Toilet Plumbing Techniques

Doing any plumbing work seems impossible if you have never done it. The easiest way to fix the problem with plumbing is, of course, to call specialists and pay for their work. However, there are ways to plumb a toilet by yourself without spending extra money on Sacramento plumbing services. 

You can always plumb a toilet if you know the correct algorithms for performing this task. If you make a mistake, it can end with the situation when inviting specialists is a necessary procedure. Nevertheless, you can try to replace or set the toilet by yourself. 

In this short review, we will provide all the needed information about the toilet plumbing and the equipment that you need for a successful operation. Keep reading to be always prepared for making plumbing tasks without the help of professionals.

Toilet Plumbing Equipment

When you start the process of toilet installment or replacement, you should organize the space around you and bring all the instruments in advance. There can be situations when some equipment is needed urgently, and if you do not have it next to you, the toilet or pipes will be damaged. That is why you have to check the supplemented tools for a new toilet and find the lacking ones by yourself.

In most cases, you need the following details for plumbing the toilet:

• Bolts and covers;
• Ring for the wax bowl;
• Extension ring for closet flange;
• Lever for the tank;
• Flapper.

As regards the instruments, make sure that you have all of the listed tools next to the place of operation:

• Tape measure;
• Spirit level;
• Saws (reciprocating and hand);
• Wrench;
• Sanitary tee.

Sometimes you also may need a PVC pipe or several of them, but it should be attached to a new toilet.

Getting ready for the plumbing is important not only in terms of the equipment but also surroundings and clothes. Wear the things that are suitable for such procedures because they will probably become dirty after this. Also, make sure that you cannot damage anything around you and have enough space. Ask your family member or a friend to help you with the toilet plumbing if it is possible. 

Do not underestimate the preparation for plumbing procedures and continue following the instructions.

Toilet Replacement Guide

The process of replacement requires you to remove the old toilet first and install the new one after this. While removing the toilet, you should follow the order of parts removal as well. The first part that is needed to be removed is the upper one which is called the tank. Later, you can remove the down part — the body of the toilet.

1 — Disconnection of the tank

In order to do it, follow the steps below:

1. To avoid flooding of the bathroom, you should remove the water from the toilet and stop the provision of it. For this, you should find the valve on the wall behind the toilet and turn it off. Turn the valve on the right until the end to stop the water supply. 
2. The next step in helping to remove water is draining the toilet. Move the lid of the tank and check the amount of water there. Then disconnect the refill tube and the main overflow pipe. Start to flush the toilet until the tank is empty.
3. Making the tank totally empty is impossible without using rags or other special tools for the removal of the water. You can apply Oatey Liquilock that makes the remaining water solid and easy to remove. Ensure that there is no more water in the tank to prevent undesired mess.
4. To remove the tank from the main part of the toilet, you should unscrew bolts. Before unscrewing the connecting bolt, do the same with the water supply bolt.

2 — Taking off the toilet body

Let us look at the list of things to do:

1. Unscrew the bolts that keep the toilet stable on the floor. If you do not see them, they can be covered with caps that you should remove first. Then apply a wrench to take out the bolts; it can be tough to do this if the toilet was in use for a long time. Do not use the same bolts for your new toilet if they are rusty.
2. Shake the body to different sides to weaken the connection with the floor. After this, put the toilet on one of the sides on the floor but prepare a soft towel or another fabric to put under it. During the dismantling of the body, you may have problems with the wax ring. You can remove the body from the ring by applying enough effort to shake.
3. Clean the floor from the parts of the wax ring with a putty knife. You cannot use the same wax ring for the new toilet as they may have different shapes, and it cannot be suitable for reuse anymore.

3 — Mounting of the new toilet

Installment of the new body and tank is less time-consuming than removal of the old one. You can do this step-by-step as it is described below.

1. Locate the closet flange on the floor and make it tightly fit the floor. If there are gaps between the flange and the surface, you should add an extension. 
2. Put the wax ring to the place where the toilet will be situated and fit it to the drain hole. Make this carefully, as you will not be able to change the location of the wax ring later. If you made a mistake and installed the toilet incorrectly, you can always buy a new wax ring as it is affordable.
3. Continue with the installation of the body part and mounting it with the bolts to the floor. After this, you can put the tank on the top and connect all the pipes that you disconnected during the removal of the old toilet. Do not forget to make a controlling flush and check if everything works properly.

When you install the new toilet, make the preliminary measurements according to the instructions for the toilet. Some toilets have different sizes, and you may need to change the location of the drain hole. Read the characteristics of the toilet and estimate the best location for it in your bathroom.

Whenever you need help with the installment of the toilet or other plumbing, you can contact us and get advice or call specialists to deal with this task. Our specialists have all the required tools and are experienced in the plumbing sphere. That is why they will mount a toilet quickly and will not leave any mess.

Conclusion

As you can see, changing the toilet is not as complicated as it seems to be. If you have a couple of hours free and are ready to plumb a toilet, you can do it by yourself. Of course, the professionals may perform this task with better quality, and if you have money for this service, it is always more preferable to call specialists.