Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

wired.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 289 posts

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#141

Post by Scoundreller »

Frost1x wrote: post #39
LyndsySimon wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had to run a new electrical outlet for mine; plumbing a new line for it wouldn’t have been any more difficult.

This is the one issue that's stopped me. Most these attachments connect to the toilet's water supply, which is fine, except most toilet water supplies only provide cold (i.e. whatever the ambient water temperature happens to be) water which to me, is far from ideal in a bidet (it's fine for normal use though). Running hot water there is a significant undertaking if done correctly, so most options come with a small re…

> That heat isn't magical, it needs energy from somewhere meaning you need to run power there someway.

Well, if you have a reservoir before the bidet, it'll get from ambient water temperature to ambient air temperature if it sits long enough. How many litres does a bidet use at a time? Nowhere to slot a 2L reservoir?

Getting the water to 22C should be far more tolerable than the 5-8C many of us are used to in winter.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#142

Post by Scoundreller »

mindslight wrote: post #51
bryanlarsen wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most bathrooms have a light switch close to the toilet. Replace it with something like https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-Decora-15-Amp-Tamper-Res... . The Toto bidet's have a fairly long cord.

Do NOT use that particular outlet. You want one with GFCI instead. You will probably have to install a larger box to put it side by side with the existing switch. (Or really just install another single box closer to where you want it, and fish)

You can get single-gang GFCI light switches:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Leviton-15-Amp-125-Volt-Combo-Se...

Couldn't find them in Canada though. Had to buy from USA.

Now my toothbrush can charge for more than 5 minutes a day (the lamp had a socket on it, but again, wouldn't want to use that for a bidet!)

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#143

Post by Symbiote »

Paul-ish wrote: post #117
Lammy wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You position yourself; the water stream stays where it is. You get used to it very quickly and know where to expect it to be based on where you’re sitting.

Ah, I thought you were talking about the handheld gun versions.

Even with that, it's only slightly more difficult than knowing where to aim the toilet paper.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#144

Post by carterehsmith »

stinos wrote: post #133
ebg13 wrote: post #77

Every time I hear someone say that they stopped using toilet paper after switching to a bidet, I have some serious questions. Because I've used bidets and washlets of all kinds, and I've never met one that actually cleaned fully without also rubbing/wiping. So, ok, using wet paper can get you much cleaner and is gentler than dry paper, but blasting wet feces droplets all over the place with a jet spray alone isn't so…

blasting wet feces droplets all over the place This is the only thing I don't get about bidets. Unless I'm missing something it's like unavoidable to get droplets on your hand/spreayer for the manual types? I personally wouldn't really care, but I just wonder why not more people make a fuzz about this. Again, maybe I'm missing something.

Bidet attachments usually have a self-cleaning mode, ie you push a button and then it sprays water over the sprinkler.

I bought mine off Amazon for like $40 and it does that.

BTW I do clean mine now and then, and there is like, almost nothing to clean. Compared to e.g. my humidifier, that needs almost-daily cleaning.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#145

Post by Symbiote »

Scoundreller wrote: post #136
wickerman wrote: post #37

As an argentinian living in the UK, I am waiting for this country to finally become civilised and include a stand alone bidet in every bathroom

> living in the UK, I am waiting for this country to I thought you were going to talk about electric sockets.

I gave up on my parents when they asked me to choose bathroom fittings. I was about 15.

I wanted a mixer tap, like the rest of the world has.

They said it wasn't traditional. They installed the traditionally British separate "freezing" and "cold then suddenly scalding" taps.

(At least they removed the carpet.)

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#147

Post by Symbiote »

loquor wrote: post #105
taniraja wrote: post #98

Cheapest alternative maybe the teapot looking device from Indian sub-continent, known as a: lota. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lota_(vessel)

A kettle for your rear is rather spartan. Urban indians usually opt for a hose attached to a hand spray. Imo,the biggest plus point of the bidet over the above is that it doesn't get the floor wet.

When backpacking around Vietnam some years ago, the minimum was a bucket of water and a small jug.

Naturally, I discovered this at the most inconvenient time.

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#148

Post by thrownaway954 »

macjohnmcc wrote: post #146

We have a bidet. We thought we had this whole toilet paper hoarding thing solved. Then today while Google contractors were installing fiber in our neighborhood they cut the water line that somehow was not marked on the street.

I still use toilet paper even through i own one myself, just not as much... you gotta dry afterwards :)

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#149

Post by irrational »

Someone1234 wrote: post #85
zwily wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tell everybody that a $50 sprayer attachment will get you 80% of the benefit of a full-on bidet toilet.

I've owned both, I agree. The other "big" feature of a plugged in biden is meant to be the blower/dryer, but at least in my one (TOTO branded) it is a waste of time. If the blower actually worked (e.g. Dyson Airblade), it would be a significant benefit, but as it stands I agree you get 80% with a simple spray toilet seat (other 20% is heated water, maybe the moving head a little, although you still have to shift your…

How well does it work if your backside could be mistaken for a Yeti?

Re: Has the bidet's time in North America finally arrived?

#150

Post by js2 »

Scoundreller wrote: post #134
tunesmith wrote: post #13

My wife made a joke about a bidet a few years ago, so also as a joke I bought us one for her birthday. The $60 attachment kind where you just plumb in a splitter from the source that fills the toilet tank. It was a hit, so we bought one for family friends for a birthday - high hilarity as we heard the reports from their kids - and then more for our extended family at Christmas. Shocked reactions around the Christmas…

> In most cases, you don't even need the extra features, like fan or warm water. Regular cold water is nowhere near as bad as you'd assume. Depends how cold your cold water is. Can be a 10-15C difference between Northern US and Southern US in winter. Also becomes important if you're sizing a tankless water heater: https://www.tanklesshotwaterguide.ca/2012/06/ground-water-te... Finally, warmer water will dissolve what…

We have water in NC as cold as you're likely to see anywhere indoors. Our municipality uses water towers to supply pressure so when it below freezing out, the water is definitely in the low 40s (F) if not below.

It's refreshing but you get used to it. My wife hasn't complained either. She rolled her eyes at me when I first ordered the bidets but was an instant convert.

(I just happened to install them in all our bathrooms last fall. Lucky timing. The model I installed was $35 on Amazon but it's now more than double that and not currently available.)

Post reply on HN