Replacing a toilet tank: how to properly remove the old tank and install a new one

The most vulnerable component of the toilet is the water reservoir. Most often it is this that has to be changed.Replacing a toilet tank is much cheaper and much more practical than purchasing a new plumbing kit. In addition, you can save a lot of money if you find a suitable tank and install it yourself. Do you agree?

We will tell you how to choose the right tank to restore the functionality of an important plumbing facility. Here you will learn how to dismantle a used tank and install new equipment. Taking into account our recommendations, replacement activities will take place without problems.

We offer practice-tested methods and provide detailed instructions. Visual perception of information will be provided by illustrations, photo and video guides.

Types of toilets and cisterns

Over the centuries of the existence of toilets, the principle of their engineering design has changed little. Current manufacturers produce four types of sanitary products for toilets.

Compact. In this version of the toilet, behind the bowl there is a platform for installing a removable tank, which is secured using two long bolts. The advantage of the compact is the convenience of repairing drain fittings in case of breakdown.

The disadvantage of the Compact is its structural angularity, due to which hard-to-reach dirt and fungus constantly accumulate on its rear surface

Monoblock. This type of toilet looks like a single ceramic block that combines a bowl and a water container located at the back. This design is easy to install, and you can lean your elbows on the toilet while sitting.

When choosing a monolithic toilet, it is recommended to buy models that have standardized flush fittings, otherwise if one flush valve breaks, it may be necessary to completely replace the plumbing

Separated. This design of the toilet involves placing the tank at a certain height and connecting it to the bowl using a hose or pipe. Separate plumbing is typical for public places, where there is a high probability of the tank moving and leaking.

Separate toilets are convenient if there is no possibility of connecting a water supply hose near the bowl, because you can even hang the tank on the side of the toilet seat

Hidden. This type of toilet is also called wall-hung; it is mounted on a frame hidden behind the casing - an installation. Only the bowl is visible, and the drain tank and other structural elements are hidden in a decorative box or behind the wall.

It is advisable to check the functionality of the toilet cistern before covering the installation, because it will be very difficult to repair equipment covered with tiles

The tank in an installation is almost never replaced separately, so if the internal mechanism breaks down, the main problem becomes dismantling the wall or plasterboard box to gain access to the frame.

The most difficult thing is to dismantle the toilet flush tank of the Compact type.This is due to the location of the plumbing fixtures and the minimum amount of free space for work.

Toilet cistern diagram

A standard home cistern consists of:

• housings;
• float mechanism;
• trigger mechanism.

The tank can be attached to the toilet in various ways. Manufacturers usually do not place the fasteners directly on the drain hole, but rather place the fixing bolts on the sides of it.

Plastic and brass bolts are preferred for fixing because steel rusts quickly and may cause problems with loosening the nuts later.

To seal the tank, a rubber gasket is placed between it and the toilet bowl, which is then simply pressed with side fasteners.

Internal cistern complete set differs in different models. The mechanism can be either a simple plug with a float or a cartridge, which simultaneously includes all the necessary tools for draining.

The cartridge does not require setup and is easy to install, but if any internal part breaks, you will need to purchase a new device

The lid is secured from the outside with a decorative clamping nut near the drain button, which a novice plumber may not know about.

When replacing a cistern, the diagram of its operation is not so important, because the internal mechanisms in a new product are usually either already installed inside or are accompanied by individual installation instructions.

Reasons for replacing the cistern

Direct failure of the cistern rarely causes its replacement due to the fact that it consists only of a ceramic container with a lid and fasteners. There is simply nothing to fail there.

People are forced to change the flush cistern, leaving the old toilet bowl in place, for the following reasons:

1. Mechanical damagethat lead to the destruction of the cistern or pose a risk of subsequent injury to people.
2. Design obsolescence. Separate tanks are the easiest to replace for this reason because they usually do not require structural compatibility with the toilet bowl.
3. Damage to the internal drain mechanism with the impossibility of replacing it. This unfortunate reason is typical for exclusive toilet models, whose components are difficult to find even on the Internet.

Replacing a toilet flush tank is always cheaper than purchasing a new complete set of plumbing fixtures. The only problem may be finding a model that is compatible with your old toilet bowl.

It often happens that instead of installing a new flush tank, it is enough to just repair the tank. Check out the options for breakdowns that can be resolved by repair.It is possible that your option is described there.

Choosing a new cistern

The places where the flush tank is attached to the bowl are not standardized, so there is no guarantee that you will be able to find the required tank for an old toilet. You can choose a similar model from the same company, but over the years of operation, usually all the labels are erased, and it is impossible to determine the name of the device.

