How to Replace an Old or Malfunctioning Toilet

Do you dread opening up your water bill every month? Do you cringe every time you walk into the bathroom and hear the water in the toilet still running from this morning's rush for school and work? Someone forgot to jiggle the handle so the water has been running all day long. How long has it been since the toilet was put on the list to be replaced?

It's time to stop wasting water and money. Today's new energy efficient toilets are reasonably priced and simple to install. There's no reason to delay any longer. Make a trip now and purchase a new toilet. Make sure every thing you will need to install the toilet is included. If you're not sure, ask the salesperson what is included with the toilet. He or she will make sure you leave the store with everything you need to install the toilet.

The first thing you will need to do is to turn the water supply off to the toilet. Simply turn the valve located near the floor clockwise until it stops. Then flush the toilet. This will remove most of the water from the tank. Keep in mind that a small amount of water may remain in the tank. You can soak this up with a towel to prevent any spills. Also, a small amount of water may remain in the bowl of the toilet so keep a towel nearby to wipe any spills from that.

You will only need a minimal amount of tools to replace the toilet. You will need wrenches, or an adjustable wrench, screwdrivers, and a putty knife to scrape the old wax from the toilet flange or closet flange, as it is called.

Loosen the nut securing the water supply line to the toilet tank. You may be able to loosen this by hand. If not, use the adjustable wrench carefully. Next, to make the toilet easier to carry, remove the bolts securing the tank and bowl together. Lift the tank from the bowl and set aside. See how easy this is.

You are now ready to remove the bowl. Lift the small cap covers and set aside. With a wrench, loosen the two nuts securing the bowl to the floor. Remove the two nuts and set aside. You may need to reuse these. Gently loosen the bowl from the closet flange and wax seal by twisting it. Once you feel the bowl moving, lift it up and away from the bolts.

Go ahead and remove the old bowl and tank from the room. Wipe up any spilled water. At this time, you will need to make sure that the flange on the floor is clean and free of any of the old wax seal. Most of the seal probably stuck to the bottom of the toilet bowl. However, you need to clean the flange as well as possible. Use a putty knife to clean any remaining wax from the flange on the floor. This will help the new wax seal seat better.

Check the new wax seal. It should be pliable. If cold, it will not set properly. Place it over a heat vent or outside in the sun to warm it up. Remove any wax paper covering from the wax seal. To be sure that the seal is in the correct place, turn the bowl of the new toilet upside down. Place the wax seal onto the opening or horn. Carefully turn the bowl back upright and center it over the bolts in the flange and gently set it into place. Once you have the bowl in the correct position, place weight on it and gently rock it from side to side. This will help set the wax seal. The bowl should should set firmly on the floor.

Replace the nuts and washers onto the bolts extending through your new toilet bowl. Tighten securely, but be careful not to over tighten and crack your new bowl. Make sure the bowl is secure with no movement.

The tank should now be attached to the bowl. Hopefully, you have already removed any papers or instructions from the tank. Set the tank onto the bowl. Using the two bolts and rubber washers, attach the tank. Place the washers on the bolts and insert them through the inside of the tank down through the openings in the bowl. From the bottom, screw the plastic wingnuts or metal nuts onto the bolts. You can tighten them from the top with a flat head screwdriver. Make sure that the tank is setting level on the bowl.

It is now time to hook the water supply line to the tank. This should simply screw onto the plastic threads coming from the bottom of the tank. Tighten by hand securely. Turn the water back on. Your tank should fill up. Check for any leaks around the tank. Flush the toilet to put water into the bowl. Once the tank fills back up, flush it again. Check around the bottom of the toilet for any leaks.

Put the new toilet seat on by attaching it with the bolts and nuts. Again, check the toilet for any leaks around all the bolts and the bottom of the toilet. If there are none, congratulations, you have successfully replaced that troublesome old toilet. If you happen to have a leak, repeat any steps necessary to correct them.