How to Get Water Out of a Toilet Before Demo

Locate and shut off the water supply to the toilet. In most bathrooms, the water supply line is behind the left side of toilet and the knob is a few inches up from the floor. Turn the knob to the right until it stops.

Flush the toilet and hold down the lever to drain as much water from the tank as possible. If any water trickles into the tank, twist the supply shutoff knob as far to the right as you can. Don’t use any tool to tighten the knob, as this can break it.

Remove the toilet tank lid and set it aside.

Drop an old towel or large sponge into the tank. Soak up as much water as you can and wring out the towel or sponge in the toilet bowl, sink or bathtub. Wipe out the inside of the tank to collect remaining water.

Twist the connector at the top of the water supply line clockwise to separate it from the base of the tank. If the connector is a plastic nut, you might loosen it by hand. If the connector is metal, use an adjustable wrench to grip and twist it. Lay the loose end of the supply line on a towel or sponge to collect drips.

Set a toilet plunger inside the bowl and push down on the handle to plunge out the bowl water. Repeat this step several times until only a small amount of water remains. Plunging can’t remove every trace of water.

Sprinkle two .6 ounce packets of sodium polyacrylate into the water that remains inside the toilet bowl. For low-flush toilets, use one packet. Sodium polyacrylate converts water into a thick gel, which prevents leaking. The material is sold under different brand names and marketed for plumbing projects.

Wait approximately five minutes for the gel to thicken before removing the toilet.