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Disconnect Water Line and Remove Toilet — Remove the Old Toilet

Beginner3 hours

Part of project

New Toilet Installation: A Step-by-Step DIY Guide · Step 2 of 4

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In this video

Place a small tray under the water supply line connection at the base of the toilet tank to catch any residual water. Use channel-lock pliers or an adjustable wrench to unscrew the supply line from the toilet's fill valve. Once the line is disconnected and both bolts are cut, the toilet is free. Carefully lift the toilet straight up off the flange and move it out of the work area.

Goal: Remove the toilet from the flange

  • Have a second person help lift the toilet, as they can be heavy and awkward to handle alone.

Used in this video

  • Channel-lock Pliers — Loosening the water supply line nut.
  • Small Tray · optional — Catching residual water from the tank and supply line.
203.6K views3585 minutes
Korky Toilet Repair

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FAQs

What additional tools or materials, beyond the adjustable wrench and sponge, are highly recommended for a successful toilet installation?

A five-gallon bucket is crucial for collecting residual water from the old toilet. Also, have a utility knife for trimming bolt caps, rags for cleanup, and consider purchasing a new braided stainless steel supply line for optimal reliability and leak prevention.

What are the most crucial safety precautions and potential hazards I should be aware of during this DIY toilet installation?

The old toilet can be very heavy; always lift with your legs or ask for help to prevent back injury. Be extremely careful not to overtighten the mounting bolts or the tank bolts, as this can easily crack the porcelain fixture. Ensure the water supply is completely off before disconnecting anything to avoid water damage.

The project is rated 'beginner' with an estimated 3 hours. Is this realistic, and what factors might unexpectedly increase the project time or difficulty?

While 3 hours is a good estimate for ideal conditions, beginners should allocate more time, perhaps 4-6 hours, to avoid rushing. Rusted bolts, a damaged flange requiring repair, or discovering an uneven floor can significantly extend the project. Always be prepared for unforeseen challenges.

After installation, if my new toilet rocks slightly or I detect a leak, what are the most common causes and how should I troubleshoot them?

Toilet rocking often indicates an uneven floor or bolts tightened unevenly; use shims to stabilize if the floor is uneven. Leaks typically stem from an improperly seated wax ring, loose supply line connections, or an issue with the tank-to-bowl gasket (if applicable). Retighten connections carefully or inspect the wax ring if a leak persists at the base.

Transcript
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so you can see how the previous owner was just stupid because they never had those white caps on there covering those nuts you should always have those white caps on there I mean come on people they're only like three bucks you go to Home Depot they're right there take one second to click them on and that will keep all the water and humidity and God knows what other liquids come losing down the side of the bowl here from ever landing on those nuts and causing them to freeze up like that and that's the problem that we see way too many times all right so now what we're going to do is we're going to remove the hose from the bottom of the toilet here so you see how you got that nut right there so so with that you just use these channel locks here and just loosen the nut and whatever a little bit of water might be underneath at the bottom of the tank we'll just ooze out a little bit into this little pan here there should be too much just a few drops and now your toilet is completely disconnected and you can lift it up and move it out so here we are we got the toilet on the

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