Removing a toilet looks simple — "unscrew and carry out." In practice, 20+ years in one spot take their toll: floor bolts seize, the sewer gasket hardens and tears, perimeter silicone turns into solid rubber. Plus you need to seal the open stack and vent odors out safely. A mistake = odor through the whole apartment and water on the floor.
Why a toilet gets removed
- Before installing a new one. The most common case.
- Before a bathroom renovation. If tile is being replaced, walls painted, or screed laid — the toilet has to come out.
- During a layout change. Moving the bathroom, swapping toilet and bath positions.
- Before unblocking the drain stack. Serious stack blockages are sometimes cleared through the toilet location — the unit is temporarily removed.
- Before selling the apartment empty. Rare but happens — the new owner wants their own.
How removal goes
- Shut off water at the angle valve under the tank. If there isn't one — the apartment shutoff.
- Drain the tank fully — press the button, let the water out. Residue in tank and bowl trap — bail with a cup or sponge.
- Disconnect the supply line from the tank.
- Remove the tank from the bowl — two bolts off, lift off the gasket.
- Cut the silicone seal around the base — utility knife.
- Unscrew the floor bolts. Common issue — seized bolts. Techniques:
- WD-40, wait 10–15 minutes.
- Torch heating (carefully, away from tile).
- Cut off with an angle grinder.
- Carefully lift off the sewer outlet. Sometimes the toilet is stuck to the flex pipe — rock it side to side, don't yank straight up.
- Plug the sewer opening — with a rag, a trash bag, or a dedicated plug. Mandatory, otherwise the stack will fill the apartment with smell.
- Clean the floor of silicone residue and the old gasket.
- Assess the condition — tile under the toilet, anchor holes, the sewer stub.
- Carry out and dispose of the toilet (by arrangement).
What is left after removal
- Open sewer pipe — 100 mm diameter, protruding from floor or wall.
- 2 anchor holes in the tile — 10–12 mm, patched with filler or cement mix before a new install.
- Water supply exit — the angle valve (or its remains) sticks out.
- "Ghost" on the tile — color difference where the toilet stood vs. exposed tile.
- Silicone residue on the tile — scraped off with knife and softener.
Sealing the sewer stack
This is a critical step if more than a couple of hours pass between removal and installing the new toilet.
- Temporary plug — a bag with a rag, tied on top. Holds for a couple of hours.
- Inflatable plug — a rubber bladder pumped up inside the pipe. ILS 40–80, convenient for 1–3 days.
- Threaded 110 mm plug — if removal is for days/weeks (renovation). ILS 30–60.
- Special valve cap — lets you drain water (other toilet, plumbing fixtures) without odor bleeding through. ILS 100–200.
How much it costs in Israel
- Floor-standing toilet removal — ILS 200–450
- Wall-hung removal (frame intact) — ILS 250–500
- Removal including frame and wall finishing — ILS 600–1,500
- One-piece removal (two workers, heavy) — ILS 350–600
- With old toilet disposal — +ILS 100–200
- With long-term stack plug — +ILS 80–200 (plug)
- With stack clearing/flushing — +ILS 200–500
What to prepare
- Clear the bathroom — move out rugs, brushes, anything in the way.
- Cover the floor with cardboard or plastic — to protect tile when moving heavy porcelain.
- Know where the main shutoff is — if the angle valve doesn't work.
- Ventilate — odor will come from the stack during removal.
- Spare bucket/rags — residual water has to go somewhere.
What the plumber brings
- Angle grinder — for seized bolts.
- Gas torch — to heat the thread.
- WD-40 and brush.
- Inflatable or threaded 110 mm plug.
- Vacuum for fine tile dust.
- Trash bags for toilet debris.
Typical complications
- Bolts "fused to the floor." Nothing but a grinder works. Adds time, dust, and debris.
- Flex pipe glued to the outlet. Tears on removal — a new flex pipe is needed anyway.
- Fresh tile under the toilet. Remove very gently — old tile can crack from vibration.
- Stack open for several days. If the new install is delayed, the stack seal must be airtight or the apartment smells for a week.
- Downstairs neighbors. If removal drags on, odor may travel to them. Warn them.
Frequently asked
How long can I live without a toilet?
With a proper stack plug — as long as you want. For a family, comfort limit is 1–2 days. Large apartments usually have a second bathroom, so removing one is not a problem. In small ones — install the new one the same day.
Is the plumber obliged to dispose of the old toilet?
Usually not — it's by arrangement. Standard haul-away price is ILS 50–150. Many clients call the municipal pickup themselves (free) for the next day, and the plumber just carries the toilet out to the street.
Can the old toilet be saved for another place (summer home, shed)?
Yes, if it came out undamaged. Porcelain is durable — it will serve another 10–15 years. You need: a new gasket (old one trash), new bolts, new supply line, new seat. In Israel it's less popular than in Russia but it works.
What if mold or rot is found under the toilet?
That means the seal was bad for a long time — water leaked under. You need: thorough drying, fungicide treatment, check the screed under the tile. If tile is lifting — local relay. Adds ILS 500–2,000 to the estimate.