How to Change a Toilet | Ask This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 28 окт 2017
- Ask This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey shows the basics of changing a toilet.
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Time: 1 hour
Cost: $30
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Changing a Toilet:
Open ended adjustable wrench [amzn.to/2LIZ159]
Putty knife [amzn.to/2NR56zf]
Mini hacksaw [amzn.to/2NVsmfE]
Shopping List:
Bucket [amzn.to/2Lo4LCy]
Sponge [amzn.to/2N83O3o]
Drop cloth [amzn.to/2A99IbK] or plywood [amzn.to/2N8tzQT]
Gloves [amzn.to/2N8sDvM]
Closet bolts [amzn.to/2PYXYn0], closet nuts [amzn.to/318aMIS], and closet washers [amzn.to/2NPtUro]
Wax ring [amzn.to/2N8442m]
Toilet caps [amzn.to/2Q2oR9y]
Steps:
1. Shut the water off at the toilet. The shut off valve should be to the left of the toilet.
2. Flush the toilet to drain out as much water as possible. The rest can be removed with a sponge and a bucket.
3. Break the water connection from the hose to the toilet tank. It usually can be loosened with hands alone.
4. Use the open ended adjustable wrench to loosen the closet bolts on both sides of the toilet. Remove the nut and the washer.
5. Use the grips under the toilet to carefully lift the toilet straight up off the bolts. Place the toilet on a piece of plywood or drop cloth to protect the floor.
6. Wearing gloves, remove the wax around the flange using a putty knife.
7. Check to ensure the closet flange is intact. Replace if it is broken.
8. Insert new closet bolts into the flange. Buy ones with plastic tabs on them so they stay in place. It will make it easier to put the toilet back on.
9. Add a new wax ring to the flange.
10. Carefully put the toilet back on the flange and push to set into the wax ring.
11. Add the toilet cap base to the closet bolts on both sides.
12. Put the washer and nut back on the closet bolts. Secure them on both sides with the open-ended adjustable wrench. Take turns securing each side and do not overtighten to prevent damaging the toilet.
13. Use the mini hacksaw to carefully cut the closet bolts close to the nut.
14. Add the toilet cap to the closet bolt. It should snap right into the cap base.
15. Hand tighten the water connection back to the toilet.
16. Turn the water back on.
Resources:
Everything Richard used to remove and reinstall the toilet, including the sponge, bucket, wrench, and closet bolts, can be found at home centers and plumbing supply stores.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers-and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
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How to Change a Toilet | Ask This Old House
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I'm so happy I found this channel. No terrible acting or fake enthusiasm, just good solid information and explanations. Excellent camera work and multiple options for what to purchase at the hardware store.
Amazing value in this channel.
This is the second one for the basement bat. ruclips.net/user/postUgkxOuLt8IL_GxhhaK8DBuKEL-zV0UJVpWZn , works great
After you remove the toilet stuff a towel into the pipe opening to prevent gases from coming up and to prevent dropping a nut, washer, bolt ,etc. down the drain.
I wish every toilet 🚽 was in the middle of the room, far away from all walls. That would make changing the toilet so much easier.
Next house I buy I will make sure there is a toilet in the middle of every room.😂
@@USGrant21st on a pedestal to save your back! 😉
This reminds me of that dream people have where they must use the toilet, but it’s in the middle of the living room and they’re hosting a party.
@@irisharizona4187You have strange dreams.
Don't forget it's elevated too.
watching these make me feel like i'm a kid again, watching cartoons on a Sunday morning. it feels great to be a first time home owner!
6 weeks into being a first time home owner...so this channel has been great.
This Old House is an absolute American treasure for experienced home repair advice. Thanks for posting these helpful videos to RUclips!
Hi Team, I just changed my first toilet without any issue thanks to this video. Much appreciated! Love your show.
In the last 4 years did you find any issue?
THANK YOU My husband works do much that im tackling this project myself
First time homeowner (in 2023, yes we're crazy), 6 weeks into a new-to-us house and this channel is great. This video gave me everything I need to know in 6 min! There's other toilet replacement videos that are 25+ minutes long. Simple, clear, no bs instructions, perfect. I grew up with my dad watching This Old House on PBS religiously, and now I can see why he did. Thanks for such a great channel to follow.
Just changed my first toilet. Your video helped. Thanks!👍
Love your show, love the advice, even when I have done something many times before! I hate doing toilets, I’m not a plumber, but I always seem to be the plumber for family and friends! Thanks for all your great instructions and very useful advice.
