken footrest. In some cases, you may also need to change some small parts of your recliner like the screws or steel frame.

Rusting

A lot of times we have come across such situations where the machine stops working due to rusting of the parts. If the parts start to rust then it creates a kind of friction between two different parts which is why the process stops working or does not work like before. If this is the case, then you must put some oil in those areas try to make your footrest move in up and down motion.

Things you may need to fix your recliner footrest

You might not need everything from the list here but you may need a few of the things listed below depending on your problem.

• Screwdriver- if you need to tighten the screws
• Grease or Lubricant- if there is a lack of lubrication.
• Torchlight- To see all the parts.
• Missing parts- If you have any missing parts like screws, pins, or springs.
• Broken parts- if you have any part which needs to be replaced.

Ways of fixing your recliner footrest

Here are different methods on how to fix a recliner footrest. So, without any further delay let us have look!

Warranty

If you have checked all the essentials and nothing seems to work then you should start thinking about how you can fix the issue. Before you begin fixing the problem, I am sure you must have thought about its warranty card which comes with your recliner. Therefore, the first thing is to look for the warranty of your recliner, just in case your footrest is not working within the years of warranty then contact your dealer and ask them to solve your problem for you.

If it’s a minor issue?but you don’t have any idea about fixing it then contacting the retailer is the best option. Moreover, in most cases, they will not even charge you any extra money for fixing your recliner footrest.

Try to detect the problem

If you have decided to fix it on your own then try to find out the problem in the first place. Firstly, flip your recliner up so that you can see the bottom of your recliner. Whatever the problem is with your footrest can be solved in this way as you can see where the problem could be with your recliner footrest. So, whenever you think about how to fix a recliner footrest then first flip your recliner and try to find out the problem.

?Look for worn-out screws or loosen up screws

The second step is to see all the instruments that move your recliner specifically the footrest. The entire mechanism is under your recliner and all the instruments are held along with screws. So, you may verify whether any of the parts are missing or if the screws appear to be worn out or loosen up. You will need to buy and replace any screw that seems to be worn out.

Get your screwdriver

If you need to replace your screws or tighten your screws then simply take the help of a screwdriver. If you need to buy some new screws then consider buying longer screws as it will adjust perfectly with the sockets. Additionally, while replacing some of the screws, check if few screws have loosened up or not. If yes, then adjust them too. After you are done working with screws, flip back your recliner to its original position and pull your footrest up and down and see if it works like before or not.

Put grease or lubricant in the screws

If there is not any problem with the screws and then it can happen that the mechanism has got stuck due to rusting of the metal parts. A recliner that functions perfectly ought to have a smooth movement. If your footrest does not move smoothly there can be an absence of grease. In such circumstances, you need to lift and Flip the recliner over and remove any obstacle which comes before you and the mechanism.

Remove the screws

Now, you must be wondering that how to fix a recliner footrest by removing the screws? Well, the next step is to remove all the screws which are part of the mechanism and make sure that you get the oil on all the parts and joints. After that put some grease or oil onto all the screws before you supplant them again. Then you must eliminate any excess oil after you reassemble the system.

After you have cleaned the whole underside of your recliner nicely, flip the recliner back to its upstanding position and move the footrest again and see the movement carefully. You can also turn the recliner in a position where you can extend the footrest fully without flipping your recliner again and again.

In most cases, applying grease or oil works perfectly if your footrest does not work smoothly or makes sounds while moving. So, once you carry out this experiment, your footrest should work like butter. Also, looking for the missing screws or loosen up screws can be another vital reason for a broken footrest. Therefore, once you have looked into both matters, chances of getting your footrest repaired are high.

Changing the broken parts

If you have tried out everything but nothing seems to fix your problem then how to fix a recliner footrest? The answer lies in the mechanism of your recliner, there can be a missing or a broken part which you did not notice. So, let us solve that problem too!

Look into the mechanism

A recliner needs to move into its various positions or angles without hanging or getting stuck in any position. If your recliner footrest is getting stuck in someplace in the center then you may need to alter the instrument or the broken parts. In that case, you will need to flip over the recliner in the first place so that you can see the underside and the system that makes the recliner work.

Release all the screws

The next step is to get rid of all the screws, pins, and springs to get to the ratchet. You’ll see that there is a bar fixed to the ratchet. The mechanism of a footrest consists of a 3-position lever, screws, bars, pins, springs, and other metal parts. Explaining the mechanism is not possible but detecting the main problem is easy.

Eliminate the ratchet and try out your footrest

When you get to the ratchet, simply remove it from the machine and once again extend your footrest and try moving it up and down. If your footrest moves smoothly but does not stay in a particular position then that means your ratchet is the problem which you need to replace your old ratchet with new ones.

Buy and replace your ratchet

After you buy the ratchet then adjust all the parts one by one just the way you have removed it from the mechanism. It can also happen that all the parts are in good condition but due to excessive movement, the pins, springs, or small parts are missing from the mechanism.

In that case, you need to compare both the scissors of two ends carefully. As both the scissors work simultaneously when your footrest moves, their mechanism is exactly the same. Therefore, in that case, also you would need to detect the missing parts and order new ones and adjust them accordingly.

Note- if you see that some parts are worn out, but they are still working then it is better to still replace those too with new ones if you want your footrest to work exactly like before.

How you can get the broken or missing parts?

So, now you must be wondering how to fix a recliner footrest without the missing parts? Well to solve that issue you need to know whether the parts are still available in the market or not. As we know that new recliners come now and then and so do their parts. Therefore, the first thing you should do is look for your manufacturer of the recliner. The original producer of your recliner will get you the exact same parts that have been used in your footrest so you can easily order it from them.

On the other hand, if the parts are not available then consider contacting any other retailer or search the parts online. In this case, if your desired parts are not exactly the same then you can actually convert it completely to a new one. Although converting it entirely would be a lot of hassle so trying to fix it in the first place if possible.

At times, it is more beneficial to replace your recliner completely with a new one and at times fixing it makes?more sense. Now, it depends on the condition of your recliner and how you want to deal with the issue. Other than that, keeping your recliner clean is very important on a regular basis for an extended lifespan.

Also, try to grease your metal parts when needed as it will help your recliner to function smoothly. Moreover, your footrest plays a vital role to give you the ultimate experience of a recliner so, try not to put extra weight and move it up and down unnecessarily. Exerting too much pressure will weaken the parts and your footrest will lose its power with time.

Final Words

Hopefully, the tricks and tips will help you on how to fix a recliner footrest. There is no doubt that the footrest is essential and also a delicate part of every recliner. Therefore, taking care of is equally important as repairing it, if needed.

I believe this article has helped you to know more about the reasons for a broken footrest or why your footrest is not working exactly like in the past. By now you should have a clear understanding of a recliner footrest and its mechanism so, if your footrest is not working properly then do check out the problems and try to solve it yourself.