A bidet is a very useful sanitary equipment that significantly increases the level of comfort in your home. You simply cannot do without such a device if someone in your family has health problems. The lack of such equipment is sometimes justified by a lack of finances or free space, but modern manufacturers offer various sanitary ware options suitable for bathrooms and bathrooms of any size. In addition, installing a bidet is not a very complicated procedure. Having familiarized yourself with the features of installation work, which are described in our article, you will easily be able to cope with such a task.
Which bidet to choose for installation
A bidet is a modern sanitary equipment designed to solve personal hygiene issues. The appearance of such a device resembles a standard toilet. Technically, the equipment looks like a low-mounted washbasin. Its drain is connected to the sewer. For hygienic procedures, the bidet is equipped with a mixer or a fountain.
Depending on the installation method, there are floor and hanging models.
When choosing a bidet, you need to pay attention not only to the installation option, but also to other characteristics of the equipment. Different models can be equipped with an ordinary, two-valve and single-lever mixer, as well as a ball mechanism (this option is considered the most convenient).
The design of the spout of the mixer installed on the hygienic device allows you to direct the jet upwards at the desired angle. Some models do not have it at all. In this case, a fountain of water hits from the bottom of the bowl. The direction of the jet of the fountain is adjustable in the desired direction. The appearance of the bowl and its design are selected based on the design of the interior of the bathroom.
In the catalogs of manufacturers, you can find modern models of devices, made in various designs – from retro products to ultra-fashionable high-tech sanitary ware. It is worth paying attention to the dimensions of the bowl, especially if you choose sanitary ware for a compact bathroom. It is necessary to provide that there is free access to the bidet and it is convenient to use it.
The most compact option is a bidet with a hanging bowl, but for the installation of such plumbing, you will need to install an installation. This support system is placed in a specially prepared niche behind the main element and can be closed with a false panel. To avoid mistakes with the choice of bowl sizes, you should measure the space where you plan to install the bidet with a tape measure.
When choosing plumbing of this type, you need to analyze a number of parameters and characteristics.
As noted above, first of all, you need to decide on the size of the bowl. If the dimensions of the room do not allow the installation of a separate device, you can choose universal models, which are called toilet-bidet.
After choosing a product by size, pay attention to the material from which the equipment is made. Bidet models from the following materials are presented on the sanitary ware market:
- steel;
- glass;
- plastic;
- cast iron;
- silver;
- gold;
- faience;
- porcelain.
The most common are porcelain and faience products. Models of the first type will cost much more than earthenware, which is due to the peculiarities of the production technology. At the same time, in terms of quality characteristics, earthenware bidets are only slightly inferior to porcelain ones (in terms of strength and durability).
It is quite difficult to distinguish models from these materials by appearance, especially if they are covered with high-quality glaze.
The main differences between products made of such materials are porosity or hygroscopicity. Porcelain equipment is more resistant to the formation of streaks on the surface of the rust bowl and to the appearance of an unpleasant smell. Earthenware sanitary ware can serve up to 35 years, and porcelain products are designed for more than 55 years of operation. Saving money when buying faience bidets will be reflected in more complex maintenance of sanitary ware. Such problems will not arise with porcelain equipment. When choosing a product, you must pay attention to the absence of cracks, chips or other defects on the surface of the bowl.
General tips for installing a bidet with your own hands
Connecting a bidet to the sewage system is not a very complicated process. You can do it yourself without special skills. We will provide step-by-step instructions that will help you install the bidet correctly.
Before proceeding with the installation of the equipment, it is necessary to accurately determine the place of its placement. Pay attention to the dimensions of the plumbing device and the distance to the connection points to the water supply and sewage system. Free access to the pipes is necessary for proper installation.
For independent installation of a bidet, you will need silicone, mounting tape, tow, as well as a plumbing tool – a pipe wrench, a punch, a set of drills, socket wrenches and a screwdriver.
In the process of installing the bidet , you must strictly follow the instructions presented in the manufacturer’s instructions, which, as a rule, are supplied with the product. In such a document, you can also find a detailed diagram of connecting the bidet to communication systems.
Standard models of hygienic devices are connected to the water supply network and the sewer riser in the same way as ordinary sinks. In almost all varieties of such sanitary ware, automatic drain valves are installed and there is no connection to the siphon.
A special attachment for toilets is used to install a floor-type bidet. They are connected to the sewage system with a flexible tube and a shaped element. In models equipped with faucets, these devices are installed last before connecting to the water pipe.