But you can find the company name on the decorative washer near the drain button. In extreme cases, you will first need to dismantle the cistern, take a photograph of the toilet bowl shelf, take measurements, and then with all this go to the store and try to select the required model.

You also need to measure the distance between the axes of the two holes for attaching the tank to the toilet bowl.

Replacing the Compact type drain tank

Toilets with an attached flush cistern are the most common due to their low cost and ease of installation. They can be installed in any area of ​​the toilet where it is possible to organize a water supply and sewage drainage.

Stage #1. Selection of tools and materials

To independently change the cistern, a person must ensure that he has the following tools and materials:

• new tank with internal drain mechanism;
• gaskets and fasteners;
• spanners;
• silicone sealant;
• Screwdriver Set;
• new flexible hoses;
• metal hacksaw (if necessary).

The proposed list is minimal and does not imply the presence of serious problems when dismantling the equipment.

Read the article: Rating of the best wrenches.

Stage #2. Removing the tank on the Compact

Removing the drain tank from the ceramic bowl begins with draining it and turning off the water supply.To do this, the water supply pipe or hose is closed and a complete drain is performed. A little water remains at the bottom of the tank, which you can later blot with a rag.

The second step is to remove the cover, which is secured with a decorative button nut. It does not perform a sealing function, so it must be unscrewed by hand without effort.

After removing the cover, unscrew the water hose. Its location can be completely different. The drainage pipe may be located on the side, bottom, or back of the cistern.

When unscrewing the nut with a wrench, you must hold the water supply mechanism inside the toilet with your other hand.

It is dangerous to use old hoses because their rubber tubes are short-lived and can leak at an unexpected moment.

Then you need to unscrew the fastening nuts under the toilet bowl. If the plumbing fixtures have been in the toilet for many years and the room is constantly damp, then the bolts and nuts may become so rusty that unscrewing them becomes impossible.

In this case, all that remains is to carefully cut off the bolts. There is no other way to dismantle the tank.

If the edges of the nut are completely eaten away by rust, you can moisten the joint with a special solvent liquid, and then try to unscrew the fastener with pliers

After unscrewing the fixing bolts, the drain tank can be lifted up and removed. There should still be a rubber gasket on the toilet bowl, which is recommended to be replaced with a new one. A set of rubber bands is usually included with the purchased drain tank.

It is imperative to wipe the toilet shelf from dirt, mildew and rust.

A good cleaning of the rubber gasket seat will prevent potential water leakage when you later install the flush tank on the toilet.

After installation and attaching a new cistern to the toilet body there will no longer be a convenient opportunity to wipe this place.

Stage #3. Installing a new drain tank

After selecting and purchasing a new suitable cistern, you can begin installing it.

There are two holes in the toilet flush tank: for the fill valve (A) and for the flush valve mechanism (B)

Before installing the float and flush mechanisms into the tank, it is advisable to check the structural compatibility of the lower outlet with the gasket and toilet bowl.

If all the elements are compatible and the tank sits firmly and tightly on the toilet, then you can begin its step-by-step installation.

Step one. Installation of the drain valve mechanism. To do this, you need to put an o-ring on the valve pipe and insert the device into the lower hole of the tank.

Then you need to put another rubber seal on the outside and secure the flush mechanism to the toilet cistern with a plastic nut

The final tightening of the plastic nut must be carried out in a vertical position of the drain tank to avoid distortions and subsequent water leakage

There is no need to clamp it tightly with a key; manual force will be enough.

Step two. Installing the fill valve. Its pipe can come out from either side of the tank, depending on the model.

Fixation occurs using the same method as the drain valve mechanism: the pipe with the seal is pushed into the hole and secured with a special nut

The pipe coming out of the toilet is made of plastic, so you should not clamp it too tightly - you can lick the threaded connection

If the water supply occurs from below, then there is a risk of water leakage. Therefore, it is recommended to lubricate the outer gasket and the threaded connection with silicone before tightening.

Step three. Installation of seal. A rubber cuff is placed on the outlet pipe of the drain valve. In some models, it is more convenient to place it in a groove on the shelf of the toilet bowl. Although this large seal will not be under pressure, it is recommended that it be coated with a thin layer of sealant on both sides.

Before installing the gasket, flow extenders can be installed in the toilet bowl inlet to help distribute water evenly around the perimeter of the seat

Step four. Fixing the cistern to the bowl. It is necessary to evenly and clearly align the outlet of the tank with the corresponding hole in the toilet bowl. An excellent guide to the correct location can be the through channels for the fixing bolts: if you look into them straight from top to bottom, the floor should be visible.

