Install a Toilet

Installing a new toilet is a lot easier than you may think. In fact, many homeowners choose to remove their old toilet and replace it with a new one without the help of a handyman or plumber. If you do decide to making installing a toilet your new DIY project, you should know the basics. This article will teach you how to remove your old toilet and replace it with a brand-new one to give your bathroom a breath of fresh air.

Steps

Removing the Old Toilet

1. Measure the distance from the wall to the floor bolts before removing. Standard toilets have a measurement of 12" from the wall to the floor bolts. If your toilet measures 12", you can expect to buy any standard toilet and install it comfortably in the existing location without much hassle.
2. Turn off the water off at the supply valve. This is so that no new water rushes into the toilet basin while you're busy trying to remove it.
3. Flush the toilet to empty the basin and bowl.
4. Put on heavy duty, protective, rubber gloves to guard against any harmful bacteria that call the toilet or its surroundings home.
5. Remove any leftover water in the toilet bowl and toilet basin. You can use a small cup at first, and then switch over to a heavy-duty sponge. Dump the excess water into a bucket and dispose of it somewhere safe.
6. Unscrew the tank bolts that fasten the basin to the bowl.
7. Unscrew the water supply line.
8. Using your legs instead of your back, remove the basin buy lifting it from the bowl. Place it somewhere convenient where it can't transmit unwanted bacteria.
9. Remove the floor bolt caps and unscrew the nuts with an adjustable wrench.
10. Break the sealant on pedestal of the toilet by rocking the it back and forth. You don't need to go overboard; a little bit of rocking goes a long way. After the seal has been broken, move the bowl away from the bathroom, preferably alongside the basin.
11. Scrape away remaining wax around the drain opening. You're going to be creating a new seal, so you want as much of the old sealant to be removed for proper sealing.
12. Plug the drain opening with an old rag or another implement. This will keep the sewage fumes from wafting into your bathroom before you install the new toilet.

Installing the New Toilet

1. Replace the old flange around the drain opening with a new one. Unbolt the old flange and place the new flange over the hole. Next, drive in any mounting bolts through the flange and into the floor.
2. Fit a new wax ring around the bottom of the toilet bowl, just around its drainage hole. Wax rings come either plain or with a funneled inside edge.
3. Ensure flange is tight to floor. If the flange is not tight on the floor it may be necessary to remove the wax ring and try again. Tighten or replace the flange screws if necessary
4. Lift and place the toilet bowl over the anchor bolts protruding from the floor. This step is tricky and may take several tries.
5. Once the anchor bolts fit snugly inside the floor bolt openings, rock the bowl from side to side in order to create a seal on the toilet drainage hole. Shimmy the toilet form side to side much like you did to remove the old toilet (see above).
6. Insert the bolts through the tank and base, then tighten lightly by hand. Be sure not to over-tighten these bolts too much or tank will crack.
7. Insert shims or other spacers underneath the toilet to make it level.
8. Tighten the floor bolts gradually with an adjustable wrench until secure. Tighten one side a bit, and then move on to the other side. In other words, tighten simultaneously as much as possible.
   • Over-tightening can result in a cracked bowl. Get the right balance between sealed and too-tight.
9. Install the decorative caps over the floor bolts.
10. Carefully fit the basin over the bowl, making sure the basin bolts fit inside the bowl. Tighten the basin bolts by hand. Do not over-tighten.
11. Reconnect the water line and turn on the water supply.
12. Caulk around the base of the toilet to ensure a good seal.

Tips

• Install an antique or vintage toilet if you like, just be aware that measurements might not be standard and you may need to work very hard to get the toilet clean enough to re-use.

Video

Template:Video:Install a Toilet

Related Articles

• Remove a Toilet

Sources and Citations

• Toilet TaskMap - Original source of this article. Shared with permission

See also

• Unclog a Toilet
• Fix a Running Toilet
• Unclog a Toilet Without a Plunger
• Install a New Toilet Seat
• Convert Any Toilet to a Low Flush Toilet
• Fix a Slow Toilet
• Turn Off the Water Supply to a Toilet
• Unblock a Toilet when You Have No Plunger
• Fix a Toilet
• Unclog a Toilet from a Flushed Toilet Paper Roll

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