Can I return a leaking toilet after I already installed it?
Returning a defective bowl is complicated if you purchased it a year ago for a remodel and only discovered the leak during post-installation testing. Because long-term repairs cannot be trusted and skirted models are exceptionally hard to service with their flimsy plastic mounting tabs, finding a defect after installation often leaves you with few reliable options.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since September 2026.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Can I return a leaking toilet after I already installed it?
- 1asking the retailer if they will accept an exchangeDid this help you?
- 2Replacing the toilet entirely rather than attempting a patch on a porous casting.Did this help you?
- 3Avoiding skirted toilets altogether due to inferior mounting hardware and difficult servicing.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Just installed this skirted toiled and discovered this leak when testing.”source ↗
“I purchased the toilet a year ago while ordering everything for a remodel and just installed it. Not sure if I can return it. Not sure I can repair it or trust any repair long term.”source ↗
“I after my first dump on my new throne i just finished install on I seen this happen…”source ↗
“In my experience they are inferior mounting wise as well. They always have shitty plastic tabs to screw into that are just crap.”source ↗
“They're just much harder to service, and don't add anything other than aesthetic (which is also debatable).”source ↗