Your toilet is a regular work horse. It is used by everyone in your family, practically everyday of the year. The toilet has many moving parts in the flushing system, so it is just a matter of time before mechanisms start breaking down. You may need to have your toilet replaced. Typically, a toilet will last you about 10 years before it shows significant signs of wear that affects its functionality. It is advisable that you learn a bit more about how this plumbing works before you decide on your course of action.
If your toilet is having problems, try to identify the cause of it. Do you have a problem with the toilet continuing to run after you flush? If so, that can mean that the gasket is not setting properly. Are you constantly hearing hissing sounds coming from the toilet tank? There may be an air leak in the flushing mechanism. You will have to determine if you can repair the problem by just replacing a part or by replacing the whole flushing system inside the tank. Depending on what the problem is, if the damaged part requires a lot work in disassembling and reassembling the flushing components, sometimes it is better if you just replace the whole flushing unit. That way, you will not have to worry about another old part in the old flushing system breaking down.
If you detect a leak and you see that bowl or tank is cracked, you will have no choice by to replace the toilet. Your existing toilet base has two bolts, one on each side, that bolts the base to the floor. Measure the distance between this bolt and your bathroom wall behind the toilet. When you are looking for a replacement toilet, make sure that the holes on the base can line up to where you have your existing bolts.
Part of getting ready to install a new toilet is removing the old. Turn off the water and give your old toilet a flush. This will empty the tank. Give it another flush to empty the bowl. You will probably have to soak up the rest of the water in the tank with a sponge. If you do not want to deal with water dripping from the fixture, let it air dry before you remove it.
Your toilet sits on a wax ring. That ring will need to replaced when you put in your new toilet. Use a putting knife and remove ring, scraping off as much wax residue from the floor as possible. Also, you should replace the water supply line. Over the years, the line may show signs of corrosion. This is the perfect time to replace it.
Follow the manufacturer's instruction when installing the new toilet. When it is in place and the water lines are connected, test the system.
Replacing a toilet is not that difficult if you understand what the steps are. You can find detailed instructions from DIY books. Learn as much as you can, and you can have yourself a new toilet.