How to Replace a Toilet Handle in 10 Minutes

When we finished our bathroom renovation and I posted the reveal to Instagram, someone commented saying she couldn’t unsee how the nickel-colored handle didn’t match the rest of the hardware and I had no idea what she was talking about.

A toilet handle is such a mainstay in a bathroom that it blended into the background in my mind until one day, months later, I looked at it with renewed eyes somehow and was like ‘ohhhh, that’s what she meant.’

So this is a formal apology to that lady because she was right.

Turns out not only can you replace your toilet handle, but it’s also really affordable and takes – I’m not even exaggerating – about 10 minutes to do.

So, here’s how to replace a toilet handle in 10 minutes:

Remove the toilet tank cover

This should just lift right up but is a little heavy so place it down carefully.

Empty the tank

Pull up on the chain and hold it there, which will drain the tank (I didn’t do this but I should’ve). Next, unclip the chain from the existing handle and set it aside.

Unscrew the handle

Grab a wrench and loosen the existing nut that’s tightened against the inside of the tank. Note: the nut will be reverse threaded (which means you loosen it the opposite direction to normal), so that it doesn’t loosen over time as the handle is used. Once that nut is off, slide the existing handle out of the toilet tank.

Add the new handle

Grab your new handle (we used this one) and just repeat the process backyard: Slide the handle into place, use the wrench to tighten the nut on the inside (only do a little past hand-tight so you don’t damage it), clip the chain onto the end of the handle, and add the toilet tank back on.

See? Shockingly easy!

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