A bathroom’s maintenance is a whole level of science and mechanics. It is tougher than it looks.
That is why most of us are reluctant to get our hands on replacing and maintaining it.
However, if you have to remove fittings, replace a part or fix a leak, you might want to get an expert to advise on how to do it.
This is going to help you understand how you can remove the toilet fitting and bolts.
Unlike other parts of the bathrooms, these fittings do not have any handles on them. Therefore, it is not easy to get hold of them. These bolts also hold the toilet to the flange.
I know I have scared you enough, but I’ve got you covered! The best way to deal with this is by understanding how bolts are installed and how to remove them.
Let’s give it a read:
Which Bolts Hold The Toilet?
First of all, it is necessary to understand what holds the toilet onto the flange. There is a bolt-like structure on which the caps are screwed.
The caps are ridged at the edges, which helps the cap to be screwed on the bolts.
They are two holes in the bowl, which helps to adjust the toilet on the flange. Once you understand how to adjust caps on the bolts, the process gets easier from there.
How To Remove Caps?
To remove bolts, you first need to remove the caps. Removing caps is not a difficult task. You would need a flat surface that could slide under the cap and remove it.
Since the caps are round structures, it is difficult to hold them as your fingers will slip off. If you try using a wrench or wire pliers, it will damage the cap.
So, what should you do? You should use a flat head screwdriver.
You can also use scrapping blades used by carpenters and painters.
What If The Caps Are Stuck?
If you replace bolts after a long period, it will be difficult to get the caps off. In the rarer instance, this is due to caps being welded into place or may be stuck due to rust.
In such a case, do not be shy to use a wrench to remove the cap, cut the cap using a utility knife, or remove it using a set of pliers.
Another way of doing it is to spray any lubricant around the cap and let it stay for a while until the cap loosens its place.
You can also use white vinegar or alcohol to help dissolve the deposits around the caps. Thus, making it easier to remove them and save you from cutting them.
What If The Bolts Are Rusted?
Once caps are removed, your next task is to remove the bolts. If the bolts are stuck in place because of rust, you would want to use lubricants.
You can spray the lubricant and leave it in place for at least 10-15 mins.
Replacing Toilet Bolts
If you faced problems removing the caps and the clogged bolts, it is time to replace them with plastic toilet bolt washers instead of metal ones.
They are cheaper and much easier to disassemble and assemble again. Along with that, they last much longer than the metal bolt and will not face rust.
You can put a plastic washer at the base of the metal bolt and on its top before tightening the metal bolt.
Unless you do this, you will have to go through the process of cutting the bolt with a hacksaw for being stuck in place because of the rust.
Installation Of Threaded Caps
First of all, make sure that your bolt is the right size for the toilet. When replacement bolts are bought, they are usually longer than the required length to fit in the toilet.
For that purpose, they are cut and brought down to the right size to fit in the toilet.
If this is not done, the bolt does not fit and is poking out of the caps. Caps cover the bolt, but the mount will still be visible, giving it a bad effect.
Secondly, use threaded caps instead of push-down ones. You might ask why?
Threaded caps have rigged thread structures that grips the bolt from all sides, making it stronger than ordinary caps. They are easier to remove, but their installation can be a little tricky.
– They come in two different sizes. ¼ inch and 5/16 inch. ¼ inch is much ordinary size that is mostly used for toilet bolts.
– It threads very easily and would not require any plier or a wrench to fix it up; instead, you can tighten it by using your hand.
Long Threaded Caps
For caps that are longer than the ordinary bolt size, i.e., ¼ inch or 5/q6, you can also find long caps that fit right into place on the long bolt.
These are threaded caps, and hence easy to install over long caps. However, these would not require any cutting according to the size of the bolt required for the toilet.
How To Remove Bolts Off A Kohler Set?
Kohler is a high-end sanitary brand that makes a state-of-the-art toilet fitting.
Their toilets are not only different, but their parts resemble nothing to ordinary sanitary fittings and toilets. They have anchor aluminum, and the bolt is made up of stainless steel.
No doubt it looks strikingly appealing, but such a combination of metals is not advised to be sued together as it creates corrosion and damages the bolt and the anchor.
When this happens, instead of ordering a replacement set from Kohler, you can order a hollow anchor and install it on the anchor itself as covering.
Once it’s done, this serves the purpose of protecting the two surfaces from corrosion, and hence you can remove the bolt and anchor next time you want to get a replacement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to replace Kohler set bolts?
Replacing bolts off a Kohler set is easy if you figure out how to do it. Since the Kohler toilet has a basic arrangement of anchor and bolt.
The anchor is aluminum, and the bolt is stainless steel. You should use a plastic anchor cover.
This will protect the two metals from galvanic corrosion and also aid you in replacing them easily.
How to remove stuck toilet caps?
They can be removed by spraying any lubricant around the cap and let it for a while until the cap loosens at its place.
You can also use white vinegar or alcohol, which helps dissolve the deposits around the caps so that it is easier to remove them, and you wouldn’t have to cut them.
For rusted bolts, you should use oil-based lubricants to loosen them from their place before you remove them.
How to remove threaded bolt caps?
Threaded bolt caps are easier to place on the bolts as they have threaded rigged structures. They are firm and provides a good grip over the bolt.
It threads very easily and would not require any plier or a wrench to fix it up; instead, you can tighten it by using your hand.
Which caps are better, ordinary round ones or threaded ones?
Ordinary round caps are used in most fitting, assembled by the factories, and are harder to take off. They slip and are not easy to grip.
Furthermore, they get fixated because of the mineral deposition of water. Hence, they later require a set of scrappers or flathead screwdrivers to be removed.
In worsened cases, you would require a hacksaw or utensil knife to cut the cap off the bolt to replace it.
However, the threaded ones can be tightened or loosed by applying a force of your hand. You won’t need a set of tools to replace them.
Conclusion
Sanitary fitting has its fair share of maintenance. This is why you should know the right places to get your replacement.
One wrong fitting can create a lot of mess, and you might have to end up replacing your toilet. Always find the bolts of the right size and use the right tools to cut the bolt size according to your toilets.
It is best if you measure and mark the bolts and use the appropriate tool to cut them.
In case you don’t plan to cut them and use the long bolt, it is advised best to use tall bolt caps with them.
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