Toilet installation and repair

A toilet is a plumbing fixture and disposal system primarily intended for the disposal of the bodily wastes: urine and fecal matter.

Replacing or installing a new toilet does seem to be a daunting task, but it requires minimal plumbing skills. First one must buy a good toilet. Before you buy toilet, first check the distance between the wall and the closet bolts to know whether the existing toilet is a 12-inch one or 14-inch offset. Choose color of the toilet so as to match with the bathroom or you can select from wide range of colors and style.

Install Toilet

First and foremost, select a good toilet to be installed. Visit a hardware store or search online for the best product to meet your need and budget. Check for guarantees and warrantees. Once you have chosen the toilet you want to install, follow the easy steps to get the work done with minimal tools. Before installing, bring a new toilet gasket and two bolts of 5/16-inch so as to mount the bowl onto the floor flange, if these bolts are not available along with the toilet. First, remove the old toilet after shutting off the water supply to tank and then flush the toilet. Using a cloth or bucket, remove water which is left if any in the bowl and tank. Remove the connecting nut which connects the water line to the valve. Removal of the nuts holding the bowl can be done by using crescent wrench. After removal of nuts, remove the old toilet. The old bolts can be discarded as the flange which is exposed will be the base for mounting new toilet. Placing the new bolts measuring 5/16-inch in the holes which are located on flange, put the new toilet gasket onto the flange. The flat side should point up.

Then lower the new toilet bowl down on to the bolts and centering the bowl on the gasket or wax ring. This will create a seal. Tighten it by adding nuts and washers to the bolts coming out. Then install toilet's tank by pushing two mounting bolts measuring 5/16-by-3-inch through the holes on bottom of the tank and place washers below the bolt heads so as to make a watertight seal. At the place where the tank sets upon the toilet bowl, apply rubber gasket. Setting the tank over the bowl, thread the bolts in the bolt-holes. Bolt the tank level tightly. Screw the handle of the lift arm to install the new toilet-flush and then connect lift arm to the chain. The new toilet lid needs to be bolted to the bowl. Then, install new water line and turn it on to check for leaks. Try flushing also. If water accumulates, tighten the bolts. Use silicone caulk to keep the toilet clean and to keep the dirt out.

Repair Toilet

If the tank of the toilet leaks either the bottom of the ball cock must be leaking or the connection could be loose between ball cock and water-supply line. It could also be due to tank bolts getting corroded leading to seepage of water. First tighten the nut. If this does not solve problem, replace the ball cock. If this does not solve the problem, then the exterior water supply line must be leaking. Repair the connection by unscrewing the supply-tube coupling and replacing it with stainless steel line which is durable braided.

The coupling sizes should match. In case the shut off valve is found to be leaking replace it with steel one.

Thus, toilet installation and repair can be made easy by following the above-mentioned steps and can be done by anyone without much expert knowledge.

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