How to Change a Wall Toilet to a Floor Toilet

Remove the Wall Toilet

• 1

  Turn off the water-supply valve for the wall toilet. Exactly where this is depends on the type of wall-toilet installation you have. Some wall toilets have the water-supply valve accessible through a panel in the wall above the toilet or in a central location. Rotate the knob all the way to the right to turn off the water supply.

• 2

  Flush the toilet to remove the water inside.

• 3

  Place protective sheeting on the bathroom floor beneath the wall toilet. Remove any caps covering the wall bolts with a screwdriver. Use a wrench or socket wrench to loosen the bolts holding the toilet in place on the wall. Gently pull the toilet off the sewer pipe and set on the sheeting.

• 4

  Remove the wall behind the toilet. The difficulty of this step depends on your wall material. On tile walls, remove the tile grout around the tile squares in an area approximately the width of the toilet seat, up to about 2 feet on the wall, with a grout saw or rotary-cutting tool. Pry the tiles out with a pry bar or chisel. Remove the backing board (or drywall, in the case of a wall without tiles) by cutting it away from the wall with a keyhole saw or jigsaw to expose the tank inside the wall.

• 5

  Loosen the couplings at the top and bottom of the tank with a wrench. Use a screwdriver or wrench to loosen the bolts or screws holding the tank in place between the studs. Pull the tank out of the wall.

Install the Floor Toilet

• 6

  Consult the rear-flush toilet-installation instructions to find out the height of the sewer-inlet pipe. In some cases, this may match the height of your wall-mounted toilet and no further adjustment is needed. If not, move the closet inlet to the required height. Use a hacksaw (on PVC) to cut out the old inlet, sand down the pipes and install a new wye joint at the right height, cementing the PVC in place with primer and cement. For metal closet pipes, use a pipe wrench to loosen the stack coupling above and beneath the old closet inlet. Add any coupling extensions as needed. Apply pipe compound to the threads on the pipes and screw back together.

• 7

  Route the water-supply line down to the bottom of the wall opening. Add reducing couplings to the water-supply pipe and feet the pipe down to the base of the wall. Attach a 90-degree bend at the bottom of the pipe so it can poke through the wall.

• 8

  Replace the wall opening removed for the tank with backer board. Cut the board to the right size to fit between the studs, and secure with stud screws. Float and tape any exposed edges with joint compound. If desired, apply tile cement and retile the wall. Complete by filling in the spaces between the tiles with grout.

• 9

  Slip flanges over the water-supply pipe and the toilet-stack opening. Connect a water-supply valve to the water-supply pipe.

• 10

  Slide the rear-flush toilet bowl over the toilet-inlet pipe. Mark through the holes in the bottom of the toilet base for the bolts. Remove the toilet bowl.

• 11

  Use a power drill and bit to drill through the floor to the depth of the toilet-base bolts. Insert anchors into the holes.

• 12

  Apply silicone grease to the toilet-inlet pipe. Slide the bowl back into place. Secure in place with the base bolts.

• 13

  Place the toilet tank on top of the bowl. Secure with the tank bolts and a wrench.

• 14

  Connect a flexible water-supply pipe from the water-supply valve to the toilet tank. Tighten with a pair of pliers. Open the water-supply valve by turning it all the way to the left.

• 15

  Restore the water supply. Let the toilet fill up, then flush and check for leaks. Tighten any couplings if necessary.