How to Pull and Reset a Toilet
Sometimes we need a toilet pulled for access to the drain line underneath. Doing this yourself before we arrive avoids the access charge.
Before you start: this is general information, not a diagnosis of your specific situation. Shut off water where instructed, take your time, and stop if anything looks different than described here. If you're not comfortable at any point, stop and call us — that's what we're here for.
- 1Turn off the water supply valve and flush to empty the tank and bowl as much as possible, then sponge/shop-vac out what's left.
- 2Disconnect the supply line from the tank.
- 3Remove the two plastic caps at the base of the toilet and unscrew the nuts holding it to the floor flange.
- 4Rock the toilet gently to break the wax ring seal, then lift it straight up and set it aside on an old towel (toilets are heavier and more awkward than they look — lift with your legs).
- 5Stuff a rag into the now-open drain opening so nothing falls in and sewer gas doesn't fill the room while it's open.
- 6To reset: remove the rag, place a new wax ring on the flange (or on the toilet horn, depending on the ring type), lower the toilet straight down onto the bolts and press down firmly to seat the wax ring, then reinstall the nuts and caps and reconnect the water supply.
This is the access work behind our $199 toilet-pull charge — if you handle the pull and reset yourself before we arrive for a drain clearing, mention it when you book and that access charge doesn't apply. If the flange underneath looks cracked, corroded, or the floor around it feels soft, stop and call us — that's a bigger repair, not a simple reset.
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If this isn't a DIY day, call, text, or book online — same flat-rate honesty either way.