We insert plastic or metal bolts into the mounting holes and smoothly tighten them from below with nuts.

It is necessary to tighten the nuts by alternating efforts on both sides of the drain tank. The slightest misalignment can lead to displacement of the rubber cuff and a leak.

Don’t forget to put cone-shaped gaskets on the bolts on the inside of the drain tank.

Step five. Screwing the flexible hose to the fill valve.

In a new tank, the location of the fill valve nozzle may be different, so it is necessary to select the length of flexible hoses taking into account the changed distance between the tank and the plumbing system

After attaching the hoses, you can open the water and look at the work float mechanism with the tank lid open. If the float works normally, a test drain of water should be carried out.

Step six. Screwing the lid and drain button. The drain valve mechanism is operated by a button that is usually screwed into the top of the valve mechanism. As a result, the valve body becomes stretched between the drain hole at the bottom and the button at the top.

The mechanism for fixing the lid may differ from that described above, so carefully read the instructions included with the tank. Once the tank cap is installed, its installation ends. Subsequently, you can install a toilet seat, tidy up the bathroom and use the new equipment comfortably.

Photo guide for installing the PORTA toilet cistern

We will begin the process of installing the drain tank by becoming familiar with the components and assembling the drain valve. Its feature is a non-separable push-button mechanism, which will have to be completely replaced in case of breakdown, and the presence of a bulb in the water collection system.

Before starting work on installing a new drain tank, you need to familiarize yourself with the package, check the presence of all required parts and assemble the drain valve

Having successfully completed the steps of assembling the valve, we proceed to installing the tank and attaching it to the toilet:

We check how level the tank is installed. We fix it by evenly tightening the nuts. To avoid complications during the installation of the fittings, we study the components:

To correctly install the locking device, we get acquainted with its structural details

Then we proceed to install the fittings:

Replacing the flush cistern of a separate toilet

Replacing the flush cistern on separate toilets is much easier than on Compact toilets. The equipment is either fixed to the wall using special fastenings, or the housing is screwed directly to a vertical concrete slab.

It is necessary to unscrew the screws or bolts carefully, because the holes in the wall can be useful for fastening a new cistern

After removing the old tank, it is necessary, according to the instructions, to assemble a new one.

In the store, you can ask the salesperson to install all the insides of the cistern, so that at home you can simply hang it on the wall and connect it to communications

Once assembled, the purchased hanging tank is mounted on the wall and connected to a water hose.The drain tube is inserted into the corresponding hole in the toilet bowl and this completes the installation of the tank for a separate toilet.

Due to the noise and external unattractiveness, these types of drain tanks are practically not found in houses and apartments.

If replacing the tank was only a partial solution to the problem, and the bowl also needs to be changed, then useful information and detailed toilet installation instructions, you will find the same on our website.

Installation of a new tank on the installation

A serious breakdown of the drain tank on an installation is a very unpleasant problem. To eliminate it, you need to dismantle the decorative box or tiles in the bathroom.

You can avoid extensive repair work when dismantling the skin if you make it from dismountable wooden panels. But the surface of the wood must be protected from moisture in the bathroom

The plastic case is usually fixed to the metal frame using latches.

When replacing a drain tank on an installation, you will either have to buy equipment from the same company, or completely replace the plumbing structure

After disassembling the installation, you only need to remove the old one and fix the new tank on the frame. Installation of a new tank is carried out after inspecting the supporting frame of the wall-hung toilet and installation repair in case of detection of breakdowns.

Next, the installation is attached to the wall, after which a water hose is connected to the tank.

Then you can mask the support frame again and install toilet bowl onto the mounting studs fixed in it. In wall-mounted toilets, the flush tank is only a block component, the replacement of which takes several minutes. But the dismantling and installation of the decorative box can take weeks.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The presented video materials will complement the understanding of the sequence of actions when replacing the cistern and will introduce you to the nuances of this process.

Video #1. Installation of the cistern:

Video #2. Dismantling and assembling the toilet tank:

Video #3. Installation of a wall-hung toilet flush tank:

The process of replacing a flush tank on a toilet is quite simple and does not require specific knowledge. The main difficulty is finding a suitable model of equipment in the store. Carefully following the recommendations described above will help solve other problems.

You can talk about your experience of replacing a flush cistern and share interesting subtleties in the block below. Here, ask questions and comment on the information we offer.