Are you ready to tackle your toilet problem with some DIY work? If so, you’ll need to be prepared with the right tools and equipment.
You’ll be pleased to know that the toilet is not a complex technology. It’s fairly straightforward to fix, adjust, or remove and just as easy to install. Yes, you can install your own toilet at home and save money on calling a plumber.
In this article, I’ll share the top 10 DIY tools you need to work on a toilet. You may not be as sophisticated as a plumber, but working on your toilet is easy as long as you aren’t moving pipes under the floor!
10 Top Tools For The Toilet
Over the last several years I’ve made it my job to learn everything about toilets. I’ll admit, I didn’t know the terminology nor could I distinguish one valve in the toilet from another, but after a few days of work, I realized it wasn’t difficult at all.
If I could learn quickly, then other DIY handymen and women could fix their own toilet as well.
The great thing about working with toilets is you only need a few tools and most tools will already be in your toolbox. Let’s get started and learn the best tools for the toilet.
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Plunger with Flange
Who doesn’t have a toilet? A plunger is a home necessity. They are inexpensive tool found at home improvement stores and even grocery stores.
You never know when you’ll need one but don’t use the plunger that you use for your sink or shower drain. A plunger for the toilet is different than your standard sink plunger because it has an extra lip on the bottom.
The extra lip is called the flange. You can read more about plungers for toilets in my other article.
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Toilet Auger or Snake
The toilet auger is the coolest tool on our list and it’s a preferred choice of plumbers for stubborn clogs. A toilet auger goes where other tools can’t reach. It extends into the trap but also winds up for storage.
If you get the occasional clog in your toilet, a toilet snake can save a costly visit by the plumber. Chances are your plumber will bring their own toilet snake and use it for the clog (check out my article on the best toilet augers)!
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Adjustable Wrench
A wrench is a must-have for any DIY project, including the toilet. The wrench will be necessary for the water line behind the toilet, the floor bolts, and the bolts that connect the tank to the bowl (for 2-piece toilets).
Other than those 3 places, you won’t have much need for the wrench. Toilet seats can be tightened with a wrench although hand tightening is often adequate too.
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Measuring Tape
Measuring tape will help you record the distance for a few important things.
- First, the “rough-in” is the single most important thing to know when purchasing a new toilet. There are 10, 12, and 14” rough-ins. The measurement is the distance from the wall to the middle of the flange or floor bolts (you can see my photos that show how to measure the rough-in).
- Second, you’ll want to measure the distance between the bolts on the seat. This is usually a standard distance of 5.5” between bolts.
- Third, you can measure the distance of the flush valve and flapper. Most older toilets are 2” in diameter while newer toilets have a 3” diameter flush valve.
- Fourth, you can measure if the toilet is a standard height or comfort height toilet. A standard height toilet is around 15” from floor to seat while comfort height toilets are 17-19” from floor to seat.
- Fifth, you can measure if the bowl is round or elongated. This is easily done by eyeballing the bowl (round or oval), however, you can also measure to double check the size of the bowl. A round bowl will measure 16.5” from front to back while an elongated bowl will be 18.5” from front to back.
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Thin Wire (Clothes Hanger)
Why would you need a thin wire to work on a toilet? Most people don’t know that “rim holes” are located inside the toilet bowl and they feed water into the bowl.
Occasionally the holes can become plugged and affect the strength of flush. The thin wire can be used to clear the holes and ensure a clear path for water to exit the tank and enter the water.
The wire is a clever hack to fix a weak flushing toilet!
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Screwdriver
A screwdriver is one of the most common tools. It will help you work on your toilet in 3 ways.
- A screwdriver is sometimes needed to adjust the float (water level) in the tank. A tightening and loosening will increase or decrease the water level and affect the flush.
- A screwdriver is also useful to install and remove the toilet seat
- It also helps with removing caps over the floor bolts. A little pressure underneath the cap will help it pop off.
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Toilet Brush
A toilet brush is just as common as a plunger. Every bathroom should have one beside the toilet in case there are marks left in the bowl after a flush.
Toilet brushes also help with regular cleaning (check out my tips for cleaning a toilet bowl naturally). Regular cleaning will help decrease the risk of a water ring around the bowl and it will keep the porcelain a sparkling white.
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Pumice Stone
A pumice stone is a natural product that has a wide range of uses. It’s particularly usefully on grout, cement, and other hard surfaces to remove stains and build-up.
The pumice stone is also useful inside the toilet, where it can remove hard water build up and the notorious water ring. However, it’s important to be gentle with a pumice stone inside your toilet. Make sure the stone is wet before using, and gently work tough spots inside the bowl (read more about using a pumice stone in a toilet bowl).
Porcelain is a tough material but many toilets have a finishing coat on top of the porcelain. Your aim should be to remove stubborn stains without damaging the finishing layer on top of the porcelain.
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Painter’s Tape and Caulking
Painter’s tape and caulking are only needed if you are installing a new toilet. Both of these materials are inexpensive. Painter’s tape is perfect for outlining the position of your new toilet before installing the wax ring (see below).
Place the new toilet in its position, use painters tape around the base of the toilet, then remove the toilet and install the wax ring. Positioning the toilet to sit on the wax ring will be easy since you know its proper position.
Caulking provides the finishing touch around the base of the toilet. Once the toilet has been installed and the floor bolts are tightened, the caulking can fill the small gap between the floor and toilet. This will keep tiny critters, as well as dust, from moving in and out from under your toilet.
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Flange and Wax Ring
The flange and wax ring are two more items that are only needed if you are installing a toilet. These are attached to the floor, where the toilet connects to the house pipes.
The flange helps ensure a smooth transition from the toilet to the pipe, and the wax ring is placed on top of the flange and creates a seal. The wax ring is malleable and will be smashed when the toilet is placed on top (learn more about wax rings).
If the position is correct, the wax will harden and prevent any waste from seeping out of the toilet or pipe. The wax ring is an old technology but still the preferred method of plumbers (it’s cheap and works for decades).
Conclusion
If you’re planning to work on your toilet, you’ll need a few tools. The toilet is a fairly simple device so the tools you need are minimal.
I’m sure already have a plunger, measuring tape, screwdriver, wrench, and toilet brush but if you plan on installing a new toilet there are a few more items you’ll need.
Painter’s tape, caulking, a wax ring, and flange might be necessary if you’re replacing a toilet. Don’t worry, the process is simple and anyone can do it!
I hope this article prepares you to do some DIY work on your toilet. As always, thanks for reading and make sure to read other DIY articles on Toilet Travels!