INSTALLING A TOILET

When you’re ready to install the toilet, remove the plastic bag you inserted earlier in the closet bend to block sewage gases. Place closet bolts in the closet flange if you haven’t already done so.

Set the bowl first. Then attach the tank to the bowl. If you’re re-installing an old toilet, as shown in the bottom left photo on p. 296, leave the parts connected, and set the toilet as one piece. But if it’s a new toilet, setting the base first is easier on your back. Place the wax ring in the closet flange, so that the ring’s plastic funnel centers in the flange. Some manufacturers rec­ommend placing the wax ring on the toilet horn and then inverting the toilet bowl, but the wax ring may not adhere and the funnel may not align.

Have help aligning closet bolts to holes as you set the toilet bowl. Don’t rock the bowl when set­ting it, which could excessively compress the wax ring on one side, creating a gap. Instead, press the bowl down evenly; then use a small adjustable wrench to tighten the nuts gradually, alternating sides, till the bowl is secure. Place a torpedo level atop the bowl edge to see if the unit is level side to side and front to back. If the bowl needs shimming, use plastic shims, which can be chiseled or cut flush to the toilet foot so they’re not visible. Don’t trim the closet bolts till you’ve attached the tank and tested the unit for leaks.

SETTING A PEDESTAL SINK

Check the sink for level one last time, tighten the lag screws to secure the sink, and connect the supply risers top and bottom.

It usually takes several tries and some fine-tuning to level the pedestal, level the sink in two directions, and then lag screw the sink to a 2x blocking let into the studs.

Mount the tank. Standard two-piece toilets have tanks that bolt directly to bowls. In addition to bolt holes, tanks have two fittings on the bottom: a threaded ballcock stem, which is screwed to the supply riser, and a larger flush valve, which is tightened to a spud nut. Typically, a rubber spud — nut washer covers the spud nut and cushions the tank-bowl juncture to prevent leaks; there may also be a separate, preinstalled sponge-rubber gasket to cushion the tank and bowl. Tighten the spud nut and position the spud-nut washer, insert the washered tank-mounting bolts into the bot­tom of the tank, and set the tank atop the bowl so that bolts line up with the holes in the bowl. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions about caulking mating surfaces because some caulking compounds may deteriorate the gaskets.

Because the slot in the bank of the pedestal is narrow and the wall is close, there won’t be enough room to tighten slip-nut couplings on the drain. Instead, after starting the lag screws, lift and support the front of the sink while a helper slides the pedestal forward. After connecting the drain fittings, slide the pedestal back, and lower the sink.

End-Outlet Continuous Waste

11/4-ІП. ОГ To prevent the tank-bolt threads from turning and cutting into the rubber washers or gaskets, / ^—11/2-in. tailpieces _____ hold the bolts steady with a long screwdriver as you tighten the nuts on the underside of the bowl / Slip-nut trap adapter shelf, using an adjustable wrench. Moving from Sanitary tee —^

Save fixture invoices and shipping boxes till you’ve inspected fixtures for flaws. You’ll need both to return defective units. Apart from chipped enamel or cracks, the most common toilet flaws are a foot that is not flat, a deformed horn, or bowl and tank surfaces that don’t mate correctly.

Elbow

Total pipe length includes fitting sockets. P-trap

A common assembly for double sinks or lavatories.

one side to the other, tighten the nuts snugly.

Use only brass or stainless-steel bolts and nuts. Connect the water supply, fill the tank, flush the toilet several times, and check for leaks. If there’s leaking between the tank and the bowl, tighten the nuts. If there’s leaking only near the foot of bowl, the wax ring may have failed: In this case, pull the toilet and replace the ring. If there are no leaks, trim the closet bolts and caulk around the perimeter of the foot.

Toilet supply connections are essentially the same as sink or lavatory risers. The standard toilet supply riser is 58-in. chrome tubing that attaches (at the top) to a threaded ballcock stem on the underside of the tank, and a 58 by 58 angle stop at the bottom. A better option is a 3з8-іп. flexi­ble braided stainless-steel supply line: It won’t crimp, attaches to the same fittings, and can be easily disconnected.

Bidets. A bidet is easier to install than a toilet. Although a bidet requires hot — and cold-water connections, its wastes are all liquid, so a 154-in. drain will suffice. Mount the bidet base securely, but it doesn’t need to be seated in a wax ring.

In fact, the drain takeoff is similar to that of a tub, which is described next.