Peculiarities of installing a floor bidet
Floor-type bidet models have a number of advantages:
- Possibility of hidden connection to communications. After installing such equipment, pipes and faucets remain invisible, so the interior of the bathroom will look more attractive. All the connection points of such models are easily hidden due to the close fit of the device to the wall.
- Floor sanitary ware allows rational use of bathroom space. The shape of the bowl in this case will be more compact, so it takes up less space.
- Simple installation is another advantage of a floor bidet. It includes only two components, which, following the instructions, can be easily installed, even without professional skills of asheville plumber.
As additional advantages, it is worth noting the reliability of the design, silent operation and easy maintenance.
The most significant disadvantage of floor-type bidets can be considered high cost. Such models will cost much more than hanging products.
Before starting to install a new bidet, you should carefully check the delivery package and make sure that the product is intact. There should be no chips or other defects on the surface of the bowl. The following tools must be prepared for installation and plumbing connection:
- drill;
- drill bits for concrete and ceramics;
- set of horn keys;
- socket wrench;
- sealants for threaded connections;
- silicone sealing compounds for joints operating in conditions of high humidity.
After the tools and materials are prepared, you need to determine the location of the bidet. To do this, you need to accurately measure the distance from the bowl to the points of connection to the water supply and sewage system. The bidet should be installed on the base and mark the location of the fasteners. At the specified points, you need to drill holes with a diameter corresponding to the size of the plastic dowels.
If the equipment is installed on a ceramic tile floor, it is recommended to use a special flat drill to arrange the holes. Dowels should be installed in the resulting holes, and a bowl should be placed on top and secured with fastening bolts. In order not to damage the protective coating of the bowl, special rubber gaskets are used.
When tightening the bolts, the effort should be calculated correctly so that the ceramic does not crack. At the same time, insufficiently strong tightening will lead to the fact that the bowl will not stand very stably. To strengthen the fixation of the plumbing device on the floor, you need to apply a silicone sealant. The gap between the bowl and the floor is smeared with this composition.
When the bowl is fixed, proceed to the installation of the mixer. In different models, the mixer can be mounted on the side of the bowl or on the wall. The instructions for installing the faucet and all the necessary fasteners, as a rule, are also included in the delivery of sanitary ware. As mentioned above, you need to check the equipment when purchasing the equipment.
To install the mixer on the wall, it is usually necessary to perform work on the surface, near which the bidet will be located. The strobes should be arranged before installing the bowl, so as not to damage the product. Together with the markings for fixing the bowl, it is necessary to mark the place of installation of the mixer on the wall.
A hole should be drilled in the indicated points. Then you should carefully remove all construction debris and only after that proceed to installing the bowl. Installation of the mixer on the edge of the bidet will be simpler, since the bowl already has mounting holes for it.
To install the mixer, a rubber gasket and a clamping nut are used, which should be carefully tightened with an adjustable wrench. When the mixer is installed, it is necessary to connect cold and hot water. At the same time, you need to be careful and not confuse the pipes connecting to the mixer.
Experts believe that ball faucets are best suited for bidets. But such products are usually used to complete modern sanitary ware models. Bowls made in retro style are equipped with faucets with two valves.
The bidet mixer is connected to the water supply using a flexible wire in a metal weave. It is necessary to choose hoses in length so that they are not excessively long, as in this case unnecessary loops will be formed. At the same time, the use of a short lead will lead to the fact that the hoses will be stretched too much, and this is an unacceptable error when connecting a hygienic device.
It is recommended to connect the bidet mixer to water pipes using a shut-off valve. This will allow you to turn off the water supply to the device if necessary.
In order to connect flexible hoses to cold and hot water, you need to insert or install tees, in front of which shut-off valves are installed. If it becomes necessary to replace the faucet or perform other types of equipment repair, then there is no need to shut off the entire water supply system in the house.
The bidet is connected to the water pipe using threaded connections. To avoid leakage, they should be well sealed with linen thread, FUM tape or other materials. Inexperienced workers make two mistakes at this stage: they use either too little or too much sealing material. The optimal amount will be if, after winding the thread, the sealing material protrudes a little.
After connecting to the water supply, the equipment must be connected to the sewage system. It is mandatory to install a siphon. To connect to the sewage system, you need a rubber cuff-adapter and a corrugation. First, the siphon is installed on the rubber gasket. All modern bidet models have overflow protection. During installation, it is necessary to ensure the integrity of the product and the correctness of all connections.
