Oh that was bad. Really bad. I'll just get to the meat and potatoes of the post and hope no one notices the title.
Most residential toilets have two main parts. The bowl and the tank. The tank is the upper part that holds the water - about 1.6 gals for the newer enviro-friendly toilets. The bowl is the part that holds the - well, you know. The tank bolts to the bowl using two long brass screws with large heads and rubber washers to keep it from leaking when it's filled with water. There is a large hole located between those bolts through which the water passes into a hole in the rear portion of the bowl when the toilet is flushed. That hole is sealed with a thick rubber gasket prior to the bolts being installed to make the tank and bowl one sealed, watertight unit.
Now, first we must turn off the water supply line by shutting off the valve located behind the toilet. It either comes from the floor or the wall. Once this is done, we flush the toilet to empty the tank. Remove the remaining water using a ladle and a towel.
At the bottom of the bowl on each side where the bowl meets the floor, there are two flange bolts that hold the toilet in place. Remove both bolts and lift the toilet straight up and take it directly outside to be cleaned if reusing or to be discarded.
On the floor where the toilet was located you will see a piece of plumbing known as the toilet flange which is attached to the drain pipe. This pipe is what carries the waste water from the toilet to the main sewer line. The large center hole is where the waste enters the line from the bowl. This connection is made water tight by placing a special wax ring over the large hole and the toilet outlet is centered onto it. This flange also has two locations around the perimeter. The flange bolts go through these holes, through the bottome of the bowl and are tightened to hole the entire assembly firmly in place. The old wax ring must be completely removed. Remember to plug the large hole on the floor with a rag or plastic bag because sewer gases will make you sick - and they really smell :).
The new toilet will come with directions on how to assemble. Once it is assembled, install a new wax ring to the location on the flange from which you removed the old one. The new wax ring should come with new flange bolts. Install them where the old ones were located. Set the new toilet straight down ond the wax ring so that the new flange bolts come through the holes in the bottom of the bowl. Tighten the bolts EVENLY and slowly - and only until the toilet is stable on the floor. Over tightening can crack the porcelain around the bolt holes. Now re-attach the supply line and turn it on slowly, being certain to check for leaks where the tank and bowl join and where the supply line connects to the bottom of the tank.
Once your satisfied you have no leaks, wait until the tank fills and shuts off completely. Make certain that the water level is supposed to be as indicated by the instruction that come with the toilet. Now flush the toilet. Let the tank fill and repeat the cycle another time. If the toilet is sturdy and there are no leaks.......congratulations.
I'm really not trying to be wordy but if something is not done correctly it will leak. I've included an instructional video to help you so I won't go into any further precautions, etc.
If the condition of the toilet is questionable it could save you time, money, and a huge head ache if you just replace it. You can buy whats known as a "toilet-to-go" from Lowes for about $100.00. This includes the wax ring, the fluid master (the mechanism that meters the water), flange bolts, Tank, bowl, and toilet seat. EVERYTHING.
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