| In
This Article:
A wax bowl ring is applied to
the new toilet bowl, the bowl set in place, and then the
tank is attached and leveled. |
Related Articles:
|
| Skill Level:
2 (Basic) |
Time Taken:
About An Hour |
By
Bruce W.
Maki, Editor
 |
The starting point of this project is the
toilet flange. This flange is new and clean. If there had
previously been a toilet installed on the flange, there would be
the remains of the old wax bowl ring, which must be scraped off. |
| I unpacked the toilet parts to inspect them. I
placed the porcelain parts on towels or the foam packaging, to
prevent chipping the enamel.
Toilets typically come in two boxes, the tank being sold
separately from the bowl. |
 |
 |
I set the parts in place, just to be sure
everything fit as intended. Whew, for once something went
according to plan. |
| The wax bowl ring. This is an old-fashioned
product that is still used, with only a few minor improvements.
I prefer the wax bowl rings with the plastic flange, they seem
less prone to trouble. |
 |
All the wax bowl ring does is seal the porcelain toilet to the
flange. But if the toilet ever moves, the seal almost surely
becomes broken, and sewer gases can escape or water can leak out
(and it's not clean water!). Sometimes the leak cannot be detected
because the water drips down. This can cause rotted floor structure
and damage to ceilings in rooms below.
 |
The bowl was turned upside down and the wax bowl
ring pressed in place. The red pieces are strips of rubber shim
stock, held in place with masking tape. These shims provide
needed friction between the toilet and floor, to prevent the
toilet from moving. (Marble tile and porcelain have very little
friction between them.) |
My experience with toilets on tile floors is that they need some
additional help to keep them from swiveling and developing a leak.
In the hotel maintenance business I had often used these rubber
strips to solve that problem, and to keep toilets from rocking on
uneven floors.
| The flange bolts (I call them Johnny Bolts,
which might be a brand name) were slipped into the notches in
the flange. |
 |
 |
The plastic keeper was installed to hold the
position. |
| I like to use a couple of screwdrivers to
indicate the position of the bolts, because it's hard to see
them through the little holes in the toilet base. |
 |
 |
I carefully set the bowl on the flange, and then
pushed down gently. The easiest way is to just sit on it. |
| I installed the plastic cover clip, the washer,
and the brass nut. Tightening carefully is very important. Each
side must be tightened a little at a time. Excessive force can
break the flange (I've done that on solid PVC and
on cast iron... d-oohhh), or it could even break the toilet
base (never done that... luckily!) |
 |
Tank Commander:
 |
This is what the bottom of a typical toilet tank
looks like, before it is attached to the bowl. The triangular
black piece is a rubber gasket that seals the tank to the bowl. |
| The tank was simply set on the bowl and brass
screws were inserted in the three holes. |
 |
 |
A washer and nut were installed on the end of
each screw. As the screws were tightened they flattened out the
gasket and sealed the holes in the tank. |
| I used a socket and a ratchet wrench to tighten
each nut, and a big flat blade screwdriver to hold the screw. |
 |
 |
While tightening the three screws, the tank must
be made level. |
| The inside of the tank. The fill valve looks
familiar.
Given all the controversy surrounding these new 1.6
gallon-per-flush toilets, I was surprised to see such a
conventional mechanism. |
 |
 |
Interesting... Kohler uses fill valves made by
Fluidmaster.
I have used this same Fluidmaster product to replace
numerous defective fill valves of other designs. If Kohler
is willing to stake their reputation on this valve, then it
must be good. |
| Only two steps remain. One is to connect the
water supply, at lower left, to the toilet's inlet (gray fitting
on bottom of tank). |
 |
 |
The last step I did was to apply a bead of
silicone caulk around the base of the toilet. This helps to
hold the toilet in place, and a secure toilet is less likely to
experience a leaking the wax bowl ring. However, I always
omit caulk at the back side. If the wax bowl ring ever leaks,
water will have a chance to leak out the back and alert someone
of a problem. If the toilet base was completely sealed to the
floor, a leak will only show up by dripping below the floor
level. That is a bad idea. |
View the Connection Of The
Water Supply Line.
|
Tools
Used:
- Small Wrench
- Socket Set
- Large Flat Screwdriver
- Level
|
Materials Used:
- Toilet Bowl
- Toilet Tank
- Toilet Flange Bolts
(Johnny Bolts)
- Kitchen/Bath Silicone
|
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