

If this sounds like a lot of steps, you should always feel safe to hesitate! You don’t want to end up without a functioning toilet if you get lost in the steps. If you want to do this yourself, you will be happy to know that the wax rings themselves are usually pretty cheap at about 10 each. Enjoy your porcelain throne! Make sure to test for leaks. Screw in the bolts, reattach the water lines and turn on the water.ġ1. It helps to sit on the lid and shift around to seal every area.ġ0. Check package for instructions and apply new wax ring.ĩ. Scrape off existing wax with a putty knife or similar tool.Ĩ. Disconnect the water supply line from the base.Ħ. You can do this with a wet/dry vacuum or with whatever towels or buckets you have on hand.Ĥ. Remove excess water from the bowl and tank. Then, use a large sponge to remove any leftover moisture from the tank and bowl so you have a dry working area. If you don’t have a wet/dry vacuum, a plunger can also work for this step. Use a wet/dry vacuum to soak up lingering water from the bowl. Made from a molded wax loop around a short plastic tube, wax rings are designed to fit almost any toilet and floor drain by conforming to the shape and size of. Next, flush the toilet to drain excess water from the tank and bowl. The shutoff valve should be behind the toilet, and you only need to give it a turn. Start by turning off the toilets water supply. Flush your toilet repeatedly until empty.ģ. 1.Once your materials are assembled, the first step is to drain the toilet. The valve might be a little stuck if you haven’t touched it in a while.Ģ. If you are not planning on installing new bolts, nuts, and washers, store the existing ones so they are not lost.1. If the bolt spins as you turn the nut, you will have to grasp the bolt with a separate pair of pliers while removing the nuts. Remove the nuts and washers from the bolts at the toilet base using an adjustable wrench. Use a hacksaw to cut the bolts about 1/2 above the nuts. Snap on the decorative plastic caps, and apply a bead of bath caulk around the toilet base and floor to provide for a sanitary seal. Be careful not to apply to much pressure on the china, because it may chip or crack. Using a hacksaw, carefully cut the brass toilet bolts to a height about ½ above the tops of the nuts. This can be done by inserting a flat head screwdriver under the edge of cap and gentle prying upwards. Remove the caps that cover the bolts and washers.

Place protective covering on the bathroom floor or bathtub, depending on where you will be placing the toilet while changing the wax seal. If toilet is caulked to the finished floor of the bathroom, score the caulking all the way around the toilet base with a razor knife. You should always consider replacing the toilet supply when replacing the wax seal. This will help when resetting the toilet after the wax seal is replaced. Tools and Materials Needed to Replace a Wax Ringĭisconnect the water supply tube from the toilet fill valve and the 3/8” compression nut. Some wax rings come in a kit that includes new mounting bolts.

If you are removing the toilet because of a leak at the base or water damage in the ceiling below, confirm the cause of the damage before heading to the store.If any colored water leaks into the bowl, replace the flapper. To test the flapper before turning off the water, tint the water in the tank with food coloring, and let it sit for 10 minutes. Fixing a leaky flapper can save hundreds of gallons of water a day. Once you drain the toilet tank and disconnect the water supply, it is a good time to replace the flapper.Toilet flange should set flush at the top of the finished floor. If that is the case, add a flange spacer to fill the gap. Replacing a sheet vinyl floor with something thicker, such as ceramic tile, can create a gap between the toilet and the toilet flange.

As a precaution, pick up a flange repair kit. Does your toilet wobble from side to side? If your toilet rocks enough for one side of the base to lift off the floor - even just a bit - you may have a broken toilet flange.What to Consider Before You Shop for Wax Ring Replacement Supplies A wax seal is used because it resists mold and bacteria and retains its sealing ability after years of use. Whenever you remove a toilet for any reason, you will need to replace the wax ring seal between the toilet and the toilet flange (sometimes called a closet flange) attached to the floor.
