When the toilet first begins to clog don’t panic. Take the lid off the tank and push the flapper down to stop more water from entering the bowl. Then turn off the water supply behind and at the bottom of the toilet. After the water is turned off, try using a conventional plunger to unclog the toilet. If a plunger doesn’t do the trick, use a toilet auger. If a plunger does not work, try a toilet auger (snake). You can get one at most hardware stores for $20 to $50. The trick of a auger is to get the cable right through the throat of the toilet. Put a little tension on the cable and start turning the auger, extending the cable down into the drain pipe. As you push down you will feel the auger drop. Once the auger approaches the clog, give it a little extra tension to punch a hole in the clog, creating a line to the sewer. A plunger may also be used in conjunction with an auger in order to create enough suction to blast out any material that may still be clinging to the hole that was punched out by the auger.

Note: The toilet and the bathtub normally share a drainage pipe, so if the clog is too impacted for the auger to punch a hole, the whole clog could be shoved so deep that the bathtub becomes clogged as well. Best Pet Hair BroomOnce the clog in the toilet is removed, be sure to check your bathtub drainage as well.Low Voltage Lighting Extension Cable If the clog can’t be eradicated with a plunger or an auger, the toilet must be removed to get better access to the drain. Ready Made Lace Curtains AustraliaTo remove the toilet, turn off and disconnect the water supply. Use a shop-vac to remove the standing water out of the toilet. Unscrew the two bolts at the toilet’s base, lift the toilet and slide it forward. At this point it is best to call a professional plumber.

He’ll likely use an industrial auger that has over 100 feet of steel cable. The long-reaching auger can go far enough to hit the main sewage line to clear out the clog. Lift the toilet from the rear so any water still remaining will flow towards the front of the bowl and not spill out onto the floor. After the clog has been cleared, be sure to run water from the toilet’s supply line into the drain for about two minutes to ensure the clog is gone. Reconnect the toilet by screwing the bolts back in and reattaching the water supply line. Be sure to flush the toilet a few times after replacing it to make sure the water is draining properly. Any time you remove a toilet always replace the rubber ring at the base of the drain. The ring is cheap and ensures a tight seal. 3 or 4-inch drain pipes When you’re putting in a new bathroom or remodeling an existing one, installing the toilet is one of the most important things to get right. Here are some general instructions and precautions for roughing in, as well as installation procedures for tying into your present drain waste vent and supply systems.

When turning the water back on in your home, always run the outside hose valve or flush your toilets to bleed dirt and air from the lines. This debris can cause problems in your sink faucets and other plumbing trim. Pipes required include a cold water supply stub out with a shutoff valve and flexible tubing for above the valve. This is possibly the single, most troublesome fixture to install as it requires its own 2-inch minimum vent and a drain of at least 3-inches in diameter. If the toilet is situated on a branch drain, it cannot be upstream from the sink or shower. The minimum side distance allowed from the center of the toilet bowl to a wall is 15-inches, and 12-inches from the center of the bowl to a bathtub. Clearance from the front of a bowl to a wall or fixture should be 21-inches. The closet bend and toilet floor flange must be roughed in first. If you’re replacing a toilet, you need to scrape up the old wax gasket. A putty knife works well for this. Remove the old bolts from the floor flange and scrape the flange clean to prevent leaks at the base of the new bowl.

If the old flange is cracked or broken, replace it with a new floor flange. Doityourself’s plumbing consultant Mark Vander Sande adds, “Replacing a flange is not an easy thing to do. It requires cutting the existing drain pipe below the flange and replacing the flange and the pipe. If it’s PVC it’s not so difficult. It requires a coupling the size of the pipe, either 3 or 4-inch, a short piece of pipe, and a new flange. If its cast iron, you need a fernco fitting, cutting the cast iron with a sawzall and replacing the pipe with PVC . There is a repair flange, called a spanner flange. This goes underneath the existing flange with the toilet bolt through it. It’s easier and less expensive and it works fine. Position the floor flange so the underside of the flange is at the level of the finished floor. It is always best to install the finished floor so that it runs underneath the toilet. You may need to use a piece of finished flooring material if the floor has not yet been installed.

Now you can finish tightening the screws that hold the floor flange to the floor. Put a small level on the flange while tightening to be sure it is level. Set the new floor bolts in plumber's putty and insert them through the flange, adjusting the bolts so they line up with the center of the drainpipe. Position the new wax gasket on the flange, with the bolts “molded” into the wax to hold them in place. Using the bolts as guides, lower the bowl into place over the flange. It is important that you feel the toilet being pushed into the wax ring. If you don’t feel this, the flange is set too low and you will not get a good wax seal between the flange and the horn (waste outlet). Also, if the wax ring is cold, it will not properly seat. You may need to warm it in the sun for awhile until it is pliable. Use a level to level the bowl, adding shims where necessary. Also, be sure the toilet is square and aligned with the wall. Then tighten the nuts and washers onto the bolts by hand.

Mark says, “It’s important to follow these steps. The toilet will come with bolt caps and washers for the bolt caps. The washers need to go first on the bolts coming out of the floor for the toilet, then the metal washer that came with the bolts and then the nut. You may have to cut the bolt so the cap will fit on. Make sure the bolt is secure before cutting, otherwise it will move around. This is not a big deal, just tighten it. But don’t over tighten, it could break the bowl.” Place the rubber tank cushion, if one is needed, into position on the rear of the bowl and fit the rubber gasket onto the flush valve opening on the bottom of the tank.Position the tank over the bowl, then tighten the nuts and washers onto the mounting bolts. It’s important to hand tight both bolts until secure and tighten 1 side at a time, slowly going from one to the other until tight. If 1 side is tighter than the other when the other side is tightened it can and will break the tank. Tighten the hold-down bolts at the base of the bowl with an adjustable wrench.