- Your first task is to take out the old toilet. Turn off the water and flush as much water out of the toilet as possible. If you have a wet-dry vac, use it to vacuum out the remaining water. This will make the toilet lighter and cause less of a mess when you move it. You can then remove the water line from the tank and loosen the two bolts securing the toilet to the floor. Once this is done you should be able to lift the toilet off the bolts. Be careful where you set it down as the bottom is likely to have remnants of the wax ring, which will be messy.
- Once the old toilet is outside, clean the entire area. Be certain to remove any debris or remnants of the wax ring from the pipe flange. You will also want to be certain to replace the two floor bolts. If this was an older toilet, these bolts are probably rusted and frail. Most new toilets come with new bolts, so take a few seconds and switch them out. While the toilet is out, check the area for leaks or any sign of rotting wood. Now is the time to make any repairs that may be needed.
- You have a couple of choices when putting in the new toilet. You can secure the reserve tank in place before or after you mount the toilet to the floor. In will be easier to assemble it beforehand, but heavier to move. Very carefully place the wax ring in place so it will properly line up between the flange and the toilet bowl. As you lower the toilet onto the pipe flange, you will need to guide it onto the two floor bolts. Press down hard on the toilet to make certain the wax ring sets in place. (You can sit on the toilet to help add more weight to seat the ring better.) All that remains is to tighten the floor bolts and reconnect the water supply. Turn the water on slowly, checking for leaks as you do so. If there are no leaks, your toilet is installed and ready to go.