Your videos is very helpful for me. My family planning to replace 2 toilet. Now it's seem we can do it by ourselves.
Thank you so much!
I’m 17 and my dad Mexican I’m about to do install toilets and change them and install sinks these videos really help so simple and easy !
This made me feel a lot better about changing my toilet. All I need is someone to help me get it up the stairs.
Julia Kendrick
Ha ha! I’m in the same boat - living on the 2nd floor.
My sister recently had her toilet replaced. $380! And that’s with the senior discount! 😡
Good job guys, but I would just add that make sure that your wax seal is at room temperature before setting the toilet, don’t ever set a toilet on a cold wax ring, there’s a good chance you may not have the proper seal because the wax will crush being cold.
1 minute under hot water takes care of that...i carry them in my van and do that winters.
Thats where the rubber one comes in handy
We're doing a master bath remodel ourselves. We've just finished the new custom tile shower, and are now doing the floors, so the toilet needs to move. For some reason, this job is the most daunting! This vid helped tremendously.
Where would I be without you guys. Thanks
AWESOME video! Thanks so much for this! Clear, concise, simple, just what I needed.
I've watched this video before replacing 3 toilets in my old house, super helpful.
I was freaked out about the whole seal area once I removed the old toilet... your step by step tutorial helped my anxiety tremendously! thanks!!!!!
Lifetime watcher of This Old House! Love these quick tutorials - gives the confidence to get the job done with some tips right at hand. Thanks SO much!! Toilet installed!!
Thank yall so much. Just saved 200 bucks on a plumber putting a couple new toilets in.
I always wanted a Throne next to my workbench. Great idea!
great explanation about the flange and nuts , other videos are rushing up this part.. Now i am ready to replace my slow flushing toilet!
This was so easy to do! Thank you so much, we were able to do this in under 30 minutes!
This was very helpful. Good job!
Great instructional video. Only thing I would do differently is to tape some kind of precautionary sacrificial material like a thin piece of sheet metal to protect the toilet ceramic when sawing the bolts.
best and easy one so far
I grew up watching this show. I trust them. Thank you for helping us everyday folk.
Simple demonstration goes a long way. Good job guys!
Goooood!! Explination, very educative vídeo
Nicely done
Awesome!
***feeling super confident***
so here goes - I’ll post a follow up here in a bit :)
My existing 25 year old unit didn't have caps and the bolts and nuts had rusted, so I used a jig saw to remove the bolts.
To capture the grease I used a small box of which the sides of the box were use to clean off the putty knife without need for "controlling" the messy rag.
So the screw stubs I hit once with a hammed and they popped loose and easily slide out of the slots.
Also in preparing for this operation for all you skittish people like myself, I turned off the water, flushed the toilet, poured about a 3rd of a container of bleach into the tank and flushed it and held the flapper open, let it set while I did other things. then came back later and poured the rest of the bleach directly into the bowl which flushed out most of the water.
then the next day, sopped out the tank and plunged out the bowl and then(see above) removed the whole unit with minimal spillage by myself and was bagging it up as I was lifting it and carted it out of the house with minimal mess.
I'm the kind of guy that not much goes right, but this was a breeze.
Can these guys just come over to my house and teach me how to do stuff? This was SO INFORMATIVE!!
Very easy, thank you
Wet/dry vac for water in tank.
MrMrl69 that’s probably what I’d use as well
Should’ve thought of that when I was removing mine earlier today...
Show is geared toward the average home owner doing repairs that may not own a wet vac
I am sure Tom owns a wet vac
And to vac the trap out
It's MUCH easier and faster if you use a wet/dry vacuum in order to get the water out completely, even the bowl. Many homeowners have one of these. Long time plumber here in Maryland.
A sponge and a turkey baster? Common' that just takes forever and is a time waster if you do this for a living. I install up to 6-8 toilets per week No joke.
In addition, try the "FluidMaster SetFast" closet flange bolts. Under $7 per set. They are self adjusting and never need cutting or breaking off. Makes for a really quick installation of your new toilet.
Just a little quick trick for you folks out there.
How much to install a toilet?
I agree with some of the commenters below. Anyone can do a toilet when everything is new and tidy. Not even a comparison between the wax seals and the newer synthetic ones. When it is this sanitized it just isn't helpful. Doug
Thanks job made easy!!
Definitely gonna impress my Mom with this new skill.....
Excellent job
I'm always astounded that when I replace or fix something like a toilet, appliance, or other item, that it actually works properly.
Great video !
