Your recliner should bear the rigorous use of a lever. Even so, it will require maintenance quite often. You do not need a professional for this work. Rather you can be a professional by following these quick steps on how to fix a recliner pull handle. Therefore, stop worrying if your recliner’s lever gets out of order.
Recliners usually have various types of pull handles, but two are the most common. Most likely you are going to deal with one of them. So I have covered both in this article. Get your tools ready and begin the journey of fixing the pull handle with us now.
How to Fix a Recliner Pull Handle – Explained
Although fixing a recliner’s pull handle is not much of a problem, once you fix it, it will give you an engineering vibe. Yeah! that is exactly how it works. I once fixed my recliner’s pull handle and I flexed on my family members the whole day. There are just a few necessary steps to follow and boom! The couch is working well.
Initially, D-type handles were used for pushing the footrest of recliners. However, the flapper-pull handles have replaced the D-pull handles; the D type is still in use by some brands. So we will cover both types in this article. You will read about how to remove and replace the pull handles of the recliner.
Fixing a D-pull Recliner Handler
The D pull handle consists of three parts. There’s a D-shaped handle, which is exposed to the user to pull it. A wire take attaches the handle to the pulling mechanism via a hanger, a spring, and a pin at the end of it. Here are the easy steps to remove and replace D shaped handle of a recliner.
Step1: Unscrew the Handle
The handle attached between the armrest and seat is tightened with two screws. To fix the handle, firstly you need to remove it. You can use a manual or electric screwdriver to unscrew the nuts. In the case of an electric screwdriver, make sure you don’t damage the leather.
Also, put the new handle at this place and push the wire to the bottom of the couch where you will deal with the rest of the mechanism.
Step 2: Turn Sofa Upside Down
Place a mat and turn the sofa upside down. This is because the reclining mechanism works inside the sofa. You have to turn it so that you can work on the mechanism with a clear vision. The mechanism is under the rest arm-containing handle. I advised using a mat, as this will protect the sofa from being damaged on the floor.
Step 3: Find and Release the Hanger
A hanger keeps the wire in place. Find the hanger and dislocate it from its place. A little inspection and you will find it. You will need a plier to detach the hanger. Press and push the ends of the hanger from the opposite side of the hole and remove it from its place.
Step 4: Remove the Pin
The last stage to removing the handle successfully is finding the pin and freeing it from the hole. Lift the arm flapper and free the pin from the hole. At this point, the pull handle will be unattached from all the points. You can remove the handle by pulling the wire out of the mechanism.
Let’s move to the next step to see how to replace it with a new one.
Step 5: Insert the Pin
Reverse the process to attach the new handle. Place the pin of the new handle in its place after lifting the arm flapper.
Step 6: Put the Hanger
Insert the hanger back into its place. You don’t need a plier at this point. Just push the hanger into the area where it is supposed to be. you have to push the hanger to the upper side of the arm before putting the sofa back into its position.
Step 7: Attach the Handle
The new handle is now ready to be attached. Screw it back into the position where it was before replacing it. Then test its proper functioning. I believe that it is working now.
Fixing a Flapper Recliner Handler
As the name suggests, it has a flapper that causes the recliner to recline. If your sofa has flapper typed handle, then follow the following steps to replace it with a new one. The mechanism is almost the same as above.
Step1: Unscrew the Handle
Use the manual or electric screwdriver to unscrew the handle. There are two screws present on the inside of that handle. You will observe it once you pull the flapper outside. one at the top and the other at the bottom of the handle. Do it carefully!
Step 2: Turn the Sofa Upside Down
Use a mat and turn the sofa over it. The mat will protect your sofa from debris. Additionally, it will save it from scratch on the floor. This step helps in visualizing the reclining mechanism of the handle properly. The mechanism is located under the arm having handle on it.
Step 3: Release the Hanger
Do a little survey of that area, you will find the hanger inserted inside a hole. In this step, you are required to remove it from that place. For this purpose, get a plier and squeeze the hanger from the other side. Press it a little towards the wire side and the hanger will free. Now release the wire from that area.
Step 4: Removing the Pin
At this point, the only thing you need to do is to free the wire completely from the mechanism. Follow the wire and it will lead you to an arm mechanism, pull the arm and you will find a hole where a pin is inserted. Remove the pin from that hole. Now pull the wire out of that mechanism. You will be able to remove the handle from the sofa.
That was all about removing the flapper handle. Keep going with the following steps to understand how we put the handle back in its place.
Step 5: Insert new Handle
Insert the new handle into the place it should be. Push the wire from the hole to the back of the sofa. Then flip the sofa over again to work on the mechanism underneath.
Step 6: Insert the Pin
It is a reverse process. The pin of the new handle has to be placed back in place. Live the arm-flapper up and insert the pin inside it. Then carefully take the wire to the side of the hanger and move to the next step.
Step 7: Insert the Hanger
The hanger has to go back to its place as well. Gently push the hanger back to its hole. you do not require any plier this time. The hanger will automatically fit itself into the place. Observe the click sound to ensure the safe placement of the hanger.
Step 8: Screw the Handle
Bring the sofa back to its original position and tighten the screws. The handle should fix into place rightly. Check for the working of the handle. It should be working fine now. Test at least two to three times.
That was all about the fixing recliner’s pull handle.
FAQs
- Can you replace a handle on a recliner chair?
Yes, we can replace a handle of a recliner chair. There are four easy steps. Unscrew the handle, remove the hanger, remove the pin, and reverse the process with a new handle. Depending on the type of pull handle, the process varies. You can also follow our guide on how to fix a recliner pull handle.
- How do you manually open a recliner?
There is a lever or a handle on the arm side of your recliner. Pulling this will help you open up the recliner manually. The handle can be either between the seat and arm or outside the arm depending upon its type.
- How does a recliner lever work?
The recliner lever has a wire attached to it. This cable lifts the recliner’s footrest upward and releases the chair.
Conclusion
I hope that you have now successfully installed a new recliner pull handle on your sofa. We say that there are two types of recliner pull handles and luckily, both can be replaced. There are just a few easy steps to follow and you are good to go. The tasks are not much difficult and you can do them without any prior experience. Therefore, how to fix a recliner pull handle is not a problem anymore. Follow us for more interesting articles on the recliner.
