the water part is easy. Your toilet has a water shutoff valve next to it. The washlet comes with a part that gets attached to the water valve that sends the water both to the toilet and the washlet. Sorry, don't know the term for that piece? Regarding the power, you have to have your electrician install an outlet near the toilet. We are doing the same thing now in our new house. We have a washlet in our new bathrooms in our apartment. We just bought a second home and will redo the master bath, but we don't want to wait for the renovation to get a washlet installed, because having the washlet so important to us, we had the electrician come immediately and out in the outlet. He pulled the power from an outlet on the other side of the bathroom wall.

I think it goes without saying that you need a water supply and electrical outlet :) If you've already got a toilet in that location, it's no problem for the water supply. Our plumber installed ours during a bathroom remodel and installed it on a Toto toilet. The only thing we needed to add was the electrical outlet.

Check with the advanced toilet seat specs to see what restrictions it has for which type of toilets. There are a few toilets that can't be used with the seats. The water and electrical info posted above is important too.

BTW, I love my Toto Washlet and all the luxury options! Nothing says home like a toasty toilet seat on a cold winter morning :) However, if you're just looking for basic bidet functionality, you can get that for about $50 and it does NOT need an electrical outlet. I tried to get DH to install an outlet behind his toilet during the recent renovation of his bathroom just in case he might one day want a bidet seat. He shared my bathroom for several weeks while remodeling his and decided he was a fan after all :) But, he wasn't about to let me spend that kind of money on him :o As I was searching for a less spendy "advanced toilet seat", I discovered non-electrical (water pressured) bidet seats. I was skeptical but all the reviews were positive so I decided to order a Brondell "Fresh-Spa" attachment. Took 10-15 minutes to install. There are several other brands too. They make two models, one cold water only and one with warm water. The warm water model would have required us to cut a hole in our new vanity to tap into the hot water line. I knew he wasn't going to want to do that. It works great. It has water pressure that is at least 10X stronger than my Toto Washlet. During a routine cleaning, I accidentally turned the dial the wrong way and water shot out 14-15 FEET hitting the opposite wall in the adjoining room LOL. You don't have all the luxury features but you don't need electricity or $800!

I have one in the Practically Perfect Powder Room (love it!), and made sure DH installed electrical with the reno of the Starting From Dirt Basement Bath. DH is resisting getting a second seat, but I told him at some point I WILL have one, and probably since it is a lower use bathroom, set that one to the eco mode. Future 2nd floor bath will definitely get one so the electrical will be added.

I hope you are all safe and sound. Your storm system should be on our door step any second now, bringing lots of snow and hopefully not much in the way of ice!

Thanks for the tips, everyone. And special thanks to Monica
for sharing your personal experiences - I hope everything is well now down
in Texas!

As you can probably tell, I'm a total novice at this stuff, and you've all given me so much to look into (and think about) over the next few days. The water-powered bidet seat in particular does sound like a cheap and easy alternative, but somehow the idea of having ice-cold water hitting my behind during the winter isn't all that appealing. Given how quickly hot water sitting in the pipes cools, I doubt the warm water version would be much better either, unless I start running the tap before each bathroom... err, session.

The Toto hooks up to cold water and flash heats it for the bidet functions.

@raident, well Monica's DH is tough, he can deal with the cold, lol. The thing with most seats is that there is an option for heated seat (great in the winter, off in the summer). Maybe water reservoir for heating, or maybe on demand heating, either way adequate for most jobs. Nozzle rinsing feature. Possible night light feature. The only thing I don't like about them is that when the cover is down, and you want to sit, it doesn't seem as solid at a regular toilet cover. I have an INAX (Japanese and developer of the original advanced toilet seat, even before Toto, according to Herringmaven) and it is rated for 500lb, so very sturdy, but the cover seems less so. This unit would be great for very large people, but unfortunately they don't officially distribute them in the US any longer. Someone posted that they are still available on Amazon. I also have a Novita, that is Korean made. It has all the bells and whistles but I believe I like the INAX better. Today I would look at Toto if I would need one again.

Here is a link to my INAX post several years ago:
inax-advanced-seat-to-arrive-today-tnx-herring-maven

Raident, yes, the warm water wouldn't be instant like it is with flash heating. My husband and I discussed if he wanted me to buy the warm water model and we agreed, you'd still have cold water at first and he's just 6-7 feet from the hot water heater. I won't lie, it can be a bit mind (or in this case) rear numbingly cold. I guess if he ever gets to where he can't stand it, he'll buy a different bidet seat/attachment. Oh, his Freshspa has a water rinsing feature that rinses the wand. The water pressure is actually much stronger than on my Washlet. I'm not trying to talk you into this. Just wanted you to know there are options if the cost of a high end bidet seat isn't setting well with the budget. I'm sure I've seen my last Washlet unless they become so common place that the prices start to drop. I was thrilled to find there are much less spendy options for when I'm retired and poor as a church mouse!

