Toilet Replacement DIY

Replacing a toilet is a great do-it-yourself project. Before you get started, here’s a list of the materials you’ll need:

-Toilet
-adjustable crescent wrench
-putty knife
-wax seal ring
-rags
-plastic grocery bags
-wet vacuum cleaner

To begin the project, shut off the water by turning the valve behind the toilet. Then flush the toilet to remove as much water as possible from the tank and bowl.

Use the crescent wrench to loosen the bolt attaching the hose to the water valve and remove the hose.

Next, use the wet vac to remove the remaining water from the tank and bowl of the old toilet. Remove the bolt covers from the base of the toilet and use the wrench to remove the nuts from the bolts attaching the toilet to the floor.

Once the nuts are removed, you can now lift the old toilet out of place.

TIP: Before you remove the old toilet, take some newspapers and paper towels and put them on the floor. When you remove the old toilet, place it on the newspapers and paper towels to protect your floor or carpet from the dirt and old wax ring on the bottom of the old toilet.

Now that the old toilet is removed, take the rags and stuff them into the plastic grocery bags. Then take the bag and put it firmly inside the drain. This will keep any sewer gases from coming up from the drain into your bathroom where you’re working. And the great thing about using plastic grocery bags AND rags, is that when you’re done with the next step, you can remove the bags by their handles and keep your hands from getting dirty.

Once the drain is stopped up, take a putty knife and scrape away the remnants of the old wax seal on the floor where the old toilet used to sit.

Now you are ready to install the new toilet. First take the plastic bag out of the drain. Take the wax seal ring, which looks like a doughnut,  and place it over the drain.

Take the toilet and lift it into place over the floor bolts and place it on top of the wax seal.
The weight of the toilet will flatten the wax ring and give your toilet a good seal.

Then reattach the nuts to the floor bolts to hold the toilet firmly in place. Using the crescent wrench, reattach the water line to the valve on the wall behind the toilet.

Simply turn on the water, flush the toilet, and you’ve upgraded your bathroom in about an hour.

What we used in our show segment.

The Sterling Windham Low Consumption Toilet is a high quality plumbing fixture.

The Sterling toilet is made of the finest Grade “A” vitreous china. Durable glass-like surface is non-absorbent for easy thorough cleaning. Scratch and chemical resistant surface ensures the gloss and colors will not fade.

The unit meets strict water conservation standards using only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, reducing waste water by up to 60-percent.

The Sterling toilet features a three bolt, quick connect system. Three brass mounting bolts with factory installed tank gasket make it easy to level and secure tank.

The Sterling toilet comes with chrome trip lever kit, bolt cap kit, tank accessory pack, float valve kit and flush valve kit.

Sterling’s low consumption toilets have a five year limited guarantee from the date of sale to be free of manufacturing defects that prevent one-flush cleansing of the bowl per ASME performance requirements when installed and operated per instructions packed with the product.