Regardless of the reasons for installing new plumbing, a number of conditions must be met. Deviations from the instructions will lead to negative consequences and financial losses. Replacing the toilet in an apartment with your own hands is possible with the simplest skills and knowledge.
Before you change the toilet with your own hands, study the individual characteristics of the types of plumbing. Classification options include:
- tank design;
- material;
- the size;
- installation method.
The main selection criterion is the design of the upper. Manufacturers offer four options:
Such an installation saves space, fits perfectly into the design - a project of all styles. It has two drawbacks: the tank is made of plastic; repair requires disassembly of the wall structure.
Material
Before you replace the toilet with your own hands, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the characteristics. For manufacturing, 4 types of materials are used:
- faience;
- acrylic;
- porcelain;
- cast iron.
Faience in this group is the most fragile raw material with a low level of resistance to mechanical stress. The raw material basis is white clay with special additives.
To protect against the effects of an aggressive environment, faience is covered with a layer of glaze. The service life is 15 years.
Acrylic - light, strong, durable, resistant to high temperatures. Service life 30 years. Manufacturers offer glass fiber reinforced acrylic products. This gives extra strength.
Porcelain belongs to the premium price segment. Sanitary porcelain is a mixture of white clay and minerals. The dense structure, resistance to abrasion make porcelain products 10 times stronger and more durable than analogues made of earthenware and acrylic.
Cast iron in modern industries is used for manufacturing by individual orders of citizens or enterprises. Despite the increased strength and 50-year operational period, mass production of metal products is not carried out.
The size
Criteria has three parameters:
- Width. The factory standard ranges from 30 to 37 cm.
- Length. The minimum values are 45cm. Max-68 cm.
- Kit height. Measured from the bottom of the base to the top of the tank.
In the product description, the height of the bowl is also given in a separate line.
Installation method
By connecting the outlet to the sewer, there are three installation methods:
- vertical;
- horizontal (straight);
- transverse (oblique).
Vertical outlets are typical for old houses in which the sewer system was carried out under the floor. Since the late 1990s, a different principle has been applied. It is not possible to adapt a vertical outlet with modern plumbing.
Do-it-yourself toilet replacement in this case will require a major overhaul of the sewer system.
The horizontal withdrawal has been made since the beginning of the 2000s. The neck is installed parallel to the floor, and the sewer pipes are recessed into the walls.
The connecting corrugation or cuff when replacing the toilet is placed in a manner similar to the transverse one. The horizontal method is considered universal and hassle-free.
Transverse (oblique). It will also be used for sewers located at the base of the floor. It is named after the 45-degree neck angle required by the standards.
Kinds
There are two types of bathrooms:
- Suspended - suspended using a metal frame located in a wall niche. Complex structures. Installing them yourself is almost impossible.
- Floor - fixed directly to the floor with fasteners.
Preparatory work
Before you change the toilet yourself, remove the old one. If a new product is being dismantled, the process will not take much time. First, the water supply is shut off. Next, the bolts and the connecting tee are removed. Carefully remove the bowl and drain tank.
To change the toilet of the old model will require patience and accuracy. In houses that are over 30 years old, engineering communications are more complex. In addition, they suggested filling the joint with cement. Here they act step by step:
- Turn off the drain tank, drain the water, remove the lid.
- Unscrew the corrugation, collect the remaining moisture inside the water seal.
- Break the junction of the neck and the tee with blows, avoiding hitting the neck. The use of a perforator will speed up the process and improve the quality of work.
- Remove the toilet. Thoroughly clean the tee from cement.
Installation
Before installing the toilet in the toilet, make sure you have the tools necessary for the job. For dismantling / installation you will need:
- wrench;
- perforator;
- grinder (or hacksaw);
- chisel;
- a hammer;
- putty knife;
- sealant;
- corrugation.
The process of replacing an old toilet bowl includes two stages of development: assembly of the kit, installation.
Finished products are sold both assembled and disassembled. The assembly of the model is carried out in strict accordance with the accompanying instructions of the manufacturer.
- Installation begins with a temporary connection of the toilet to the sewer pipe.
