By Paul Bianchina
Need a little extra warmth and comfort on a chilly morning? Looking for personal cleansing options without having to add a bidet? Then consider a simple bathroom upgrade - your toilet seat.
In recent years, several manufacturers have introduced retrofit toilet seats that offer a variety of heating and cleansing options that are perfect for easing the discomfort of certain medical conditions, or just for adding some luxurious decadence to any home.
Kohler Co., a world leader in plumbing fixtures and other items, recommends the installation of a GFI-protected electrical outlet behind the toilet - something, they say, that is common in Europe and the Far East but pretty unusual in the U.S. By installing that outlet - which is easy and inexpensive to do during the construction or remodeling of a bathroom - consumers would then have easy access to a number of options for their toilets.
Kohler, for example, offers the Heated French Curve toilet seat, which plugs into a 110-volt outlet and provides gentle heating across the entire seat surface. The seat consumes only 15 watts of electricity when in use - that's about 25 percent of the power used by the average light bulb - and its internal circuitry is designed to heat the seat to about 30 degrees above the average room temperature. The seat is UL-listed, and its temperature is limited to a maximum of 104 degrees. There is also a built-in on/off switch that allows the seat to be turned off during mild weather or extended absences.
To take things to a luxury level even higher than just a heated seat, there are also "bidet seats," available in sizes that will retrofit to most existing two-piece toilets with elongated bowls, and to some one-piece and round bowl toilets as well.
Panasonic's "IntiMist," for example, adds both heat and water nozzles to its seat, along with a convenient, waterproof control panel mounted along the side of the seat itself to allow the user instant access to all of the seat's features.
And features there are! Press one button, and one of the two cleansing nozzles will extend out about 6 inches from the rear underside of the seat and begin spraying heated water for either front or rear washing. Other buttons will increase or decrease the pressure of the spray, regulate the water temperature, and regulate the temperature of the seat. Pressing "off" - or simply standing up - will shut the spray and retract the nozzle.
Installation, according the manufacturer, is about a 20-minute process. The seat bolts to the toilet bowl using the existing holes, and plugs into a standard 110-volt outlet that needs to be located within 3 feet of the toilet. Water is supplied by tapping into the toilet's existing water line with the T-fitting that's provided with the seat.
To step up even further, try the "Jasmin Washlet," manufactured by TOTO U.S.A. Inc. This bidet seat also offers warm water washing nozzles and a heated seat, but the nozzle can be adjusted for a gentle cycling action between front and rear. Also, there is a built-in warm-air drying cycle that can be adjusted to any of three temperatures and a deodorizing fan system for dealing with toilet odors. To simplify cleaning, the controls are located in a remote panel rather than being attached to the seat, and the entire seat quickly pops on and off through a unique docking system.
In addition to the obvious luxury and comfort of bidet seats, manufacturers claim that there are health benefits as well, including relief from hemorrhoids and some other medical conditions, faster healing after certain types of surgery, and prevention of the irritation sometimes associated with toilet paper use. (As with any claims of this type, you'd want to be sure and discuss the use and possible benefits of adding a bidet seat with your doctor).
Heated and bidet seats can be special-ordered through your plumber, through many larger plumbing retailers and on the Web. Costs range from around $250 for a heated seat to between $350 and $950 for some of the bidet seats, plus installation.
Copyright 2003-2006 Inman News. Distributed by Inman News.
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "