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Installing a handheld bidet is an excellent way to enhance hygiene and comfort in your bathroom. However, like any home improvement project, it comes with its set of challenges. In this blog, we'll guide you through common installation problems and provide practical solutions to ensure a smooth, leak-free installation. Let's dive into the specifics to help you avoid these pitfalls.
Proper Connection Fittings
When purchasing a handheld bidet online, it's crucial to consider the fitting sizes, as they vary by country. For instance, in Australia, the standard size for toilet fixtures is ½ inch diameter, while in the US, it's typically ⅜ inches. It's important to inspect your toilet's water outlet and measure the fitting size accurately. This ensures that you purchase a bidet hose and T-adapter that fit perfectly, avoiding any mismatch in connections. Additionally, if you're replacing just the bidet spray or hose, double-check their sizes to ensure compatibility and a secure connection.
Installation Preparation
Before you begin the installation of your handheld bidet, it's crucial to properly prepare the area to ensure a smooth and mess-free process. Here's how to get everything ready:
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Shutting Off the Water Supply: The first step is to cut off the water supply to the area where you'll be installing the bidet. This could mean turning off the main water supply to your home or simply closing the local water valve near your toilet. It's essential to ensure no water flows through the pipes while you're working on the installation to avoid any unexpected water discharge.
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Draining the Toilet Tank: After you've shut off the water supply, flush the toilet to drain any remaining water from the tank. This is a crucial step because it empties the tank, preventing any residual water from spilling out when you disconnect the toilet hose. Draining the tank reduces the risk of water damage or creating a mess during the installation process.
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Preparing the Work Area: It's always a good idea to anticipate potential spills. Before you start unscrewing any connections, place a cloth or towel on the floor around the toilet base, especially near the hose connections. This precautionary measure helps absorb any water that might escape when you disconnect the toilet hose, keeping your bathroom floor dry and clean.
With these preparatory steps, you're now ready to install your handheld bidet with confidence. Taking these precautions not only makes the installation process smoother but also protects your bathroom from water spills and potential damage.
Water Shut Off Valve
Adding a bidet to your toilet usually means you'll need an extra water outlet. Most bathrooms have a single toilet water supply line for the toilet tank, and often, there's no local stop water adapter. If your toilet already has a shut-off valve, that's great; if not, we recommend installing one. This is crucial to prevent flooding due to potential leaks when setting up your bidet hose or T-adapter. Remember, a T-adapter not only facilitates the bidet connection but also allows you to control the water pressure safely.
Leaking T-adapter Valve
A common issue during installation is forgetting to place the rubber O-ring in the T-adapter, essential for sealing the connection. Additionally, ensure that the connection is tight enough so the internal threads compress the rubber seal, creating a watertight seal. If leaks persist, try repositioning the T-adapter at the toilet tank end as an alternative solution. Please extremely careful on overtightening if connecting to the toilet tank as the plastic inlet can snap. Ideally we recommend you to not install the T-adapter at the toilet tank inlet.
Our Bidet Spray Set comes with a Two-way T-adapter divertor. It's main function is to either divert water to the toilet tank or the bidet spray. Some people get confused thinking it can stop water flow - it does not.
Leaking Bidet Hose
Just like the T-adapter, your bidet hose should have a rubber O-ring at the connection point to the water supply. Make sure this connection is sufficiently tight to prevent any leakage. If your hose leaks along its length, it might be due to high water pressure causing micro-fractures. In such cases, replacing the hose is the safest option.
Leaking Bidet Head Spray
Leaks at the connection between the bidet hose and spray head often signal insufficient tightening or a compromised water seal. Plumbing Teflon tape might help resolve this. If the spray head leaks from its nozzle, it could indicate an internal defect, possibly in the closure valve. Regularly shutting off the water flow to the bidet using a T-adapter when not in use can prevent such issues. If the problem persists, consider replacing the bidet spray head. Bumwash provides 24 month extended warranty to give you the peace of mind if needing a replacement.
High Water Pressure
Water pressure varies widely, and if yours is on the higher side, it's advisable to use a T-adapter to regulate it. Over time, high pressure can affect the durability of your bidet system and may even cause low-quality hoses to burst. Always turn off the water supply to the bidet when it's not in use to avoid such issues.
Handling Connection Tightness
While ensuring connections are tight to prevent leaks, it's important to avoid overtightening, especially if the hose connection or T-adapter is made of plastic. Overtightening can cause cracking or damage to plastic fittings. Typically for plastic connections, hand tightening is sufficient. To ensure durability and avoid such issues, we recommend opting for brass or stainless steel connections, which offer greater strength and longevity. These materials are more resistant to damage from overtightening, making them a safer and more reliable choice for bidet installations.
Backflow Prevention
The Australian Standard and Plumbing code mandate the installation of backflow prevention devices for bidets. This device prevents water from returning to where it came from which typically occurs where there is a pressure difference in the water supply - (caused by blockage or external water drainage from outside). The reason why it is important is because there is a chance contaminated water (caused from bum washing) can flow back into the drinking water supply.
The best way to prevent this danger is to turn off the water flow to the bidet when not in use and not place the handheld bidet spray in any pool of contaminated water. Secondly, you may opt for dual check valve installed at the connection to the bidet hose - it provides a peace of mind but does not eliminate the risk.
Thirdly, advised by the standards is to install a Reduced Pressure Zone Device, which is a double check valve with an pressure outlet to drain excess water. Due to the size of this device, it is typically installed next to the main water supply. You will need a plumber and the expectation to spend at least $1000.
Conclusion:
Installing a handheld bidet can be a straightforward process with the right knowledge and preparation. By understanding common installation issues and how to address them, you can ensure a hassle-free setup. Remember, taking the time to double-check connections, sizes, and pressure levels will save you from potential problems in the future. Enjoy the enhanced cleanliness and comfort that a well-installed bidet brings to your bathroom!
Perhaps you need more detail on how to install a handheld bidet? You can refer to our step by step video guide and illustrations found here.
