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Replacing a Toilet

Home » Plumbing » Toilet Repair » Replacing a Toilet

There comes a time when you need to stop repairing your toilet and instead opt to replace it. You can replace your toilet yourself, although it helps to have someone to assist you, as lifting the toilet will probably require two people. The materials you will need are as follows: toilet, wax seal, force-cup plunger, slip-joint pliers, adjustable wrench, hacksaw, putty knife, rubber gloves, and a rag. The first step is to get rid of all the water in the toilet. This is accomplished in four steps: turn off the water at the shutoff, flush the toilet to remove water from the tank and the bowl, use a force-cup plunger to force water down the drain line, and remove the remaining water from the tank with a sponge and a bucket. Next, you need to disconnect the supply line from the base of the tank. Pop off the trim caps at the base of the toilet to remove the old toilet. Then, loosen the nuts and bolts that connect the toilet to the floor. Gently rock the toilet back and forth until it can lift free. After you have removed the toilet, stuff a rag in the open hole to prevent sewer smells from backing up into your house. The next step is to pry up the old wax seal with a putty knife. Inspect the flange to make sure it is not cracked. If it is, contact a plumber. If the flange is okay, proceed to remove the rag from the hole and take the closet bolts out of the flange. Install a new wax seal and hook the new closet bolts into their slots on the flange. You can now attach the tank and bowl and assemble the new toilet. To do this, slide the tank bolts through the opening in the bottom of the tank. Then line up the shank of the bolts with the holes in the bowl, and drop the tank into place. Tighten a nut onto each shank bolt to secure the tank in place. Once the toilet is assembled, set it onto the flange assembly, line up the bolts with the holes in the base, and lightly press down on the toilet to form a seal with the wax ring. Secure each bolt with nuts and washers and cut off the excess bolt with a hacksaw. Pop the trim caps in place to cover the ends of the bolts, secure the new seat, and reconnect the supply line at the base of the toilet. Your new toilet is now fully installed!

References
http://www.cidnetwork.com/Maintenance-toilet-problems.htm
http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/pl_toilets/article/0,2037,DIY_14192_2270876,00.html
http://www.theplumber.com/uncloggingtoilets.html
http://www.friendlyplumber.com/plumbing101/toilet_tank_repairs.html

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