sawing toilet

Step-by-Step

Note: Shut off the water. Flush the toilet, and remove remaining water with a sponge. Disconnect the water supply line, and unscrew the hold-down nuts. Often these are rusted tight. If penetrating oil does not loosen them, cut the nuts with a hacksaw. Lift the toilet out.

preparing toilet

Carefully remove the new toilet bowl from its container, and turn it upside down on a cushioned surface, such as a throw rug or folded drop cloth. Run a rope of plumber's putty around the perimeter of the bowl's base, and fit a wax ring (sold separately) over the outlet opening.

installing bowl

Return the bowl to its upright position, and gently set it in place atop the closet flange. Make sure the hold-down bolts align with the holes in the base. Press down on the bowl with both hands, and align it. Slip a metal washer and a nut over each bolt, and tighten slowly. Don't overtighten or you could crack the bowl.

tank

First, lay the spud gasket, beveled side down, over the bowl inlet opening. This forms the seal between the tank and the bowl. Or, slip the spud gasket onto the threaded tailpiece located at the bottom of the tank if you have the older-style connectors shown on Fixing Leaky Tanks and Bowls, Related Projects.

installing tank

Gently lower the tank onto the bowl, aligning the tank holes with those toward the rear of the bowl. Secure the tank to the bowl with the hold-down bolts, washers, and nuts provided with the toilet. Be sure that the rubber washer goes inside the tank under the bolt.

water supply

Complete the installation by hooking up the water supply line. The easiest way is to use a flexible plastic or chrome-braided supply line. Or use chrome-finished flexible copper tubing and compression fittings (see Using Compression Fittings, Related Projects).

flange extender

If your floor surface is more than half an inch above the closet flange (as will happen when you install new tile), you must extend the flange so it's flush with the floor. A closet flange extender with flexible gaskets and a plastic extender ring make up the difference. First, clean off old wax, insert new bolts, and slip on a flexible gasket and the extender ring.

The closet flange extender should fit flush with the surface of your new flooring. (If it does not, add an additional extender ring.) Add the second flexible gasket. This gasket takes the place of the wax ring. Most kits also include handy plastic shims for leveling the toilet once it is placed on the hold-down bolts. See Steps 1-3 for completing the bowl installation.

toilet seat

To remove an old toilet seat, lower the seat and cover, and pry up the little lids that cover the toilet seat bolts. Hold the nut from below, unscrew the bolts, and lift out the seat. Clean out the area around the bolt holes, and install the new seat by aligning the seat with the holes and installing the bolts. Screw nuts onto the bolts, and tighten the bolts just enough to firmly hold the seat.