There is no reason to fear replacing or repairing a toilet. Follow a few basic rules and it’s a snap – or a flush!
—
◊♦◊
There really is no big mystery to installing or repairing a toilet. Follow these three simple rules.
1: Toilet must be level. This means side to side and front-to-back. Use toilet shims if necessary. Typically sold in the same section with other toilet repair items.
2: Use the proper wax ring. Make sure the wax ring is the correct thickness. You don’t need to pack the whole area with wax, but you do need to create a solid seal. I prefer the type with the built in flange. Much easier to seat and keep in place during install.
3: Don’t over tighten – anything. This applies to the nuts that hold the toilet to the floor, the connections from tank to bowl, the supply line end that attaches to the fill valve and the supply line end that attaches to the water supply/shut off valve.
◊♦◊
What do you want to know about DIY?
Do you have specific projects you would like to tackle? Not sure how to get started? Convinced that you won’t be able to get answers to your questions at the hardware store? Great! Tom wants to know.
Leave a comment or send an email to [email protected].
Check back to see if your question gets answered here at the Good Men Project DIY on Tuesday and Saturday.
Photo: Flickr/
I liked that you had mentioned that when installing a toilet that it can be important to not over tighten anything to avoid any possible problems. The toilet in my guest bathroom has been having major problems and I’ve been wanting to replace it and I wasn’t sure what I’d need to do in order to have that done. Knowing that it can be a slightly problematic time trying to replace it by yourself, I might have a professional come and take a look at my current one to see what he can do and if there isn’t much I… Read more »
Before installation, kill the water at the shutoff valve. Flush the toilet to purge the bowl and tank, and wipe out any residual water. Disengage the water-supply tube from the shutoff valve, empty the water out of the tube into a container, and afterward unscrew the coupling nut on the supply tube at the base of the tank.
It’s good to know that when it comes to installing a new toilet, that there are different things that need to be remembered. I like how you pointed out that we need to make sure that it is leveled both side to side and front to back. This will be something that we will definitely have to check, and have done right.
Love the first tip – toilet must be level. First time I ever tried installing a toilet by myself, it was slanted haha. Lesson learnt
Great tips, I deftly can’t overemphasis the “don’t over tighten” suggestion. Many people tighten them down so much they could survive a hurricane!
Great list, thanks for sharing.
It’s good to know that replacing a toilet can be a fairly simple process. I thought that your tip for using a wax ring that’s the correct thickness is important to know for installing a new toilet correctly. You mentioned that using one with a built in flange makes it easier to seat and keep in place during installation. I’ll keep that in mind so to make the process of installing my new toilet go smoother.
I tend to over tighten everything! I’m always afraid that I’ll make whatever it is that I’m tightening too loose. However, that probably makes it difficult for those who come after me like the plumbing services I hire whenever my toddler flushes down his toys. I thought that it was better to make it tighter no matter what. Well, no thanks to you, I know better.
The tip in this article to avoid over tightening any part of my toilet will help me a lot when I’m installing my new toilet tomorrow. I’ve always been told by my dad that when in doubt it’s best to tighten the nuts and bolts to almost anything as much as possible. Now I can see that isn’t the case for toilet installation. I’ll be sure to avoid over tightening the nuts that are going to hold my toilet to the floor, as well as the parts that connect my tank to the bowl.