How to Install or Replace a Toilet: The Ultimate Guide
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Greetings from Great Livings!
If your flushing toilet is cracked or leaked, this is not only contaminating your wash surrounding but also giving you awful feelings. You must get rid of it as soon as possible by replacing this and installing a new toilet to feel good. Just ignore your plumber’s delaying gestures and decide to do this magic on your own. You can do it easily!
This ultimate guide on How to install or replace a toilet is one solution for all of your toilet installation issues. After getting this, you would be able to remove your fixed toilet and replace it. Here we get started.
If you are on the way of buying a new toilet, make sure that you have done measurements to properly adjust it at the waste pipe and to avoid door hindrance. Measure from the back wall to the waste pipe that is generally centered about 12 inches. For some of the new models, it would be about 10-14 inches that you must check before finalizing a new toilet. If the toilet is near the door, don’t forget to measure the distance from the door to the bowl.
Tools and Materials Needed for Toilet Installation
Flange
Large sponge
Hacksaw blade
Measuring tape
Pliers
Wax rings
Adjustable wrench
Washer, nuts, and bolts
How to Remove an Old/Leaked Toilet?
Removal of the already adjusted toilet is the first thing you have to do before installing a new one. This is not a big deal at all just follow these instructions and you are done.
Disconnect water supply
Turn off the water supply valve by rotating it clockwise so that all water connection is disconnected. Flush the water from the tank to empty it. When the toilet bowl and tank is empty, wear gloves and mop it out with a large sponge until dry.
Unscrew nuts and bolts
After cutting off all the water connections, the next step is to unscrew all the closet bolts and nuts. Take an adjustable wrench and start removing plastic caps on the bolts. Then loosen up the nuts and bolts. There are chances that nuts are jammed for corrosion and unable to open. In this case, pick a hacksaw blade and cut off the bolts.
Lift the toilet and adjust the flange
You are almost done in removing your old leaking toilet. Just lift the toilet bowl and tank carefully and place it on any absorbing surface.
Remove the old wax ring and observe the flange to replace or repair it accordingly.
How to Install A Toilet – Step by Step Procedure
This is finally the answer to ‘How to install a new or remodeled toilet?’. Don’t skip any step to have a perfect toilet fitting.
First of all, check the packing of the new toilet. There must be bolts present. If you are resetting, try to use metal bolts that won’t rust and easier to cut off later. Carefully align bolts with the holes in the toilet as it may be tricky for their slipping.
Set the toilet over wax the ring and gently press.
To install a toilet that is free from any leakage, make sure the flange is tightly adjusted as it ensures that the toilet is firmly anchored to the floor.
If your toilet’s flange is loosely fastened, it will damage the wax ring and the result would be the leakage.
When rings are set, lower the bowl on bolts and press on the flange. This will prevent wax rings from damage.
Add washers, nuts, and cap bases to tighten up the toilet. Make sure nuts are not overtightened otherwise it could crack.
Now is the turn of the tank installation. First, fit the small rubber tank washer into the small tank holes from inside of the tank and then insert bolts. Lower the tank on the back of the bowl to fit the end of the tank in the holes. Tighten the nuts and check either tank is level.
A good toilet must be fixed at its place without rocking. If your installed toilet is rocking, it can break the rings so you must take care to fix it. Check the wobbles and slightly tighten the nuts. You can use washers into the gaps under the toilet. If the gaps are large then shims are there to help you out from toilet rocking. Plastic shims go best when replacing a toilet as they are easy to cut when wobbles are eliminated and git rock-free toilet.
How to Install A Toilet – Video Guide
Conclusion
Here your job of flushing toilet installation is done. You have finally done what was annoying you and your surroundings are clean to make you feel relaxed.