My Closet Bolts Are Loose
- 1). Shut off the water going to the toilet by turning the shutoff valve clockwise. Press the toilet's handle once, flushing the toilet and draining the water in the tank.
- 2). Loosen the nut that connects the toilet's water line to the water valve using an adjustable wrench. Pull the plastic domes off the base of the toilet to reveal the bolts underneath.
- 3). Clamp a pair of channel locks onto the end of each bolt as you use the adjustable wrench to remove the nuts on the bolts. Pull on the bowl portion of the toilet to remove it from the bolts and set it on a piece of cardboard.
- 4). Remove the old wax ring using a putty knife, then clean the flange with mineral spirits and a clean rag. Use the adjustable wrench to tighten the nuts on the closet bolts until they no longer are loose.
- 5). Unwrap a new wax ring and place it, flat side down, on the flange. Lower the toilet over the closet bolts and sit on it while you tighten the closet nuts onto the bolts. Once the toilet is secured to the point it does not move at all, snap the plastic caps back over the closet bolts.
- 6). Attach the water line back onto the water valve, tightening the connection with the wrench.