How to Remove a Toilet

Whether you’re renovating your whole bathroom, or replacing a faulty plumbing fixture, removing your toilet may seem like a daunting task. But we’re here to break down this task to ensure a smooth removal. While just replacing your toilet seat is a great way of ensuring your system matches your bathroom’s style, sometimes you need to replace the entire appliance.

Grab your tools and carefully follow our step-by-step guide and you’ll have your toilet safely out of the way, ready to install your new toilet.

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To remove a toilet, turn off the water supply, flush to drain the cistern and bowl, and disconnect the water line. Unscrew the bolts securing the bowl and cut through the sealant before gently lifting the toilet free from the waste pipe. Finally, plug the pipe to prevent odours and clean the area ready for your new installation.

What tools will I need to remove a toilet?

Before you begin, ensure you have all the necessary tools and safety gear. Much like any DIY job that requires plumbing, removing a toilet incorrectly can potentially lead to water spillages and damage, so it’s best to make sure you’re prepared.

Always wear work gloves and safety glasses to protect yourself from water, grime, and potential sharp edges.
Ensure the work area is well-ventilated.

Step-by-step guide: how to remove a toilet

It’s vital that you turn off the water supply before you begin to remove your toilet. Locate the isolation valve on the wall or floor near the base of the toilet. Turn the handle clockwise until the water supply is completely shut off. You can test if the water is off by flushing the toilet and checking to see if the tank fills back up.

To drain your toilet ready for removal, start by flushing the toilet to empty the cistern and the bowl. You can also use a sponge or cloth to remove any residual water. Place a bucket or towel beneath the filling hose in preparation of disconnecting the water supply once the bowl has been drained.

Use your adjustable spanner to loosen the nut connecting the water supply line to the fill valve on the underside of the toilet tank. Hold the supply line steady and unscrew the valve. The toilet should now be disconnected from the water supply.

Now it’s time to remove the toilet. Start by removing the cistern from the toilet bowl by unscrewing the nuts beneath the cistern. Water may begin to drip from the cistern as you remove it, so you should ensure that you have a bucket nearby to catch it. Once the cistern is free, carefully remove it and place it away from the toilet bowl.

To remove the toilet bowl, start by removing the caps covering the fixing bolts at the base of the toilet and use an adjustable spanner or screwdriver to remove the bolts. Next, carefully cut around the sealant at the base of the toilet, making it easier to remove.

You should now be able to lift the toilet. Start by placing a bucket next to the waste pipe and rock the toilet gently until it becomes loose from the waste pipe. Pull the toilet free from the waste pipe and carefully lift the toilet away.

Toilets can be heavy and tricky to remove so, to safely remove your toilet, you should have someone to assist with lifting.

It’s important that you dispose of your old toilet properly by either taking it to a household recycling centre, arranging a large appliance waste collection from your local council, hiring a private waste removal company, or placing the toilet in a skip, if you have one.

As soon as your old toilet has been removed, plug the exposed waste pipe using either a cloth, towel, or adhesive tape. This will prevent any unpleasant smells from filling your bathroom.

Finally, clean away any water, debris or dirt around the toilet to ensure you have a clean, dry surface ready for installing your new toilet.

And there you have it - now your toilet should be safely out of the way, ready for a new installation or bathroom renovations. Once your toilet has been removed, it's much easier to tile your bathroom floor, ensuring you leave space to install your new toilet.

Planning on replacing the rest of your bathroom appliances, check out the rest of our bathroom how to guides to discover even more bathroom DIY advice from our experts.