How to install a toilet with your own hands

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If there is PVC sewage in the house, you can do it in a couple of hours. Cast iron will take longer.

1. Prepare materials and tools

You will need:

• toilet bowl with cistern and fittings;
• a set of fasteners and a flexible hose;
• eccentric cuff or corrugation;
• adapter collar 123 × 110 mm (for connection to a cast iron socket);
• gas burner or construction hair dryer (to disconnect the cast iron pipe);
• tile glue or repair compound (for sealing a hole in the floor);
• hammer drill or hammer drill;
• drill for concrete with a diameter of 8 or 10 mm;
• drill for tiles 8 or 10 mm;
• a set of wrenches and a hacksaw;
• hammer and dowels;
• tape measure and marker;
• screwdrivers and knife;
• silicone sealant and rags;
• bucket and sponge;
• multipurpose grease WD ‑ 40 or similar (if necessary).

2. Dismantle the old toilet

If you are installing a new toilet, and not changing, go to the next step.

Turn off the tap at the entrance to the tank or (if not) the tap at the entrance to the apartment. Remove the hose and then press the drain button. Collect a bucket of water and quickly pour it into the toilet to flush the remaining impurities inside the siphon down the drain. Use a sponge to remove the water from the bowl.

Unscrew the toilet fixing screws that secure the toilet to the floor. Use a sharp knife to cut the sealant around the base of the bowl. Remove the corrugation from the siphon outlet and move the toilet aside. And plug the sewer bell with a bag or rag so that the smell does not penetrate the room.

If the plumbing is very old, the dismantling process will be more difficult. First unscrew the mounting bolts, spray them with WD ‑ 40 if necessary. Then, with a screwdriver, crush the cement embossing along the perimeter of the cast-iron sewer pipe, preheating it with a burner or a construction hairdryer, and remove the toilet.

Sometimes it is easier to split ancient plumbing with a hammer or puncher, and then remove the fragments from the sewer pipe. When deciding on drastic measures, do not forget to wear safety glasses.

Use a puncher to knock out a wooden stand and remove all debris. Use a repair compound or tile adhesive to fill in the recess and wait 6-12 hours until it cures completely.

3. Assemble the tank fittings

Unpack the toilet and read the instructions carefully. Spread out all the pieces on cardboard from the box so as not to scratch the tiles on the floor. Slide the tapered gaskets over the threads of the drain and filler valves with the narrow end towards the holes.

Reinstall the valves and tighten with the plastic nuts by hand, then another quarter turn with a wrench. Make sure that the drain valve does not touch the walls of the tank (otherwise the float will stall and will not block the water when filling). To do this, check its movement by hand or turn the tank over.

4. Place the tank on the bowl

Place the largest rubber pad on the toilet shelf and place the cistern on top, aligning the mounting holes. Slide the tapered washers over the bolts with the narrow side down and insert the fasteners into the holes.

Install plastic and metal washers underneath, and then tighten the nuts evenly by hand so that the reservoir fits without distortion. Place the lid on the tank, insert and hand tighten the drain button.

5. Try on the toilet bowl

Next, decide on the location of the new toilet. Move the bowl into place, try to sit down. To save space, you can press against the wall as much as possible, but not close - it is advisable to leave a gap of 2-3 cm between it and the tank.

Align the drain with the sewer socket. If you are using a straight pipe for connection, measure with a tape measure and cut the required piece. Remove the burrs around the edge with a knife. If you use a corrugation or an eccentric cuff, try on how they become.

6. Connect to the sewer

Remove the bag or rag from the drain. Lubricate the O-ring in the flare with soap or detergent and insert the pipe into it, and then into it the toilet bowl drain. Install the corrugation or eccentric cuff in the same way.

On an old cast-iron sewer, first insert a special transition collar with a diameter of 123 × 110 mm into the cleaned and greased with sealant socket. For reliability, you can additionally coat the joint of the plastic pipe with the cuff with silicone.

7. Attach the toilet to the floor

Slide the bowl into place and mark the mounting holes on the floor with a marker. If there are hidden brackets in the toilet, circle the lower part around the perimeter, and then measure the required distance from the edges according to the drawing in the instructions.

Drill holes in the floor. First, tile with a special ceramic drill, and then concrete with an appropriate drill. Remove dust and insert dowels into the holes.

Apply silicone with a snake around the perimeter of the toilet, not reaching the edge of 2–3 cm, and wait about 20 minutes until it hardens slightly.

Then put the plumbing in place and, putting plastic washers on the fastening bolts, tighten them with a wrench. Do not overdo it so that the ceramic does not burst - it is better to tighten the fasteners later if necessary. Place the decorative caps over the bolt heads.

Fill the junction of the bowl with the tiles with sealant. Remove excess with your finger or tissue and let dry. It is better to use transparent silicone, as the white will turn yellow and dirty over time.

If there are underfloor heating pipes under the tiles or it is not possible to drill the tiles for other reasons, you can simply glue the toilet bowl to the silicone.

To do this, the surface must be perfectly flat, clean and dry, and before using new plumbing, you must wait at least a day until the sealant has completely solidified.

8. Connect to the water supply

Use a flexible hose to connect the filler valve union to the tap next to the tank. Position the hose so that kinks and strains are avoided. Tighten the nuts with a wrench, but not very tightly - they only press the rubber gaskets.

9. Install the toilet seat

Assemble the cover hardware. If the mounts have left and right marks, do not mix them up. Insert the rubber grommets into the holes, install the eccentrics on top and adjust the distance between them according to the width of the toilet seat holes.

Tighten the mounting bolts with plastic washers from below. Put the decorative pads on the rubber part of the eccentrics and install the cover on them until you hear a click.

10. Check all connections

Open the tap on the tank, wait for it to fill and make sure the valve is shutting off the water supply. Press the drain button. Make sure that there are no leaks on the nuts of the flexible line, as well as the connection of the drain to the pipe or corrugation and the drainage outlet.