With your supply hose hooked up you need to prep the drain. Closet (or toilet) flanges often come with a cap or seal to allow for pressure testing and to stop sewer gases from entering the room. While these are often knockouts you can whack out with a hammer, they don’t always work that way. Some require you to break the thin seal around the edge of the cap before prying the cap up. There are even fancy caps that open like a pop-top can. Determine what you have, and remove the cap. Then, position your closet bolts in the holes provided in the flange, with the bolts pointing upward.
Now you install the wax gasket. You can either fit it in the hole in the flange or seat it on the bottom of the toilet bowl. If you’re installing it in the toilet, put a towel or cloth on the floor to protect the porcelain, and place the bowl upside down on the towel. Install the wax ring with the plastic or rubber drain cone facing downstream, away from the toilet.
Now, position the bowl over the closet flange so that the bolts line up with the holes. Carefully seat it on the floor and sit or lean on it to apply weight and gently rock it into a snug fit.
Apply the washers and nuts to the closet bolt, and tighten them by hand. Now, using a wrench, carefully tighten them a little bit on either side until they’re snug. Don’t overtighten, or you could crack the porcelain.
Next time, we’ll install the tank.