- After leveling the product, the drilling points are marked with a marker. Plumbing is disconnected from utilities and removed to the side.
- The degreased, dried floor is drilled in the marked places.
- The tiles are drilled with a thin drill.
- The equipment is being installed.
- The tank is connected to the water supply through flexible wiring.
- Work is tested with the included water in order to detect possible leaks.
- Mounting bolts are inserted into the grooves and tightened to the stop.
If the toilet wobbles, then the surface is not properly leveled. To fix the defect will help the treatment of the base with a sealant.
Overhaul or cosmetic repairs of the toilet room rarely do without replacing the toilet bowl, because the reason for this procedure can be not only its deplorable technical condition, but also its moral obsolescence. At the same time, they are interested in the question of how to change the toilet bowl on their own, not only in order to save money, but for the purpose of personal control over the quality of the operation carried out by employees, because the toilet is a rather fragile thing, and its incorrect installation may not be detected at first glance. The skills of self-replacement of the toilet bowl will also be needed in the event of force majeure circumstances related to the performance of plumbing.
Preparing to replace the toilet yourself
Before you change the toilet absolutely independently, you must perform a whole range of preparatory measures:
- Turn off the water supply to the toilet tank by turning off the tap on the water main.
- Drain the water from the tank and, if possible, dry it with a washcloth, any towel.
- Now you can unscrew the inlet water flexible hose. Be sure to check its dismantling, because. very often they forget about it with a bold, sharp displacement of the toilet bowl, which can lead to unforeseen negative results: a break in communications, an injury to a plumbing fixture.
- We thoroughly rinse the toilet bowl and the sewerage itself, and then we select the remaining water in the toilet bowl water seal in any way. If this is not done, then when it is removed, all the “surprises” will be on the floor.
- We free up space for free movement and movement of the toilet, i.e. plan and calculate your way, because the device has not a small mass and dimensions.
After checking the absence of water in the water seal and the toilet bowl, as well as preparing the tool, you can dismantle the toilet bowl.
Required tool
To change the toilet yourself you will need a whole set of tools:
- A set of standard open-end wrenches, in particular, No. 10, 12, 13, 14 may be needed. Nuts and bolts of these sizes are used to assemble the tank and fix the toilet bowl.
- Pipe wrench No. 1, pliers and an adjustable wrench for unwinding plumbing communications.
- In addition, you may need a hammer, a chisel and a “grinder” with a cutting wheel to dismantle metal fasteners and break ceramics.
- At hand, you must have a set of screwdrivers, sanitary sealant, winding fum tape.
Do-it-yourself toilet dismantling
The toilet bowl has been cleaned, the space has been freed up, the tool has been prepared - which means that it is possible to dismantle the old device and install a new one.
- It is recommended to dismantle the toilet bowl with disassembly and removal of the tank, which will greatly facilitate the entire structure, therefore, first of all, try to dismantle the water tank, for which the mounting nuts are simply unscrewed and it is carefully removed. It is worth noting that compact toilets have a mount on the bottom inside the tank, and older models with a cistern attached to the wall usually have external fixators.
- Very often, the threads on the fasteners do not want to be unscrewed from the corrosive effects of water, so you will have to use a different tool, up to simply cutting off the fasteners.
- The toilet bowl itself is usually fastened with two self-tapping screws on the sole under protective plastic caps, which are easily removed by prying with a screwdriver. Most often, these fasteners are very problematic to unscrew from moisture, and it is necessary to work carefully, because. a metal tool can easily break the base of the toilet, which can provoke its complete destruction.
- Very old methods of installing a toilet with concreting a site and sewer communications sometimes force it to be completely destroyed to dismantle the device, which is very unsafe. You can try to unfasten the base of the toilet by breaking the screed along the perimeter of the “foot”, and with a problematic analysis of the old sewer connection, the ceramic neck is beaten off.
