Toilet removal

IvanDobskey

IvanDobskey

IvanDobskey

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Joined
2 Feb 2010
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Crowmarsh
Ok, so the previous owners did a half assed job laying the bathroom tiles straight on to the floor boards. So of course they came loose and cracked. So I want to remove the toilet, pull the old tiles up and lay some luxury vinyl planks. Is removing the toilet a DIY friendly job? Or do I need to get a plumber in?
 
IvanDobskey said:
Ok, so the previous owners did a half assed job laying the bathroom tiles straight on to the floor boards. So of course they came loose and cracked. So I want to remove the toilet, pull the old tiles up and lay some luxury vinyl planks. Is removing the toilet a DIY friendly job? Or do I need to get a plumber in?
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Really easy, especially if the cistern feed has an isolating valve. YouTube will guide you.

Took out mine for new floor during my lunch as was working from home. 15 mins, no need to get changed and that included taking it to the garage.

You may need something to drain the cistern if you want an easy clean up, I stole one of the kids water pistols…!

(I’d also keep the pan connectors in the floor, don’t be tempted to take them out to fit the floor/redrill.

As long as you cover the majority of the pan, you’ll have no issue if you need to change the toilet in the future)
 
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Super easy. Viva la wet and dry vacuum if you have one. Isolate water feed, push/squash remaining pan water through the waste pipe, vacuum out whatever is left - then it is just a dry ceramic lump.

This is ofc if you have an isolation valve on the water feed.
 
Protip for anyone else reading - if there isn't an isolation valve, now is the time to cut the water supply and install one! It's a 10 minute, £5 job and it's absolutely essential for future plumbing emergencies jobs.

Don't forgot to seal over the open waste pipe with a plastic bag or proper cap, or you can expect your drain stench to travel up into the house.
 
Sometimes it is easy but mine was a nightmare -Needed it up to tile floor (concrete) so took pipes off and undone eveything and it wouldn't move -Loads of cussin and levering and bingo -It broke in half - whoever fitted it turned it upside down and filled it full of mortar mix then flipped it over and screwed it down.
Big panic scramble to find a cheapo till finished tiling.
 
Depending on the type of toilet you have it should be straight forward.

If you have to detach a braided hose or any pipe from the end of the isolation valve, of course grip it (the valve) in the middle with something to stop it spinning and rotating loose at the live end.

If your cistern is fed via a service valve and has a fibre washer, I would replace this before refitting (the washer). Don't over tighten the nut on to the bottom fill valve when re-fitting the toilet. If it's plastic, you'll strip the thread and it will not seal and will leak. If it's brass the nut will split and it will not seal and will leak.

A sponge is a good way to remove any excess water from inside the cistern. Then tilt the toilet in to a bowl to remove whats left in the pan.

I wouldn't detach the cistern from the seat as it's likely not necessary.

Most couplings to pan connectors are just push fit, either in to the wall or the floor.

Turn the mains off if you're not confident when handling the isolation valve.

Any screw heads in side the cistern fixing it to the wall are likely rusted and might need to creativeness to remove.
 
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Thanks for all the tips :)



Picture of the isolation valve, should be ok to undo? I guess it pulls out after turning the screw?
 
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Yeah those isolation valves are a bit of a cop out, as they don't really let you service the full bits that may need servicing.

You may want to grab a new flexi just so you can pinch the rubber washer out of it (or find a pack of rubber washers). Odds are it'll be fine, but if it gets pinched it'll be knackered.

(That's all on the toilet end).
 
IvanDobskey said:
Thanks for all the tips :)



Picture of the isolation valve, should be ok to undo? I guess it pulls out after turning the screw?
Click to expand...

dLockers has answered you but turning the screw, I think you mean turning the flat headed section of the valve? This just closes the valve and shuts off the water to the cistern.

Close the valve then use an adjustable spanner to release it from where it joins the bottom of the cistern. Lefty loosey.

If you ever needed to change this valve completely you would need to isolate the main supply to the property. Then grip the middle of the valve with some mole grips (just enough) and use a spanner on the nut you can see on the bottom joining the copper pipe.

Then you'd need to remove the olive, clean up the end of the pipe and then fit the new nut then olive and then offer up the new isolation valve before tightening.
 
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Cheers all for the tips :) I'm pretty confident I can do the job without a plumber now.

I tend to stay away from plumbing, although I almost convinced myself to try changing a radiator recently, only to bottle out and get a plumber in :p
 
Just as a note that scew is a quarter turn and it's off, it wont stop you from turning it 360. You'll need it bang on to stop the water entirely. Flush the toilet and you'll see if it's stopped filling
 
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