How to Drain a Toilet: A Step-by-Step Guide

Before jumping into the repair or replacement of your toilet, you will first need to drain the toilet thoroughly to prevent a flood of water in your bathroom. Draining a toilet is not a complicated task; you just need to know the location of the water inlets and the right steps to drain your toilet with minimum mess in your bathroom. Here, we have outlined step-by-step instructions and a list of required tools to help you complete the task with ease.

Tools required:

  1. Rubber gloves
  2. Bucket
  3. Plunger
  4. Large sponge
  5. Old towels and newspapers

Steps to Drain a Toilet

Step 1: Gently remove the tank lid

Lift the tank lid with gloved hands and place it on a soft surface, such as a thick towel or rug. A porcelain tank lid can break or develop cracks if placed abruptly on a hard surface. This will allow you to view the water level in the tank.

 Step 2: Turn off the water supply and flush the toilet tank

The next step in draining a toilet is to turn off the water supply to your toilet. Locate the valve, usually present on the wall behind the toilet base. Twist the valve clockwise to turn off the water supply of the toilet. Now, flush the toilet to empty the water in your tank, you may need to hold down the valve until all the water drains. Check your toilet tank – there should be no fresh supply of water in the tank if you have shut-off the valve properly.

In case the shut-off valve is not functioning, and water is refilled in the tank even after turning it off – you can also shut off the main water supply valve. It is usually located in the basement or the ground floor of your house. Turn off the main water supply will stop the water flow into the entire house and will allow you to now drain the toilet.

Step 3: Pour a bucket of cold water into the toilet

This is one of the most common ways to drain out the drain used by most of the homeowners. Fill a five-gallon bucket with water and pour it into the toilet bowl by gradually lifting the bucket to a height of one foot from the toilet bowl. This process is similar to the functioning of a flush and helps you to drain the water from the bowl.

If some water remains in the toilet bowl, you can plunge out the water with a help of a plunger by pressing it up and down several times till the remaining water drains out.

Step 4: Soak the remaining water with a sponge

Use a large sponge to soak up all the remaining moisture. Once your toilet is completely dry, you are ready to replace or repair your toilet.

Wrapping up!

Draining a toilet is a dirty job, and it could turn out to be a messy affair if not handled properly. Brace yourself with old towels, bedsheets, and newspapers to absorb any water that could flow out of the toilet and onto the floor while draining both the tank and bowl of the toilet.