- The main task during dismantling is to remove the device in any way with the obligatory preservation of the integrity of sewer communications
Important: In any case, the operation of dismantling the old toilet bowl often turns into a "punitive operation" of an objectionable plumbing fixture. At the same time, special attention is paid to the integrity (there should not even be cracks) of the sewer tie-in, otherwise it will have to be replaced with the possible replacement of the entire riser. In addition, it is unacceptable to get ceramic remains of the toilet bowl or other bulky debris into the sewer. Therefore, hammer blows on cast-iron, steel or plastic communications are not allowed, and the walls of the pipe are cleaned carefully with a large-sized polyethylene plug blocking the passage.
Considering the question of how to change the toilet quickly, but still on your own, you need to remember that the process itself can take several days, because it is one thing to replace the toilet in an already renovated room (that is, just replacing a similar device), and another thing is this is a toilet refurbishment with the installation of a different toilet modification. Therefore, the installation of a new device can have two outcomes:
1. Simple replacement of plumbing with a similar one, when the dimensions and design for connecting communications are the same. To put the toilet into operation, it is enough to fasten it to the floor with a specialized set of mounting bolts, install the tank with its secure fastening (do not forget to correctly place the rubber seal), assemble and adjust the fittings for automatic filling of the tank with water, connect plumbing and sewer communications.
2. Installation of a new device with modernization requires preparatory work:
- Precise determination of the installation location of the toilet bowl in accordance with its size and laid communications.
- Checking the quality of the condition of the floor covering and its level relative to the sewer tie-in, i.e. new ceramic tiles must be laid evenly, while the sewer pipe of the new toilet bowl must be above or exactly at the level (but not below) of the tie-in of the sewer riser.
It is necessary to check and agree on the selection of adapters for connecting communications, for which flexible plumbing hoses and sewer adapter pipes with rubber seals are selected. It is necessary to pay attention to the length of the communication connectors, which should not be small. Corrugation is often used to simplify sewer connections.
The end of the process is the fixing of the toilet bowl to the floor and its complete assembly with the connection of all communications. Organize the initial start-up of water by smooth, partial opening of the tap, because. leaks may be detected, which will require an immediate shutdown of the water.
Advice: to improve the sealing of communications in places of prefabricated units, use silicone sealant, just remember that it takes time to cure, so you will have to wait a couple of hours before performance testing.
Properly installed plumbing equipment can work for years. However, everything has a certain service life and there comes a time when it becomes clear that the replacement of the toilet bowl is inevitable. For many, this procedure does not cause much trouble: you just need to call one of several dozen companies involved in the provision of plumbing services, and the masters will carry out all the work in a matter of hours. However, for a number of reasons this may not be possible and then the equipment will have to be changed independently.
What needs to be prepared before work?
First of all, you should buy a new toilet. To do this, you should understand the design and dimensions of the old one. We measure the room in detail and carry out a simple drawing, on which we indicate the installed toilet bowl and the sewer and water pipes connected to it. We check the angle of the drain neck. It is usually 45°, but it is better to check this again. If such work is to be carried out for the first time, and there is very little experience, you can take a picture of the structure with your phone before going to the store in order to consult with the seller regarding the type of new device.
Choosing a new toilet based on the drawing and photo will be much easier. We pay attention to the dimensions of the device, shape and design features. On sale you can find devices with different depth and shape of the bowl, the slope of the drain hole and flush designs. Let's not forget about design. Among the various shades and materials, you should choose the best option for your room. Other things being the same parameters of the device, it is worth giving preference to equipment from well-known companies that produce better products.
A marker will be needed to mark the design. It is lowered into the mounting holes and marked on the floor for the holes, then the device is circled around the contour
In addition to the toilet, you should purchase a small set of items necessary for installation:
- Water hose. Its length is measured according to the old part, the new one is taken with a small margin.
- Toilet mounts. They may come with the equipment, but if not, they need to be purchased.
- Flexible corrugated pipe or corrugation that connects the toilet to the sewer.
- Cistern. You should check the contents of the tank. If the drain system is not included, it will have to be purchased separately.
You will also need silicone, but not acrylic, sealant, white or transparent, as well as fum-tape and gaskets for water pipes. Of the tools, you can not do without a puncher with a set of drills, it can be replaced with an impact drill with drills, a hammer, a set of screwdrivers and wrenches, a marker, a sharp knife and a chisel. Having prepared everything you need, you need to think about how to remove the old toilet.
