Bidets are an enticing idea, but the thought of trying to find space for an entirely separate bathroom fixture isn’t possible for most of us. The good news is that bidets come in all kinds of forms now and can simply be attached or installed on the toilet you already have. But can you install a bidet on any toilet?
The multitude of bidet attachments and systems that exist now are compatible with standard toilets that most people have in their homes. Not all bidets will fit on every type of toilet, but there is an option for almost any kind of toilet to be turned into a bidet. Picking the perfect bidet for you and your toilet isn’t as simple as grabbing one off the shelf.
Not all bidets are made equal, so there are some key things to know about your options to make sure the one you invest in works for your needs and, most importantly, fits on your toilet.
How Do Bidet Attachments Work?
Bidet attachments don’t all work the same way. Some of them come attached to toilet bowl seats, meaning you have to make sure the bidet seat you choose fits on your particular toilet. Others will fit inside your toilet bowl; these ones are typically easier to make work with most toilets.
Some bidet attachments fit between your bowl and toilet seat, and thus need to be able to fit snugly into that crevice. The good news is that these types of bidet attachments are designed with standard toilet sizes in mind, so as long as you don’t have a custom or especially unique toilet, you should be fine.
Can You Install A Bidet On A One Piece Toilet?
The majority of bidet attachments will be compatible with a one piece toilet. These are toilets that come as a solid construction, with both the water tank and toilet bowl being one piece of equipment. The hardest part about adding a bidet to a one piece toilet is usually finding the water valve.
What you likely want to prevent is having to try and move the toilet in an effort to install a bidet properly. That said, proper installation is key or your bidet is not going to operate how it’s supposed to.
Since many one piece toilets sit flush with the wall, it might take some small hands to connect the bidet to the water valve; but it’s not impossible to do so without having to remove your toilet.
Can You Install A Bidet On A Two Piece Toilet?
A standard two-piece toilet is one that has a toilet and a tank that are two separate pieces. This is one of the most common types of toilets, and as such, you’ll be impressed at the selection you have for bidet attachments.
Installing a bidet on a two piece toilet tends to be fairly easy, even if you’re not a handy person. Of course, the type of bidet you choose will determine how it’s installed.
Since the majority of bidet attachments need to connect to your toilet’s water valve to work, a two piece toilet makes finding this essential component a breeze.
Can You Install A Bidet On A Tankless Toilet?
With a tankless toilet, you have more limited options for installing a bidet attachment. Most models have to be able to connect to a water valve, and tankless toilets don’t have one. Thus, you have to get creative in terms of how you manage to get water flowing into your bidet.
This is likely going to require much more handiwork than you might have anticipated. For instance, you might have to purchase special hardware that allows you to connect the bidet to the closest source of water. It’s also possible that you’ll have to do some drilling to find a water connection within the wall.
If you’re okay with having to do the extra work to install a bidet attachment, you should also be advised that you can’t choose any bidet you fancy. When it comes to tankless toilets, the only bidet attachments that will work are often either handheld bidets or non-electric manual models.
Are There Any Toilets That Bidets Won’t Fit On?
If you have a very simple, standard toilet, you’re likely going to find a bidet attachment that works and is easy to install. Once you start getting into fancy, unique, or custom designed toilets, finding a store bought bidet attachment gets harder and harder.
Toilets that have a curved tank or curved backing can also be very hard to attach a bidet to. This is regardless of whether the curve flows inward or outward. Bidets aren’t readily designed to work with these toilets, and the way you are meant to use a bidet isn’t as easy with these kinds of toilets either.
Are Bidets Easy To Install?
The great thing about bidets is that necessity has indeed bred invention. With their rising popularity outside of Asia and Europe – possibly thanks to the toilet paper shortage of 2020 – bidet attachments are constantly being reimagined. Consequently, more bidet attachments are being made to be easy to install.
Most attachments aren’t going to take you longer than thirty minutes to an hour to install from start to finish. They don’t require you to have a lot of experience with home renovation; you simply need a few tools and to follow the instructions carefully.
Tips For Installing A Bidet Properly
Once you’ve picked your bidet of choice and which bathroom you’re going to install it in, there are some other things to consider before you get to work. Installing a bidet attachment, regardless of the type, can be a breeze or a hassle based on whether you approach the task properly or not.
Safety First
Before you start, you are going to want to switch off your toilet’s water valve. If your toilet model has a tank, you will also want to empty all of the water out of the tank.
When you are working with electric bidets, be sure that the electrical outlet is up to code and is in a safe location. You should also strongly consider a ground fault circuit interrupter to keep you safe as you work so closely near water and electricity.
Have The Right Tools
You don’t need an extensive toolkit to install a bidet attachment, but you do need a few key things. You’ll definitely need to have a wrench, and depending on how you’re setting up your chosen bidet attachment, you might also need a cordless drill. You might also find having a tape measure and pencil are handy too.
Hooking Up Your Bidet To The Water Supply
You’ll likely need some braided water connectors to hook up your bidet to your water supply appropriately. As mentioned, before you go making this connection, you want to turn off the water to avoid a mess.
Once you find your toilet’s water valve, you’ll get to work connecting the t-valve; this is the part of the bidet hose that hooks your water to your bidet.
Once the two valves are connected, you’ll want to securely connect the opposite end of the hose to the bidet attachment. This is likely the most complicated part of installing a bidet attachment, and it sounds much more complicated than it actually is.
Conclusion
Bidet attachments that are readily available will be able to fit well on most typical toilets, and aren’t too hard to install even for novices. The minimal effort involved is worth it in terms of the great experience you’ll have switching from dry toilet paper to a washing system.
Just be sure that, before you go springing for a bidet, you know the kind of toilet you have and the options that will work best for your bathroom.