New Toilet Installation
Ensure a water-tight seal when replacing a toilet.
Although toilets are large fixtures, they aren’t difficult to replace. If you buy a replacement toilet with the same rough-in measurement as the existing fixture, then you should have little problem connecting the toilet to the existing system.
The rough-in measurement is the distance from the finished wall behind the toilet to the center of the floor flange that holds the toilet bowl in place. The usual measurement for the rough-in is 30cm (12in).
To remove the existing toilet, shut off the water supply and flush the toilet. Remove all the remaining water in the tank and the bowl using a sponge and pail. Disconnect the water supply line that leads from the floor or wall to the flush valve.
If your tank is screwed to the wall, disconnect the couplings on the pipe that join the tank to the bowl. Remove the screws that hold the tank to the wall, remembering to support the tank as you loosen the screws. Most modern tanks are not fastened to the wall and therefore don’t need to be removed from the bowl.
Pry off the porcelain or plastic caps that cover the bolts on the base of the bowl. Remove the bolts. The toilet bowl is sealed to the floor with some form of caulking. Loosen this caulking with a putty knife and rock the bowl from side to side and back to front until it comes loose.
Remove the toilet bowl and clean the excess caulking material from the floor. Clean the floor flange well.
To prepare the new toilet for installation, put a new wax, rubber or putty gasket around the bowl horn and place a 25mm (1 in) thick ring of putty around the bottom rim of the toilet bowl.
Replace the floor flange bolts. Most new toilets only have two bolts. If your old one had four, remove the extra two.
Lower the toilet bowl with the horn centered over the floor flange, allowing the bolts to rise up through the toilet bowl base. Twist the bowl slightly to form a tight seal on the new gasket but don’t raise the bowl. Once the bowl is pressed into place, don’t raise it or the gasket seal will be broken. Check the level of the bowl and shim if necessary.
INSTALLING A TOILET
Start by installing a floor flange (1). Solvent weld the flange to the drain pipe (if the pipe is ABS plastic) and also screw the flange to the floor. Fit a wax gasket ring around the toilet horn and a strip of putty around the edges (2). Fit the bowl on the flange aligning the bolts with the holes Tighten a metal washer on the bolt (3). If your tank sits directly on the bowl, fasten a spud washer over the bowl inlet opening (4). Lower the tank into position and fasten the tank hold down bolt (5). Reconnect the water supply (6).
ROUGH-IN MEASUREMENT
If you plan to install a new toilet, you’ll need to buy one that has the same rough-in measurement as the old toilet, usually about 30cm (12 in).
If the tank of the toilet comes separate from the bowl, attach the tank according to the manufacturer’s directions. Once the tank is aligned with the wall, the bolts on the toilet bowl can be tightened and capped.
Make all the water supply connections and turn on the water. Flush the toilet several times to check for leaks.