Thank you very much very helpful
I just had to do this last weekend.
Richard is an expert in all toilet uses.
This video was a YUGE help! After a wild night of hot sauce chugging, one of the boys had to hurl, and ended up diving for the toilet so hard he broke the bowl with his face. I kicked him out of my house, but I had no idea what to do about the toilet. Thanks for posting.
he broke a toilet with his face? he should be invited back now.
How is your boy doing?
couple things:
1) usually you've to score (gently) around the toilet in order to break the seal of the caulk around the toilet base
2) use a large garden trash bag to put your old toilet on
3) like others have said, stuff a large old rag or shirt into the flange so sewer gas isn't coming up and it helps keeping you from accidentally dropping something down into the drain!
4) for the bolts, don't center them on the flange. Center them in your room. What he said is assuming the original plumb was nice enough to make sure the flange was center when they installed the toilet.
5) have the new wax ring at room temperature or so when you place it; I've heard of people leaving it in their car and it's cold outside and then place it and it leaks but it's not squishy enough.
6) if it's been awhile, probably not a bad idea to replace the supply line from the wall to the tank
7) if you're putt on a brand new toilet, make sure it'll fit. I put one in and with the baseboard and quarter round in the bathroom, it just barely fit into place
8) if you're not somewhat handy, I recommend hiring a plumber or make sure you have a second toilet in the house in case you run into an issue, like the flange is too low or something like that.
Where do you get that type of wax ring? Is that something Lowes or Home Depo would have?
The narrow slot for the closet bolts should be at 9 o'clock and at 3 o'clock, correct?
I would use that gell stuff called water lock or if you can’t find it in hardware stores floral water beads also known as orbez but from a craft store there less expensive
How about a wet/dry shop vac for getting water out?
You can also use a wet vac to empty tank and bowl
Toilet secured I loled so much you can see both the nut and the bolt moving .
Well that was an actual floor mount.. it was just a demo base..
Can't get enough of these two together hahahahhaha 1:25
Do I need to replace the wax if the toilet is brand new and only a week or so old? We are moving into a new home and I need to take the toilet off for a tile install right after settlement.
Are you suppose to add silicone caulk to edges?
I'm needing to replace an upstairs toilet and it's the original toilet... my house is 50yrs old... the water line from the wall to the toilet is straight line and not the flexiable tubing/pipe.... would it be difficult to change this out... just wondering if so, maybe I should let a plumber handle it? 🤷♀️ I've changed a toilet out before and found it pretty easy, just wondering about how complex that line would be. Thanks
Some people confuse the tank and the bowl? Really? I was using the wrong one all this time.
Actually laughed out loud at this one!
Best comment award, really man funny.
Google "upper decker"
I know that was a tv show prop toilet. Those floor closet bolts were loose as a goose mamma.
Goat for this video
three you go, you now have a toilet in the middle of your work shed
This guy is good
couldn't help but notice one of those bolts he was breaking off was still loose. it was moving around big time as he was trying o break it off.
Thats fairly normal. If you tighten the nuts to tight it will break out of the flange.
The bolts should be secured to the flanges not just with some little plastic washer
good video, thanks. I had a flooring contractor installing new floor replacement in the bathroom. I had water leakage and the floor was damaged. He removed the toilet and installed a new wax ring and used the existing bolts which ended up to be short because the floor was raised. He said I can buy longer bolts and without removing the toilet I can (1) remove old bolts and (2) install new bolts, just tilt the toilet. Is that correct? any chance to have leaks. [BTW, I replaced the floor because of toilet leak]
You cannot replace toilet bolts without removing the toilet and re-installing it with a new wax ring. You can end up with leaks and sewer gases entering your home. Don't get plumbing advice from flooring contractors. call a plumber.
Use a shop vac or hose from carpet cleaner to get water from tank and bowl....much faster
do you caulk around the toilet?
Does my flange have to be above the floor like here? I'm likely going to be 3/8ths of an inch below when I removed my current toilet.
Didn't show how to put tank on bowl. Does the gasket go on the tank or the bowl first?
Hold a bucket under where the cold feed enters the cistern and just undo the nut, that's a quick way to get the water out. Or, use a wet and dry vac to get rid of the excess water in the cistern.
Yeah i use a wet vac. I'm not sticking my hands in someone's toilet water to sponge it out😂😂😂
I drain the water out of the tank by unscrewing the fill valve and holding a bucket under the hole.
have you tried one of those new elastomer flange gaskets
Hey it's you!