@enduring, I wasn't even aware that there were companies other than Toto which sold washlets in western countries! I mean, it's such a niche market here where toilet paper is the unquestioned norm and washlets are as exotically Asian as a squat toilet is...

@Monica, I don't think you're trying to talk me into this at all, you're giving me fabulous advice and I'm very grateful :)

By the way, how useful do the two of you find the heated seat feature? I can see the allure in Japanese houses (which don't have central heating but do have paper-thin, if not literally paper walls and therefore have no insulation either and as a result are just as cold indoors as it is outdoors during the winter), but in a sensibly built American house with both heating and insulation, is it really that useful?

Generally, I find that I get more of a temperature shock from my calves touching the cold porcelain front of the bowl than I do from my rear touching the room temperature plastic seat.

I love the heated seat. I use it in the late fall through spring. I put it on low. It is just a nice comfort. No shock.

Define useful (: I'm in Texas and mine stays on from late November thru March (give or take). I guess if you have never had a toasty toilet seat you wouldn't miss it. Mine usually stays on high. I don't want it to feel like someone else has gotten off the toilet, I want it to be unmistakeably toasty... Which is warmer than warm (: I don't know, this seems a little like TMI o : Bottom line, I would by a bidet seat with it! You'll be glad you did.

you are too funny monicakm! We need all the info we can get on these forums.

enduring, I guess it goes against my southern genteel upbringing. Mom wouldn't approve <g> Cute story...my 7 yr old grand-daughter was spending the night last week. She woke up to use the bathroom and never came back. When I checked on her, she had fallen asleep on the Toto! When I woke her up, she said the seat was warm and cozy and made her fall asleep :)

I had to read the last few posts to DH and we got a laugh! Thanks for that cute story.

Like Monica, I like toasty buns - so mine is set to high pretty much fall to spring. This holiday, one of the visiting family - I'm guessing DaBoy, kept turning the seat down, so I'd get an unexpected cold jolt. Not the way to make mama happy. ;-/

I have a Brondell Swash 1000 - and you can sit on the lid if that's important to you - it's as sturdy as any of my wooden seat lids. I'll definitely get another, possibly two.

I have a Swash 1000 too - LOVE IT!!! Like Monica, I have another, less expensive model. I call the Swash the Mercedes and the other one (by Tushy) the Honda. :) The heated seat is lovely. And the heated water is almost immediate with the Swash and with other, that doesn't require electricity, but is hooked up to my sink's hot water valve, the water takes quite awhile to get warm.

I put both the Swash and the Tushy on existing toilets and for the Swash I had electrician come out to install the needed outlet. For the Tushy, I installed it myself in 20 min, hooking up the water to the toilet valve and sink valve (this is in a half bath where the toilet. is right next to the sink).

So without TMI (okay, never mind ~ TMI is almost called for here ; )) .....

Exactly HOW does all this take place? Yes, I've googled and watched the Toto Washlet computer animated video which we found very helpful as to water placement. Sort of. The video demonstrated two wands, a front and an um, rear. But timing? And toilet paper? A couple of posts have mentioned decreased TP expense, but which comes first, the TP or the bidet spray? Is there a users manual that explains this or is it all trial and error (whoops, would probably really hate those errors ).

Essentially, when your business is finished, instead of using TP to clean up, you use the bidet function to wash off instead. You push a button, and it shpritzes water (front, back, etc) to where you think you need it. Most will shut off after a while, but you always can just push stop. Now you're clean.

The dryer function is optional on some models. Think about public restrooms - some have that heated blower for drying your hands, some have only paper, some have both. It's a very individual thing - it can take a long a long time to dry and not everyone likes to hang around, so there may be some TP used for drying off the bidet water. The savings in TP comes from using it only to dry off, and not the normal cleaning/wiping uses. It's the difference between a towel you might use to wash the food off your dishes, and the towel used to dry them.

I want to say that I just love the bidet sooooo much. I keep the seat on warm all the time. I don't even want to go on a vacation because they won't have these.

Mine is the Toto 300e. It's pretty pricey, but I wanted it because it seems to have the lowest profile, and I've got it in our hallway bathroom which gets more visitors. In my master bath which we're we're about to start, I may get the BioBidet 2000. No special reason. It's a little less expensive, and just for a change. Or I'll get another Toto. But I must have one.

