DIY Pittsburgh Toilet Replacement For Beginners
When was the last time you were invited to a social event being hosted in a bathroom? No need to answer that question because it never happens.
You have to wonder why too because bathrooms have it all.
There’s plenty of seating and room for a few folding chairs to be brought in. There’s also a sink with running water for all the guests to freshen up.
Then after the guests have enjoyed the refreshments, there is a toilet they can use to relieve themselves.
But that’s really not how people relate to their bathrooms. Particularly the bathroom toilet. No one really gives much thought to the bathroom toilet until they need to use it.
According to the Pittsburgh plumbers at Kwiatowski Plumbing, who we contacted by dialing 412-681-9525, in Pittsburgh toilet replacement only becomes a topic primarily when one has failed to function correctly.
Then, despite at least one being in every home, for most people, toilet repair and toilet replacement in Pittsburgh remains somewhat of a mystery.
How to Remove a Toilet
It’s simple but not easy to do if that makes any sense.
Before you start on any toilet replacement job, there’s a couple of essential things that you need to do. Things that you don’t want to learn about them the hard way.
The first of these crucial things is to inform everyone in your home to stop using the toilet if it is broken and can’t be flushed.
This is because a toilet bowl has to be emptied, and it’s far more pleasant to scoop out clean water than the results of any number of people using it when it couldn’t be flushed.
Then the second item on this list is to clean the toilet. Clean it well because you’re going to be handling it more than you might realize. Your garbage pickup service won’t take it away.
So if you know somebody who owns a truck, you may want to give them a call to avoid having to drive around with an old toilet in the trunk of your car or rolling around in your backseat.
How to Replace Toilet Tank Parts
Replacing tank parts is a heck of a lot easier than replacing the entire toilet.
One thing you’ll discover in a toilet replacement job is that they can be pretty darn heavy to lift. Take a look at yours, and you’ll also see that there are no handles on it.
It’s rounded with nowhere to grab on securely. So replacing the parts on it is always an option to replacing the whole toilet. Keep in mind that the toilet itself is made out of porcelain, so it can last for centuries.
It’s the plastic and rubber tank parts that wear out and need replacement. There’s an aisle full of them at your local hardware store. They’re also easy to remove, and if water drizzling from the tank down into the bowl is your problem, the little rubber flipper might be the only part you need to replace.
So the big tip here is the make sure to turn the water supply valve on the wall behind the tank off before you start removing any parts.
Then keep the tank parts in a box and bring them with you to the hardware store, so you can comparison shop to make sure that the new parts you buy are identical.
How to Install a Toilet Once You Get it Home
Toilets are very heavy and difficult to carry, so if you got yours home without breaking it, you’re halfway through the installation process.
Installing a toilet really is a two-person job because the thing has to be lifted up and out. However, if you don’t have someone to help you, it’s a good idea to take it apart before you attempt to remove it.
So step one is to flush it to empty the tank. Then use a dry towel to reach down to the bottom of the tank and mop up the remaining water. Then unscrew the water hose and the two bolts located on each side of the bottom of the tank.
These bolts might be rusted on. If this is the case, you may need to cut or break them off. Next, lift off the tank, set it aside, and then you’ll be ready to remove the bowl.
There’s a bolt on each side of a toilet underneath the small plastic cover caps. Remove those two bolts, and you’re good to go. It’s free to be lifted off, but just like the tank, use a cup and dip by dip remove all the water from the bowl first.
There’s going to be some water remaining up inside the toilet, so make sure to have some dry towels on hand to deal with it as you move the toilet. To install a toilet, repeat the entire process in reverse, using the parts and wax donuts that came with it.
What is a Pittsburgh Pottie?
Pittsburgh potty is the crazy name for a toilet installed in the open on the basement floor of older homes in Pittsburgh.
It’s hard for people to imagine just how filthy men were when they arrived home to their families after working a full day in the steel mills. They spent their entire careers coming home colored with steel mill grime, so simply walking in through the front door wasn’t an option.
So the first stop after getting out of the car in the driveway was to enter through the side door and down the stairs to the basement to remove their work clothes and clean up.
So Pittsburgh potty is the name given to a toilet mounted on the floor right out in the open.
Having it out of the open made it easier to clean the rusty black grime that the man of the house was covered with back then.
Now there are a few different story versions explaining what a Pittsburgh potty is and how they came about. However, this is the true explanation as told by a genuine, retired Pittsburgh steelworker.