My eljer tank cracked and I need to install a new tank. How do I just install a new tank? The bowl is fine. Companies are trying to charge me about $300 to do this and I do not have the money. Please...
Let's assume you can buy the tank.
Installation of tank is simple.
If you can buy the eljer tank, you can buy whole new toilet with bowl and tank from home center.
We'll walk through instructions for both options.
1) How to replace tank on existing bowl.
-Tank is attached from underneath with two nuts.
-Turn off water, and hold flush valve down to drain tank
-Water connection is one nut. Follow supply line up to where it connects to tank. Loosen the nut that is around supply line just underneath tank. Pull nut downward and notice a black rubber washer that is probably stuck inside nut, or is stuck at bottom of tank. Make a note of where that nut is because it seals the water line to tank.
-You might also have a flex connector instead of supply tube. In that case, just unscrew flex connect from bottom of flush valve.
-Look beneath the tank and there are two nuts that hold tank to bowl.
-Take off these two nuts. A ratchet and socket is best tool, but you can use crescent wrench. -Notice these nuts are not exceptionally tight, but they are firm.
-Straddle the bowl and hold tank with two hands and lift up. Tank will come right up.
-Notice that on bottom of the tank: there are 2 bolts sticking out and there is a spongy rubber washer. This is the spud washer. Your new tank will have new washer. This washer seals tank to bowl so water doesn't leak when you flush.
-Notice round opening where flush water flows into bowl. Spud washer seals this hole. If you have experienced slow flushing, or if you have hard water, pour several cupfuls of CLR Calcium Lime Rust into the hole. CLR is sold at Home Depot by the gallon for $10.
-Open box to new tank. Find spud washer and fix it to bottom of new tank.
-Now a new tank is slippery, I want you to set boxes on floor nearby so if tank starts slipping, aim toward a box instead of hard tile floor.
-New tank comes with 2 new bolts, with nuts. Look at instruction sheet and see exactly how they want you to connect bolts to tank. Look carefully where they want you to put washers. These washer seal the tank when you tighten bolts.
-Now your spud washer is in place, the bolts are attached to tank and are sticking out of bottom of tank.
-Straddle bowl and lower new tank into place. Make sure spud washer lines up. Bolts line up. And flush valve lines up with supply tube. It's that easy.
-Tighten the nuts. Remember, not too tight. Toilet is not steel. And you can tighten more if there is seeping water.
-Now tank is in place. Raise nut and washer that are on supply tube and tighten nut onto bottom of flush valve. This nut is fairly tight. You might want to buy a new washer.
-If you have a flex line for the water supply, then just connect the flex line.
-Turn water ON a little bit at a time to avoid gusher if something is not correct.
-Use paper towels to check for dripping or seepage beneath tank. Tighten nuts appropriately to end seepage.
-Flush toilet and look for seepage around spud washer.
-You're done.
2) How to install new toilet.
-Remove old tank as shown above.
-Bowl is held to floor with two nuts.
-Ideal world those two nuts come right off and you lift bowl up off the floor.
-Real world, those nuts are rusted and you have to drill through side of the nut and bolt to break it off.
-Lift bowl up.
-Have cardboard ready next to toilet so you can set bowl on something. Or set it in bathtub.
-Bowl will be damp and wax ring is on bottom of bowl and will mess up the floor.
-Notice how the toilet bolts are set in the floor flange. Take photo if needed so you can put it back. It's real simple, but if you have never done this, a photo might help.
-Take putty knife and scrape wax ring off of floor flange. You want it smooth, but you don't clean it.
-New toilet comes with wax ring and bolts, but you might have to buy these at hardware store. Get wax right with gasket. The boxes are marked. Buy two of them.
-Set wax ring in center of floor flange. Gasket goes downward. Rounded side of wax ring goes up.
-Set new toilet bolts into floor flange. Keep bolts straight up using wax from the old wax ring, or from 2nd wax right you purchased.
-Keep bolts straight across from each other.
-Time to set the toilet.
-Stand in front of bowl and grab on either side at point where seat connects.
-Here's the fun part.
-Bowl has to go straight down onto wax ring so you have to be strong enough to hold tank level while aligning tank with bolts, without knocking the bolts down. Like a carnival game.
-Straddle walk toilet while holding it up high enough so it will not knock over the bolts.
-Lower bowl into place going straight down using bolts as guide. Lower a little bit and check one side for alignment and then check other side until bowl is going down and bolts fit through the holes.
-If bolt falls over or gets pushed away, straddle walk toilet back and set bolt straight up again.
-Once bowl is aligned, keep pushing straight down on bowl, and finally use your weight to push bowl to floor. Be careful to keep bowl perpendicular to wall so tank will sit straight.
-Attach bowl to floor with nuts and washers.
-Install tank as shown above.
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