When all the roughing it has been completed and you are ready to assemble your toilet, your plumbing should resemble as described here.

1. The closet bend and toilet floor flange must be roughed in first. When replacing a toilet, you will need to scrape up the old wax gasket. A putty knife works well for this. Remove the old bolts from the floor flange and scrape the flange clean to prevent leaks at the base of the new bowl. If the old flange is cracked or broken, replace it with a new floor flange.

2. Position the floor flange so that the underside of the flange is at the level of the finished floor. (It is always best to install the finished floor so that it runs underneath the toilet.) You may need to use a piece of finished flooring material if the floor has not yet been installed. Now you can finish tightening the screws that hold the floor flange to the floor. Put a small level on the flange while tightening to be sure it is level.

3. Set the new floor bolts in plumber's putty and insert them through the flange, adjusting the bolts so they line up with the centre of the drainpipe.

4. With the new toilet bowl turned upside down, position the new wax gasket over the toilet horn on the bottom of the bowl.

5. Apply plumber's putty around the entire bottom edge of the bowl.

6. Using the bolts as guides, lower the bowl into place over the flange. Press down firmly while giving a slight twist. It is important that you feel the toilet being pushed into the wax ring. If you do not feel this, the flange is set too low and you will not get a good wax seal between the flange and the horn (waste outlet). Also, if the wax ring is cold, it will not properly seat. You may need to warm it in the sun for awhile until it is pliable.