Thank you. DH just rolls his eyes at the idea but stopped to consider it when I asked if he would just use a dry piece of TP if he stepped barefoot in some dog poo, or got his hand a bit messy changing a baby .... or would he want to actually wash? I liked the example I saw recently here that when we get sweaty we shower ... not just clean up with a dry wipe. But the 'how to' eluded me : )). We have 2 toilets to replace ASAP & I've been looking at American Standard Vormax (for a cleaner bowl) and Toto (for all the reasons people recommend them). Had always put the Washlet in the 'maybe someday' file but maybe someday will come sooner rather than later now, the more I read. Now if I could just find the right one-piece, skirted, no-clog flush that seriously rinses the side of the bowl - every time - leaving no 'evidence' behind . . . By tomorrow. To pick up Saturday. Sigh.

I recently saw that Costco is selling a model of the BioBidet. I think that is the brand I saw in the flyer that was sent to me.

Yes, as described above, use the spray, then a whip with TP for drying. The dryer takes too long. I have 2 seats in my house of 2 bathrooms, so I'm at 100%. People laugh when they see them. I will never be without again. You'll need an outlet near the back of the toilet for plugging the unit in. When you buy your toilet be sure the connections to the seat you buy will work smoothly. I had to retrofit some of the connections with my Toto toilet an my Korean brand Novita seat. The company I purchased it from was helpful in supplying the parts. I had a skirted toto and the connections were more difficult because of that too.

My other Toto toilet that was not skirted, and my Japanese INAX seat was a breeze to put together. INAX is no longer available, in the States at least. But I think there are some supplies still around. They are rather ugly though. They were the originator of the concept back in the 70's I believe and Toto shortly out preformed them. But the INAX seat is great. The spray pattern for me is preferable to my Novita brand. The INAX brand got behind the times (no pun intended) because the didn't advance to continuous hot water, which is a great feature. But the the unit is total quality and durability. Designed to hold 500lbs, so a great product to help with hygiene care for morbidly obese individuals.

TJW, what you want to look out for is not getting a one piece toilet that has a french curve. In those the tank sort of wraps around the seat, and the bidets generally won't fit. I think most straight toilets made today would be fine, but it isn't hard to get information on the dimensions needed for the bidet.

Here's an example of a French Curve toilet of the type you should avoid.

https://www.amazon.com/K-3466-33-Raphael-One-Piece-Elongated-Mexican/dp/B000S76XJW?th=1

Thank you, but quick! What about the Toto Carlyle II? Had narrowed it down to that or Toto Legato. DH picked Carlyle II because it is a bit more narrow ( one inch).

I was looking at the Toto site. The Carlyle comes without the washlet or with a washlet. It leads me to believe that not just any washlet would fit on it.

I own an older Carlyle. I investigated the newer Carlyle. There is a model built with a hole to support the hiding of the washlet hose. You don't have to buy a Toto Washlet. I have a Carlyle and S350 and they work well for me. I have the ugly cord situation but I don't notice it.

Good luck!

I think the Carlyle II will be fine. I can't copy the link on my phone, but Brondell has a large compatibility chart for which toilets will work with their washlets.

I'm not suggesting you get a Brondell bidet (which are fine, if that's the one you want), but I have the sense that the popular brands of bidets will probably fit the same popular toilet brands.

Most of the bidet website will tell you what toilet dimensions are required. n

I have left side paralysis due to multiple sclerosis. Just yesterday I was able to swap my standard elongated seat for a Brondell Swash 1400. You can do it, but yes, you’ll need power. The water just t’s from your existing water line, then there’s a smaller water line to the new seat.

However, while tightening the fitting to the threaded valve stem underneath the tank I turned it too hard and it broke! It’s plastic of course! So on top of the new seat, I now had to get a new flush valve as well. Strangely enough, I was not able the replace the new valve by myself so I had to call someone. Sorely disappointed and my pride hurt—but all’s well.

Go for it!

Our plumber Installed a Toto washlet, and there was so much play (wobble) in it we took it out. Anyone have that problem/solution?

@HU-434181878 - I don't have that problem with my Toto washlet, Assuming that the seat fits the toilet - e.g. you got an elongated seat if necessary vs a round and vice versa, I would suspect the problem is the plumber installed it incorrectly. While anything is possible, I have never read any review which mentions that as an issue.

I’ve seen several comments to that effect online. I was told Toto is responsive and even answers the phone. Will call Monday. Thx.

Its probably not securely attached at the 2 holes in the back of the toilet, where one would attach a toilet seat.