@@plumbingstuffinoregon2471 Hi
@@jsnxbskscnskcnskcjbzjzjbvd I think so. If I remember correctly, it didn't work very well.
Can use plunger to get last of the water out of the bowl. Couple 2-3 pumps will do!
How do I fix loose kholer toilet lid? Its not the screws under caps that connect to bowl. Whole lid is loose in back near those screw. Whole seat wiggles. Help
What's the difference in using a wax or rubber ring?
How do you get those bolts off if they are rusted out and the bolt and nut turns?
They have an end that's skinny length wise and fat on the width. So spinning those bolts until the fat side lines up with the long part of hole. They should pop out
Is there an easy to way to get all the old wax off the flange>
what about a rag to plug the sewer pipe hole to stop the sewer gases from entering your nose
Those rubber funnel waxes will fail and also cause the toilet to not sit level. Use the wax only.
I am 17, have a test tomorrow, dont need to replace a toilet. WHY AM I WATCHING THIS??
because it builds your pride and self esteem.. and also because this is a good trade to follow should you not be interested in going to college.... and it pays better than most college educated jobs...
Because in my area we offer toilet change-outs at a $60 flat labour rate(+toilet). I bring in my cordless shop vac and clutched drill with 1/2 socket. I can change 2 toilets in a house in under 15 minutes from entering front door to cleaned up and collecting payment. $120 aint bad for 15 minutes work and a quick trip to a garbage bin
19 and buying a house, i plan on replacing most things in the house and completely fixing up. Im freaking out cause i wanna do all the renovating myself but i know im not going to do a good job
Congrats dude! I think for some stuff you definately need someone who knows how else you might be making some mistakes that turn out to be very big pains in the butt to fix later
so that you don't have to first learn this when you are 54 yrs old like I had to just learn today!
Right now trying to put one in lol
Moved from LA to TN in 2021 and the new house had the shorter small round bowls and I said F that. I bought 3 toilets for the house and the main ones used are downstairs and the upstairs hallway so i did those back to back and a year later ive yet to install the master bedroom toilet. I need to just get it done.
Great video, where do homeowners dispose off the old toilet? I'm pretty sure trash truck won't take it. Thanks.
Lakshay Grover just flush it down the new toilet.
I'm about to put a new toilet in my new, old house. The existing toilet has four (4) bolts coming up from floor. Not the usual two closet bolts. What should I expect to find when I take the toilet off? My new toilet only has the usual two bolts.
adapter ring to install
Why not use that new Rubber seal heard that is awesome from alot of peaple just wondering??
Show how to choose the correct size wax ring. What if you want to change the toilet how do you know the new one will fit.
drew money they're all the same
wax ring diameters are all universal..you will know what thickness you need once you pull up toilet.
whats the pro's thoughts on sealiing around base of toilet? I have seen plumbers suggest silicon caulk around the bottom of new toilet, others have suggested plumbers putty , others like this video don't put anything around bottom. I have replaced one toilet years ago, I used a bead of plumbers putty and that worked fine for me! thoughts anybody?
read the replies
Why do they make the wax brown, can they make them pink
I just clogged mine while watching this video on it.
If someone does a number 2 make sure it's flushed before unbolting from the flange
Age old question: caulk around the toilet - floor, or no? No caulk done here. Also old houses often see un-level floors, requiring shims to stop the toilet from rocking.
No
What if there was a leak under the toilet the wood holding the flange is rotted?
plenty of ways to repair flange
That toilet will be leaking very soon as you can see the closet bolt moving when you snap off the top.
still havent seen ANY video on youtube talking about how best to remove hardened wax from the underside of the toilet
Hemp , Lead .... Things are so much easier in Australia . The hardest thing is sitting the new pan on cement pad. Cast iron .... really ,
So much goddamn hate from the professionals, this information video was great pointing out what's necessary for basic toilet replacement. Assuming that you're not working on a piece of s*** house where everything is rotted.
Honestly it was perfect for me , never changed a toilet in my life till now, thanks to this video.
does that mean that you are not a pro? let me hear the pros thank you.
My closet bolts are loose. I cant tighten the nuts without the bolts spinning. Any advice on how to fix that?
Tighten the washer below the toilet.
Closet bolts should be secured to the flange by a washer, then the toilet goes.over them. Then toilet is secured to those bolts.
Ever wondered if you would get more views if you went with skipable, or 5 second commercials at the beginning of the video? The 15 second commercials just make me pick another video
Much faster with a shopvac to get all the water out.
Thanks a million zillion trillion......