Dismantling of the old structure
Before starting work, it is worth preparing buckets and a large amount of rags. We start by disconnecting the water pipe from the drain tank from the device. Drain as much water as possible and open the tank. The toilet is ready for dismantling. If he is already very many years old, then most likely he was installed on the solution. In this case, you need to prepare for the fact that it will not be possible to remove the device whole. Especially if its neck is packed with rags with paint.
Among the recommendations on how to remove the toilet easier, you can find advice to start work from the drain neck. It really is. It is best to hit the neck hard and, splitting it, disconnect the device from the pipe. In addition, the vibration from the impact will slightly shake the base of the structure, fixed in the solution, which will facilitate further work. Important note: Do not hit directly on the sewer. If it is cast iron, which is the case in most cases, it is very easy to split it, which will lead to additional problems.
Shards of the old toilet should be carefully removed. We clean the neck of the sewer pipe from dirt, otherwise it will be impossible to carry out high-quality sealing of the new device
Having broken the neck, we begin to disconnect the device from the floor. If it does not lend itself to swinging and does not move, we take a hammer and with a chisel we begin to chip the structure from the base. It is possible that as a result of these works, water will flow from the broken device. It must be collected with rags in a bucket. We break off the fragments of the toilet bowl, remove the remnants of the solution in which it was fixed and, if possible, equalize the floor. We clean the edge of the sewer from fragments of the neck. It is best to do this with old screwdrivers or use a chisel. The operation is carried out very carefully so as not to damage the pipe.
Ways to install new equipment
After dismantling the old toilet, you should repair the floor, if it was supposed to, or just level it as much as possible before installing new equipment. There are several ways to install a toilet bowl.
Method # 1 - installation on taffeta
This is the traditional way to install a toilet. For him, you need taffeta, the so-called hardwood board, carefully oiled. It is laid in the floor under the base of the device so that it is flush with the floor covering or rises slightly above it. The wooden base should be securely fastened to the anchors and the resulting recess should be filled with cement mortar. After the surface has completely dried, you can proceed with the installation of the device.
Taffeta, a carefully oiled hardwood board, is installed in the floor in place intended for the toilet. A layer of solution is applied over it
The outlet of the equipment is connected to the fan pipe, then to the socket of the sewer pipe. All connections are treated with sealant and sealed with tow. The equipment is installed in the right place and firmly fixed with screws, under the heads of which rubber washers must be laid. The drain tank is mounted and the tightness of the system is checked. The device is ready to work. It should be noted that this method of dismantling and installing the toilet is perhaps the most time-consuming compared to others.
Method # 2 - glue connection
As practice shows, plumbing equipment can be installed using epoxy glue. To do this, the contact surfaces must be carefully prepared. They are cleaned and degreased with white spirit, solvent or acetone. They make them rougher, re-degrease and dry.
After connecting the outlet of the device and the sewer system, an even thin layer of epoxy adhesive is applied to the supporting surface. The toilet bowl is installed on the prepared place and pressed to the floor with force. After that, they are kept until the glue is completely cured, which will happen no earlier than after 12 hours.
Method # 3 - mounting on dowels
Mounting the toilet on dowels involves mounting the device directly to the floor, without first installing any structure under its base
The most practical way to change the toilet can be considered the method of mounting on dowels. During the work, the following operations will be performed:
- Sample device. We install a toilet bowl on the prepared base and check the coincidence of the height of the neck and the sewer pipe, the angle of inclination, etc. If there are discrepancies, we make the necessary adjustments.
- Let's mark up the structure. We measure the width of the room, find the middle or axis of the toilet bowl. We install a device on it at a distance of 10-15 cm from the socket of the sewer pipe. We insert the marker into the mounting holes and make marks for the holes, circle the base.
- We collect the drain tank. In accordance with the instructions, we assemble the device, after which we attach it to the toilet bowl. For complete confidence in the quality of the work carried out, you can re-install the device in place, connect it to the sewerage and water supply and conduct a test run. After making sure that everything is in order, we drain the water and continue to carry out work on replacing the toilet with our own hands.
- Preparing mounting holes. Using an impact drill or puncher, we make holes in the intended places. We hammer plastic dowels into them.
