When it comes to upgrading your bathroom, your toilet is a good place to start. As a general rule, it is a good idea to get a professional plumber to do the job. However, if you are an avid DIY-er, fitting a toilet (and removing the old one) is probably the lowest-risk job that you can do; you might want to leave the rest to a professional. In this series we look at how you can fit a new toilet, and remove the old one, with no hassle.
If you are simply removing a toilet and replacing it with a new one, you will need:
- Screwdriver
- Silicone
- Wrenches
- Adjustable pliers
- Flexi-hose to supply the cistern with cold water. Your existing toilet probably has a flexi-hose, but it is worth buying a new one.
If you are installing a toilet in a new area, the process is a little more complex and it may be a good idea to get a reliable local plumber to quote for the work.
You may need to remove a toilet to replace the flooring, or you might want to replace it. Anything to do with toilets is generally going to be a fairly unpleasant job – you can make it slightly less unpleasant by making sure that you give the toilet a really good clean before you start (and you may want to use gloves, too).
1) Turn the water off
Before you start, you need to make sure that you have got rid of water from the cistern and bowl. Switch the water off at the isolation valve and flush the toilet. With the water off, the cistern won’t refill – flush again if there is any water still in the cistern and use a towel to get rid of the remaining water.
2) Disconnect the water pipe
Use your wrench to undo the flexi-hose feeding water into the cistern. It’s a good idea to hold a tub or towel underneath the pipe in case there is a bit of water left in it.
3) Remove bolts
Remove the bolts that attach your toilet to the floor. If silicone has been used to fix the loo, carefully remove it.
4) Detach the waste pipe
The waste pipe connects to the back of the toilet. Your loo should be fairly loose now – gently work the toilet free of the pipe. Once you have done, cover the exposed waste pipe with a bag and seal it with insulation or gaffer tape to prevent harmful (and smelly) sewer gases.
5) Check and clean
Without your loo, you can see if any flooring, tiling or piping needs to be replaced. You are now ready to fit your new loo! Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for next week’s instalment!