How to remove the toilet yourself

Making repairs in the apartment, especially capital, each owner wants to install all new appliances and devices or move existing ones to another place. This rule applies in the bathroom and in the toilet. New plumbing is a completely new kind of similar premises. But you need to change plumbing fixtures carefully. If you make a mistake, then all the repairs go down the drain, and all the work will need to start again. This article will tell you how to remove the toilet yourself. Replacing this sanitary unit does not happen so often, so over time, skills can be lost, because many have to do it for the first time.

Preparatory stage

Preparing to remove the old toilet will not take you much time. The most important thing that every owner may like is that there is no need to block the common water riser. In most cases, the water to the drain tank is supplied through a separate hose, equipped with a tap. It is enough to close the valves and you can begin to carry out the work. Even if there is no such tap, then there are valves at the entrance of the water supply system to the apartment or house.

Tip! If the apartment does not work valves, then you must first prepare everything to replace it. Shut off the common riser, replace the tap in the apartment as soon as possible, and only then you can proceed to dismantle the toilet bowl.

First you need to take care of the preparation of all the necessary tools and materials. For work related to the removal of the old toilet, you may need:

• set of wrenches;
• hammer and chisel;
• scrap;
• hacksaw;
• pliers;
• rubber or woven gloves and goggles;
• a basin (or other suitable container) and a rag (old rags).

The first step will be the preparation of the workplace. Very often the toilet is installed in rooms with a small area. In order not to break all the shelves and other fixtures hung on the walls, it is better to remove them in advance.

Free up as much free space as possible. This is especially true if the toilet has not changed since the construction of the house. If the building is old, the plumbing fixtures were mounted firmly, using cement mortar. In this case, even a small shelf can significantly complicate the work.

Now you need to block the flow of water into the drain tank. This is done, as mentioned above, with the help of a faucet mounted on the branch pipe running from the plumbing to the toilet, or cutting off the water supply to the entire apartment. After blocking the flow of water drain the entire contents of the tank. Only after that you can start the main work.

We remove the old plumbing fixture

The dismantling of the old toilet bowl itself is carried out in several stages.

1. First removed the seat with a cover.
2. Then the cover is removed. This is done in different ways, depending on the model of the tank. Most often it is enough to unscrew the plastic nut that holds the trigger button (or lever).
3. After that, the removal of the drain tank. The process of removing it also depends on the model. If the toilet is more or less modern, the cistern is simply attached to a special ledge on the plumbing unit, and the nuts under it. In older models, the tank can be attached to the wall with bolts and nuts or screws. If so, then dismantle this mount.

Tip! Quite often you can see completely rusty bolts. In this case, it will be almost impossible to unscrew the nut. Here the Bulgarian or a hacksaw will help you. It is enough just to cut the bolt. This should be done carefully so that the tank does not fall to the floor and do not damage the flooring.

Next, carefully read how the old toilet is fastened to the floor. In the case of changing more modern plumbing, such fastening is done with a screwdriver, screws (or bolts) and sealant. If so, then further work will be as follows:

• With the help of a suitable tool (wrench or fasteners) unscrew the bolts.
• We take in the knife. Use it to cut a layer of sealant around the entire perimeter of the toilet bowl.
• After carrying out these works we slip the blade under the plumbing and raise a little. Strong strain is not worth it, so as not to break the knife.
• We take the toilet with both hands and gently try to loosen it. This should be done until you see the plumbing shift relative to the sewer pipe.

After the toilet has moved from its place, it is dismantled connecting it to the sewer. For this it is worth a little shake plumbing. As a rule, such a disconnection occurs quite easily. It is especially convenient to remove it, if the installation used corrugation.

Tip! After disconnecting the toilet from the sewer should not be immediately moved. The fact is that inside the plumbing unit, in the siphon, there is water. To remove the container, lift the front edge of the toilet bowl, before that putting a bowl or another suitable one under its exit.

After draining the rest of the liquid from the toilet, pour it into the sewer pipe. After that, the entrance to the sewer system should be plugged with a cloth so that the unpleasant smell does not penetrate the room. If you do not have a suitable rag on hand, you can use the usual one and a half liter plastic bottle.

At this dismantling the old toilet can be considered complete. It is enough to take out the plumbing to the dump (or in the garage, as a spare) and you can begin to install a new one. But this option of dismantling is considered the easiest. As a rule, such a case happens only in houses where the plumbing was installed not so long ago. If the toilet stood in its place for 20 years or more, various difficulties may arise.

Possible problems during dismantling

It is not always easy to remove the old toilet bowl with your own hands. If the device was installed more than 20 years ago, then all fasteners may rust. In addition, in Soviet times, toilet bowls were often embedded in a cement screed. In such cases, you have to spend more time and effort to remove it.

1. If it is not possible to unscrew the fasteners easily or the toilet is installed on the cement screed, you will have to break the base of the plumbing fixture. For this you need a hammer, chisel and crowbar.
2. Before starting work, it is desirable to remove all the water from the toilet siphon. This is necessary so that after the "destruction" of plumbing, you do not have to engage in cleaning of liquid dirt. Removing water from the siphon is done with a cloth. Rags just soaked all the liquid.
3. Begin work must be in gloves and goggles. Faience can be broken into small pieces that can easily injure unprotected parts of the body. Apply a few heavy blows with a hammer on the bottom of the toilet bowl. After that, you will immediately see the cracks that appear, and you need to apply subsequent blows to them. Scrap and chisel can be used for this job. Under such pressure, not one sanitary unit will stand.
4. After the base of the toilet is broken, you can start cleaning it. Next is the cleaning of the base of the remainder of faience and cement screed. If there are rusty bolts, they are cut with a grinder or hacksaw.

When dismantling the old toilet can take advantage of some tips from experts. Namely:

1. When dismantling, care must be taken to prevent fragments of the toilet bowl and cement screed from entering the sewer socket. If this happens, you will not avoid a serious blockage. That is why experts recommend immediately after disconnecting the toilet bowl from the nozzle to plug the last rag.
2. If there are plans to replace the entire sewage system, then it is possible not to stand on ceremony with the branch pipe. If old pipes from cast iron, they can be easily broken with a hammer. At the same time make sure that the fragments do not fall into the sewer riser.
3. The toilet bowl, as well as any product from faience, possesses rather big weight. Therefore, it is better to use help, and not to dismantle alone.
4. If the removal of plumbing passed carefully, the base and drain were not damaged, then you should not throw out the toilet. It can quite be useful for the equipment of a toilet at the dacha.

After dismantling, carefully clean the base under the toilet. If no further repair work will be carried out, then the new plumber will fall on the existing floor. If the cleaning is done poorly, the toilet will not stand firmly, which can lead to breakage. So, all the work will have to perform anew.

Video

Watch this video in which plumbers have to reinstall the toilet bowl: