How to Replace an Old Floater Type Toilet

Turn off the water to the toilet and remove the lid from the tank. Flush and hold down the handle to empty the tank as much as possible, then sponge the remaining water into the bowl.

Unscrew the supply hose from the valve connection under the tank. It's probably a good idea to replace the supply hose along with the toilet, so unscrew it from the shutoff valve with adjustable pliers. Put the sponge under the tank to catch the water that drips out.

Pry the caps off the anchor bolts at the bottom of the bowl with a flat-head screwdriver and unscrew the nuts. The nuts may be frozen, making this difficult. If so, spray them with lubricant. If that doesn't work, cut the bolts just under the nuts with a hacksaw. Having someone sit on the toilet pushes it into the floor and gives you more room under the nuts for the saw.

Prepare a place to put the toilet by setting out a layer of plastic, and lift it off the bolts. You may need someone to help you. Keeping the toilet upright, set it down on the plastic. Later, you can take it outside and dump out the water by turning it on its back.

Put on rubber gloves, scrape the old wax off the toilet flange with a putty knife, pull out the old bolts and discard them. Deposit the wax on a sheet of newspaper so you can throw it away. Examine the conditions of the flange and the subfloor. This is the time to make repairs, if needed.

Assemble the new toilet by connecting the tank to the bowl with the bolts provided. Some plumbers prefer to do this after the toilet has been anchored to the floor, but you have more room to work if you do it before.

Fit the heads of a pair of new brass toilet bolts under the tracks in the flange and arrange them across from each other. Put a new wax ring into the flange with its tapered side down.

Lift the old toilet over the flange and guide the bolts through the holes as you set it down. This is another task that may require a helper. Push down on the bowl to compress the wax. Sitting on the bowl facing the wall and rocking back and forth is a good way to do this.

Slide a washer and a plastic cap holder onto each of the bolts and screw on a nut. Tighten the nuts with a wrench. Avoid cracking the bowl by tightening the nuts alternately and stopping as soon as the bowl no longer moves. Cut off the ends of the bolts with a hacksaw, fit a cap over each one and snap it to the cap holder.

Hook up the water by screwing on a new hose. Be sure to get one that fits your shutoff valve. Turn on the water and let the tank fill, then check the flush. Make any needed adjustments to the float or flapper chain.