Switching Out Your Toilet The Easy Way
Everyone has a toilet in their home, and every toilet gets a lot of wear and tear. You might not realize it, but the constant pressure applied, the constant flushing, and all the moving parts and nuts and bolts holding a toilet together make it a near certainty that it will need to be repaired or replaced. Some toilets last longer than others, but every toilet will eventually need to be replaced. Continue reading below to find some great toilet-specific tips for replacement.
Do you need to replace the float or plunger inside, the wax ring underneath, or do you need to replace the entire toilet? This is the first thing you have to figure out. Not every toilet issue calls for a total replacement, whereas some issues that seem minor could end up requiring a switch out. So make sure what needs to be done before you get started.
There's nothing worse than having everything set up for the replacement job only to end up flooding the bathroom floor because the valve wasn't cut off. More often than not, the shut-off valve directly connected to the toilet will fail long before the toilet itself, meaning that cutting it off won't necessarily stop the water. To be safe, cut the home's water supply off entirely until the job is finished.
The plumbing that needs to be put back in place should be assembled (at least partially) and ready to go as soon as the old plumbing is removed. An empty space where a toilet used to be isn't something you want to stare at all day. Have everything set up in its place for a quick switch-around once you have the old toilet disconnected and removed.
The new toilet should be fully assembled before removing the old one, but be careful not to tighten your nuts and bolts too tightly. If you need to make any adjustments once it's hooked up in its place, you will be busy for a while loosening the bolts again. So hand-tighten everything until you're sure everything is in working order.
The wax ring is one of the most important parts of the toilet assembly. The old wax ring under your existing toilet is probably degraded, leaving only the plastic ring itself and not the wax. Nevertheless, you need to install the wax ring to prevent water and gas leakage. You don't want the consequences of forgetting it.
Before you get everything tightened down in its place, it's a good idea to test the functionality of the toilet. Put the toilet in its place over the two base bolts and tighten them slightly. Connect the water line tightly and cut the water back on. Now test to see if it's working properly. If it is, go ahead and tighten everything for permanent use.
Replacing a toilet is actually one of the easiest plumbing jobs there is. As long as you're organized and follow some simple directions, this is a job you can do in under an hour.
