If you’ve ever thought about purchasing a bidet for your bathroom, you might have been intimidated by the thought of doing the installation work. It’s true that you can call a plumber, but that’s going to cost you more money.
Can you install a bidet on your own easily?
The Many Types of Bidets
Here’s the good news: there are many different types of bidets available, and yes, some of them can be installed by amateurs quite easily. Only one type of bidet is associated with a complicated plumbing installation.
- Ceramic/standalone bidets. These types of devices are common in countries where bidets have been normal for an extended time. They function as a completely separate device, complete with their own plumbing hookup. Installing this type of device in an existing bathroom is expensive and complicated, so it’s not a common choice for people interested in installing new bidets.
- Bidet sprayer. This type of bidet is a sprayer attachment that attaches directly to your existing plumbing line. It’s an easy way to upgrade an existing toilet, though it does require a bit of setup.
- Toilet seat bidets. Toilet seat bidets have a bidet attachment attached directly to the toilet seat, creating an all-in-one experience. If you can install a new toilet seat on your toilet, you can easily install one of these devices.
- Bidet attachments. The day attachments are similar, usually resting underneath the toilet seat. They’re designed to be easy to install on an existing toilet.
- Portable/travel bidets. There are also portable and travel bidets, which don’t require any installation. However, it’s debatable whether these technically qualify as “bidets” in the first place.
The Installation Process
Apart from ceramic/standalone bidets and portable/travel bidets, most types of modern bidets are installed with the following process:
- Turn off the water. Before you begin any plumbing work, it’s important to turn off the water locally. Your toilet probably has a valve that can be easily turned to accomplish this. You should also be prepared to turn off water to your entire house if things go sideways.
- Disconnect relevant pieces. Depending on the type of device you want to install, you may need to remove the toilet seat, the hose connecting to your toilet, or other minor pieces.
- Attach the bidet. Following the instructions associated with the device, you can install the bidet at this point. The instructions are going to look a little different for each individual product.
- Reconnect the toilet. Once successfully installed, you can reconnect the toilet and restore it to full working order.
- Turn the water back on. With everything back in place, you can turn the water back on.
If it seems like you can handle these steps, you can probably install your own bidet with minimal issues.
When to Call a Plumber
If you begin to doubt your abilities, or if you run into trouble, you can always call a plumber to resolve the issue. Review the instructions carefully before you begin to follow them and pay attention to anything that seems to be going wrong (like the toilet spraying water unexpectedly).
Shopping Tips
If you’re interested in installing a bidet entirely on your own, these shopping tips can help you find the perfect product for your needs:
- Understand the different types of bidets. Make sure you understand the different types of bidets that exist, as some are specifically designed to be installed by amateurs and others are inaccessible to anyone without years of plumbing experience.
- Be honest with yourself. Some people are perfectly suited to DIY installations. For other people, these types of household tasks are exceedingly difficult. Be honest when assessing your own abilities. If you’re the type of person who struggles with basic household maintenance tasks, it might be better to call a plumber (or a handyperson you know and trust) and have them do the work for you.
- Assess your toilet. Modern bidet attachments are designed to fit with most toilets easily, but some older toilets and unique models may make installation more challenging. Fortunately, installing a new toilet isn’t especially difficult; this may be the best solution, especially if you have other problems with your existing toilet.
- Review instructions and tutorials proactively. Don’t buy the product (or jump into the installation) until you thoroughly read all the instructions and feel that you understand them. It may also be helpful to watch a video, so you have visual elements to draw on.
- Check the return policy. Before buying, check the return policy. If you’re not able to install this on your toilet, for any reason, would you be able to take it back?
Bidets are ideal for more thorough bathroom hygiene. And now that you know how easy most models are to install, there’s no reason not to move forward with trying one.
Members of the editorial and news staff of the Daily Caller were not involved in the creation of this content.