Toilet

How Long Does It Take To Change A Toilet?

sharone stela | Updated 1 year ago

If you find yourself needing to repair your toilet frequently, it’s better to replace it than continue repairing it, but the process of replacing it isn’t as simple as removing the old one and setting up the new one, as it requires adjustments.

In this regard, you must allocate enough time to select all the necessary equipment and acquire knowledge about the entire replacement process. In this post titled “How Long Does It Take to Change a Toilet?”, you will learn about all the procedures in detail.

How Long Does It Take To Change A Toilet With 8 Easy Steps?

How Long Does It Take To Change A Toilet With 8 Easy Steps?

If you call a professional plumber, he may replace your toilet in 2-3 hours depending on your toilet types. The time may increase if you have the wall hung toilet. But when you will do it yourself, it may take 3-4 hours, even in some cases 5 hours if you don’t have that much experience.

However, the process of changing a toilet begins with visiting a store or searching for a new toilet set, which may take several days to choose the best one for your washroom or consider buying the same model if it has been reliable.

We recommend investing time and budget into choosing the best toilet and fittings, and in the latter portion, we discuss the time division of the changing process to better understand the required time.

How Much Time Is Required For Which Step In Replacing An Old Toilet?

The replacement of the toilet starts with purchasing a new toilet set and ends with after-installation checking. You have to be careful in every step. Don’t hurry with the setup process. It may cause a faulty installation.

Let’s see how much time it requires in every step of the changing process.

Step 1: Buy A New Toilet Set

For a replacement, you should research it and the maximum time you have to spend in this step. At present, there are so many budget toilets in the market where you may choose the best one that suits you in budget and features.

But, before buying, you must measure the size of your washroom and other pipes and fittings. Otherwise, the toilet you will buy won’t fit in your bathroom.

[To know which type of toilet you should buy, check our FAQs portion]

Step 2: Get Prepared

If you are going to DIY (Do It Yourself), you should prepare yourself. Wear bathroom gloves and plumbing boots before you start changing your toilet. Because the thing you are going to do is not a hygienic job. So get ready in 2 minutes.

Step 3: Turn Off The Water

Once you and your new toilet both are ready to start installation, the first thing you have to do is turn off the water. Don’t miss this 1-minute task. Otherwise, the whole washroom will be flooded awfully, and it will take hours for cleaning.

Step 4: Removing The Old Toilet

It’s time to remove the old one. Follow the process to remove it

Empty the water tank. This is quite a time-consuming task and it will take around an hour to empty the tank.
Next, unscrew the bolt with a suitable wrench. You may choose a good toilet bolt lock wrench and make it fast to adjust and unscrew the bolt. In around 5 minutes, you are done

Step 5: Replace the Flange (If Required)

After removing the old toilet, check the flange attached to the main pipe on the floor. If you found any signs of damage, like cracks or leakage from the base, you should replace it. It will take around 1-2 hours for a replacement.

Also, if it seems shaky during previous toilet use, the flange will need to be replaced. You may get a good quality toilet flange for under 30$.

Step 6: Put A New Toilet Wax Ring

Before installing the new toilet, you should attach a new wax ring to the flange. In a few minutes, you can put the ring in the bottom chamber of your new toilet.

There are so many wax rings under 20$ in the market. You can easily purchase one among them.

Here I’ve talked about wax rings in details.

Step 7: Install The New Toilet

It’s time to install the new toilet set. Try to follow the procedure to make it easy.

First, set it on the flange.

Next, fasten the bolt with the wrench.
Finally, connect the water pipe to the back of your toilet

The installation process may take around half an hour.

Step 8: Turn On The Water And Give A Check

After installation, now turn on the water. Once the flush tank or valve is filled with water, flush it several times and ensure no water leakage. The 5 minutes of final checking gives it to go. Now your complete replacement is done.

When To Replace A Toilet?

When you face so much trouble and repair it seems not worthy, installing a new toilet set will be the best decision. Here’re the probable reasons for changing a toilet.

When Requiring Too Many Repairs

Repairing a toilet is more time-consuming than replacing it. In this case, you need to check every tool and fittings thoroughly. It may be an issue with your flapper or the fill valve. Sometimes it is only the issue with the flusher.

Repair is effective when only one of the fittings becomes damaged. But when so many tools and fittings require a repair. In that case, you need a complete replacement.

When Found Hairline Cracks

Such cracks at the beginning seem very thin and sometimes unnoticeable. But after a time, these porcelain cracks may cause massive leakage, which finally results in water flooding at your washroom.

However, you may fix the hairline cracks of your toilet with waterproof epoxy. But in the end, it won’t sustain for long. With epoxy, you may seal a crack. But when there are so many cracks, and they become significant, none of the sealers is effective. In that case, you should change your toilet before it falls.

When More Stains And Scratches Are Visible

So many scratches make things unpleasant, and stains make them disgusting. When you find such stains and scratches on the toilet, it requires regular cleaning. But the whole thing ultimately doesn’t turn it stainless and scratchless. At this time, you need to replace it. Ultimately, to save water and money from regular repairs, you better change your toilet.

FAQs

How long will my new toilet last?

If you install a good quality toilet and maintain it regularly, it will last around 20-30 years easily. However, it depends upon its use. If you have 7-8 people in your house and only one bathroom for everyone, it should last 8-10 years.

Which type of toilet should I buy for replacement?

It depends upon the budget and size of your washroom. However, if you don’t want to take so much hassle for maintenance and adjustment, a one-piece toilet could be a good choice. Again, if you need a big tank for flushing, high tank toilets are also available.

Should you buy a new toilet or just rebuild the inside of the tank?

If there is a simple crack on the flush tank, you may only replace the tank. From the market, you can easily buy a replacement flush tank. But, it is sometimes hard to get the actual tank that fits your toilet. So, if you are replacing only the tank, then match the size of the previous one.

Can I replace the toilet myself?

Of course, you can. If you have plumbing knowledge and experience in installing a toilet, you should replace it yourself. Moreover, it will save both your time and money.