Want to know how to install a toilet. Here are the basic steps.
Is it time for a new toilet? Does your old toilet use too much water or does it leak. Perhaps you just want a new design and you have decided that it needs to be replaced.
If you feel you have the necessary skills you should easily be able to complete this job in a day or sooner, if you have more experience. You may also need an assistant because of the weight of the toilet and it can be quite bulky to handle by yourself. This is not the time to take on your first plumbing job, if you have any doubts of your skill level you may want to call a plumber on this one. But, if you think you can handle all that is involved from dealing with the weight, water supply connections and the open sewer line you could save yourself some money by doing it yourself.
In this article we will give you the basic steps that are involved and then watch the video to help in your decision to handle this job yourself or call a plumber.
1. Turn off the water supply that is attached to the back of the toilet and disconnect the water line. Have a bucket ready to catch any excess water that will drain from the line and the toilet tank.
2. Flush the toilet and remove all the water from the toilet and the toilet tank. You can use a plunger to help push the water out.
3. Remove the nuts from the closet bolts at the base of the toilet. The nuts are under the acorn looking caps.
4.Remove the toilet set from the toilet bowl. There should be two bolts at the back of the seat.
5.Remove the toilet tank from the toilet bowl by removing the bolts under the toilet tank. It should have no trouble locating them, they are fairly obvious. After the bolts are removed the tank should lift right off.
6.After you have removed the tank, rock the toilet bowl back and forth to help break the wax ring seal that is on the bottom and then lift off the toilet bowl.
7. Plug the hole in the floor flange that is attached to the sewer pipe. You can use an old rag for this. It’s job is to prevent sewer gases from entering your home while you are removing the wax ring. DO NOT forget to remove the rag before installing your new toilet.
8.Remove the closet bolts that are attached to the floor flange. These are the first bolts that you removed the nuts from at the base of the toilet when you began.
9. Use a putty knife and completely remove the old wax ring seal. Get the area completely clean and then install the new appropriate wax ring seal. Take a look at the floor flange at this point and make sure it is in good condition and not damaged in any way that could cause your new toilet to leak when it is flushed.
10. Place new closet bolts in the flange in the same manner that you remove the old bolts.
11. Place the new wax ring seal into the floor flange and twist it so slightly to make sure you have a good fit.
12. You are now ready to place your new toilet on the wax ring. Place the toilet so that the toilet bowl base fits over the new closet bolts that you installed earlier. Press down firmly on the toilet bowl to help compress the wax ring. You don’t want a leak here so push down hard, you can even set on it to help make it seal. Place and tighten the nuts on the closet bolt. Be careful not to over tighten and break or crack the toilet.
13. Attached the toilet tank to the bowl with the supplied valve and gaskets.
14. Connect the water supply lines.
15. Caulk around the base of the toilet.
16. Flush your toilet a few times and check for leaks. You’re done.
For more information watch the video. Now you know how to install a toilet.