- We seal the corrugation. We wipe the pipe dry with a rag and apply silicone with a richly wavy strip on the ribs of the gum, which will be hidden in the sewer. We carry out a similar operation from the opposite end of the corrugation, lubricating the area that is put on the toilet neck.
- We connect the device to the sewer. We insert the corrugation to the edge of the gum into the sewer pipe, and on the other hand we firmly put it on the outlet of the equipment. On the toilet seat, which was previously outlined with a marker, we lay a special rubber gasket or apply a thick layer of silicone.
- We install equipment. We put the device on the prepared place, press it and fasten it to the floor. We remove the excess silicone squeezed out during installation with a wet finger, passing it along the contour of the device.
Installation completed. It is possible to carry out a test run of water. If the work is carried out correctly, the tank is filled to the desired level and the flow of fluid stops. Overflow does not occur. After draining the water, the cycle repeats. You should also check that the equipment is not leaking anywhere. If so, then the installation can be considered successfully completed.
Recommendations on how to change the toilet with your own hands are quite simple. Even a novice plumber can perform them. You need to carefully study the instructions, prepare everything you need and without haste to carry out all the installation steps. The result will delight all households. A properly installed toilet will serve you well for many years to come.
Toilet replacement is required when the old product becomes unusable. More often, the dismantling of an old toilet bowl and the installation of a new one are in demand in houses with a long-standing building, where all communications need to be updated. Self-replacement of the toilet bowl and other parts of the labor is not. However, it assumes possession of basic skills in working with a tool (perforator, drill, etc.) and the ability to fill and lay tiles. How to install a toilet in a private house with your own hands, read and watch the video tutorial below.
Removing an old toilet
Dismantling and installing a toilet bowl in a private house or apartment is a common thing for plumbers, but for ordinary people, such a procedure can become a real problem.
Often the question arises, how to remove the toilet, which is out of order. Dismantling the toilet includes:
- Turning off the water.
- Disconnecting the cold water supply from the toilet. The dismantling of the flexible piping is carried out with an adjustable wrench. If from metal: saw off a piece of pipe and unscrew it, attach a flexible eyeliner.
- Dismantling the old device: the old product is freed from the fasteners (the screws are unscrewed, the cement is knocked down).
- Then you need to drain the water from the toilet, slightly tilting it back.
- The device is disconnected from the corrugation and the socket, for which the latter is cut to the desired size, and a new corrugation is installed.
In general, this dismantling of the toilet can be considered complete. Dismantling an old toilet is not so easy to do, since not every product can be removed just like that. It happens that the device is already staggering and can be removed by simply disconnecting it from the sewer riser and from the water supply. But in "Khrushchev" often things are much more complicated.
Santekhpribor is often embedded in the floor. And it's almost impossible to get it out of there intact, so they break it first. This is how the toilet is replaced in an apartment of the Khrushchev era. Many homeowners do the same today. Therefore, the question often arises, how to change the toilet with your own hands?
Do-it-yourself toilet replacement requires certain actions and caution. The dismantling of a toilet bowl that has served its time involves the removal of a cast-iron tee. The latter is equipped with two outlets: 10 cm each - for the device itself, 7.5 cm each for other sewer pipes. Since the pipes will be completely replaced with plastic ones, a 5 cm tap will be necessary so as not to install a reduction in a metal tee.
The dismantling of the tee is expedient because of its large dimensions. After all, the plastic product is much more compact. The dismantling of the existing tee is carried out with the utmost care, careful loosening and so as not to harm another tee located in the sewer riser. Now you know how to dismantle the toilet or change the product yourself.
Please note: not every leak of the device requires its replacement, it is often enough to change only the corrugation or tank.
Replacement of individual equipment
Before you remove the old toilet and replace it, check if it may not need to be completely dismantled. Sometimes it is enough to change only some of the failed elements: change the drain, corrugated pipes, tank or fittings.
Consider how to install a flush tank on the toilet if it needs to be replaced:
- First, turn off the water supply.
- Then the water is drained from the tank.
- After that, unscrew the hose from the valve or tank, and then remove the fixing bolts of the tank with the toilet.
