How To Remove A Toilet | Bathroom - B&Q

Home » How To Remove A Toliet » How To Remove A Toilet | Bathroom - B&Q

Maybe your like

Skip to content

Club members get 10% off 1,000s of products online & every product in store. Join now to save today >>

  • B&Q Club
  • Customer support
  • Sell on diy.com
  • B&Q Club
  • Customer support
  • Sell on diy.com
Click + Collect now in as little as 15 minutes*
*Restrictions apply
Free delivery on 1000s of products
Selected products/locations
90 day returns policy
Join B&Q Club
Save up to £100 a year▲
 See more Toilets, Basins & Baths
  1. Home
  2. Ideas & Advice
  3. Bathroom
  4. Toilets, Basins & Baths

  5. How to remove a toilet

How to remove a toilet

Renovating your bathroom? Need to remove your old sanitaryware? If you were wondering how to remove a toilet, you've come to the right place.

Shopping list
  • Bucket
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Adjustable pliers
  • Male pipe plug
  • Fibre seal
  • Screwdriver
  • Ratchet wrench
  • Cutter
  • Sealant removing and spreading tool
  • Adhesive tape
Disconnect the water supply

Shut off the water supply at the mains before you start work.

Person using an adjustable spanner to unscrew the filling hose union that connects the toilet to the water supply pipe.

Flush the toilet to empty the cistern. Place a bowl under the filling hose and remove the cover from the cistern. Hold the filling mechanism steady and unscrew the filling hose union with an adjustable wrench. You can unscrew the last few turns by hand.

Then, unscrew the shut-off valve using an adjustable wrench and adjustable pliers. Fit a seal to a male plug and screw the plug into the end of the water pipe to close it. Tighten with an adjustable wrench and adjustable pliers.

Remove the toilet bowl and cistern

Now move on to removing the toilet.

Person wearing gloves unscrewing a fixing screw connecting a toilet cistern to a toilet bowl by hand.

1. Detach and drain the cistern

Locate the two fixing screws under the cistern. Unscrew the nuts to detach the cistern from the toilet bowl. Take care because water may leak out when you do this. If the nut and screw turn together, use a screwdriver to hold the screws in the bottom of the cistern steady.

Once the cistern is free, lift it off carefully and empty any remaining water.

Person using a ratchet wrench to loosen the fixing that connects the toilet bowl to the floor.

2. Remove toilet bowl fixings

To remove the toilet bowl, first remove the caps covering the fixing screws. Then unscrew the fixing screws from the floor using a ratchet wrench.

If the bowl is stuck to the floor with a bead of silicone, use a cutter to cut through it.

Person tiling a toilet bowl that has been disconnected from the floor towards the waste pipe behind to drain it.

3. Remove the toilet bowl

Before completely removing the bowl, tilt it backwards to drain the water it contains into the siphon. Finally, pull the toilet bowl towards you to free it from the waste pipe.

If necessary, use a sealant removing tool to remove the old silicone sealant from the floor.

Person applying gaffer tape to the end of a toilet waste pipe to completely cover it.

4. Cover the waste pipe

While waiting to install a new toilet bowl, cover the end of the waste pipe with adhesive tape to stop unpleasant smells getting into your bathroom.

You’ve now removed your old bowl and cistern and you’re ready to fit a new toilet, use our how to fit a toilet guide to help.

Shopping list
  • Bucket
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Adjustable pliers
  • Male pipe plug
  • Fibre seal
  • Screwdriver
  • Ratchet wrench
  • Cutter
  • Sealant removing and spreading tool
  • Adhesive tape
Disconnect the water supply

Shut off the water supply at the mains before you start work.

Person using an adjustable spanner to unscrew the filling hose union that connects the toilet to the water supply pipe.

Flush the toilet to empty the cistern. Place a bowl under the filling hose and remove the cover from the cistern. Hold the filling mechanism steady and unscrew the filling hose union with an adjustable wrench. You can unscrew the last few turns by hand.

Then, unscrew the shut-off valve using an adjustable wrench and adjustable pliers. Fit a seal to a male plug and screw the plug into the end of the water pipe to close it. Tighten with an adjustable wrench and adjustable pliers.

Remove the toilet bowl and cistern

Now move on to removing the toilet.

Person wearing gloves unscrewing a fixing screw connecting a toilet cistern to a toilet bowl by hand.

1. Detach and drain the cistern

Locate the two fixing screws under the cistern. Unscrew the nuts to detach the cistern from the toilet bowl. Take care because water may leak out when you do this. If the nut and screw turn together, use a screwdriver to hold the screws in the bottom of the cistern steady.

Once the cistern is free, lift it off carefully and empty any remaining water.

Person using a ratchet wrench to loosen the fixing that connects the toilet bowl to the floor.

2. Remove toilet bowl fixings

To remove the toilet bowl, first remove the caps covering the fixing screws. Then unscrew the fixing screws from the floor using a ratchet wrench.

If the bowl is stuck to the floor with a bead of silicone, use a cutter to cut through it.

Person tiling a toilet bowl that has been disconnected from the floor towards the waste pipe behind to drain it.

3. Remove the toilet bowl

Before completely removing the bowl, tilt it backwards to drain the water it contains into the siphon. Finally, pull the toilet bowl towards you to free it from the waste pipe.

If necessary, use a sealant removing tool to remove the old silicone sealant from the floor.

Person applying gaffer tape to the end of a toilet waste pipe to completely cover it.

4. Cover the waste pipe

While waiting to install a new toilet bowl, cover the end of the waste pipe with adhesive tape to stop unpleasant smells getting into your bathroom.

You’ve now removed your old bowl and cistern and you’re ready to fit a new toilet, use our how to fit a toilet guide to help.

Related Toilets, Basins & Baths articles

  • How to unblock a toilet

    If water takes a long time to drain out of the toilet bowl, just stays there or rises up towards the brim, your toilet is blocked.

  • How to replace a toilet seat

    This guide will take you through removing your old toilet seat and installing a new one.

  • How to install a toilet roll holder

    A toilet roll holder is a bathroom essential. This step-by-step guide will show you how to install a toilet roll holder in your bathroom.

  • Toilet & toilet seat buying guide

    When updating or refitting your bathroom or cloakroom, it’s a lot easier to get excited about basins, baths and showers than it is about a new WC.

Tag » How To Remove A Toliet