- We dismantle the old tank.
- The installation site of the new drain tank is carefully cleaned from traces of rust.
- Now the new tank is bolted to the toilet shelf and sealed with gaskets.
- When the replacement of the old toilet cistern is completed, fittings are installed in it, which is also sealed.
- Lastly, a flexible hose is screwed to the float valve and the water supply is turned on.
5 simple steps to change the corrugation on the toilet:
- First of all, you need to pump out the water from the pipe, slightly raising it towards the drain.
- Then it is necessary to remove the old corrugation, removing the dried sealant, cement and the old outlet in the socket with a chisel.
- After that, you need to thoroughly clean the sewer socket and outlet from any dirt and debris.
- We wipe the inner edges of the socket with a dry, clean cloth and apply a sealing solution.
- Then we apply sealant on one edge of the corrugation and install it all the way into the sewer socket. We put the other edge on the toilet drain, and seal all connections.
That's all the subtleties of installing a corrugated pipe on the toilet. If desired, everyone can independently replace it, putting a little effort and diligence into this matter.
Watch the video tutorial on how to replace the fittings in the cistern:
Preparatory work for installation
Regardless of what will cover the floor (tile or regular screed), you need to wait for the mixture to dry on the floor surface. This will take approximately a week. This is due to the fact that the toilet bowl is fixed by means of fasteners and dowels, under which a reliable and solid base is required. In this situation, a hardened solution will act as a similar base.
The next step is to prepare those involved in the communication installation process. The area where the drain will be connected must be cleaned in advance of various contaminants and salt deposits. Otherwise, it will not work to connect the toilet to the sewer riser as needed. That is, the corner or corrugation in the outlet cup will not sit tightly, and a leak will definitely appear.
Even at the point of connection of the drain tank, a tap should be installed so that it is possible to carry out repair and cleaning work with incomplete shutdown of water.
Do-it-yourself toilet installation
Installing, replacing or assembling a toilet bowl yourself consists of the following steps.
- Before you put the toilet, install a plastic tee into the outlet of the sewer riser. This action should not cause difficulties if the outlet glass has been thoroughly cleaned. If the tee is pushed too tight, it is recommended to lubricate it with any detergent.
- This is followed by installing the toilet in its original position and connecting it with corners or a corrugated hose to the riser. At this stage, it is necessary to assess how much in this position it will fit into the bathroom: is there enough space to open the door inward, will it be comfortable for a seated person. This position is outlined with a pencil or marker. Having marked the points of attachment of the product to the floor surface, the toilet bowl is removed.
- At the marked points, holes are drilled for the toilet fixing dowels. Usually their sizes are 10-12 mm. It often happens that the set does not include a 12 mm drill (the dowel is exactly 12 mm), then you should, without hesitation, boldly change the dowel to 10 mm. Use a drill with a diameter of 10 mm. A 12 mm dowel bolt is also suitable for a smaller volume of parts.
- Having placed the dowels in the holes, they connect the device to the riser. Make a small roll of the toilet to the side. A silicone sealant is applied along the previously drawn line, and the installation of the toilet bowl is completed by putting it back.
- The installed plumbing is pressed with bolts very carefully to prevent pinching. After that, the bolts are covered with decorative caps.
- Then the tank is attached to the toilet. The tank itself does not require assembly, since this has already been done in the factory. At the same time, do not forget to use the rubber gaskets included in the kit.
- In turn, tighten the clamp bolts in the toilet. The first is clamped so that a clear skew of the tank is felt. Next, press the hand on top and align by tightening the second bolt.
- To connect the tank to the water supply, use a high-quality hose. It is not recommended to choose rubber products with a metal sheath for these purposes. The sheath can be corroded by rust, as a result of which the hose will break in this place. It is most expedient to purchase a reliable metal-plastic or products in a metal corrugation.
- After connecting the device to the water supply, unscrew the tap and wait for the tank to fill. Controlling the drain.
- When the drain connections are wetted, the hose or corners are removed and wiped dry. After processing with silicone, they are put on again.
On this, the installation or assembly of the toilet bowl with your own hands is considered complete.
