How to Install a Bidet? A Step-by-Step Guide

A bidet toilet seat is the best way to easily turn your toilet from a traditional setup to enjoy the modern benefits of a bidet setup. It significantly improves your toilet experience and increases your hygiene. Several studies indicate that using a bidet helps reduce germs in your genital and anal areas after defecating or urinating. Other benefits include;

• It helps reduce the risk of hemorrhoids.
• It leads to reduced tissue use which is excellent for the environment.
• It improves your bathroom comfort.
• It is excellent for people with the limited movement who may prefer cleaning themselves.

Bidet seats are easy to install and a perfect DIY project requiring no specialized tools or skillset. They are very much unlike a standalone installation which will call for plumbing skills, and it is quite an extensive project. Installing bidet seats is standard since their structure is the same even if they may have different features. Here is how to go about installing a bidet. 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

When installing a bidet seat, you will need the following;

• A bidet toilet seat: There are different models in the market, so pick one that has features you prefer. You can use the various reviews online to settle on a suitable model.
• A screwdriver: You will be doing plenty of screwing and unscrewing, so an excellent multi-bit screwdriver will be handy. It will help you handle the various kinds of screw heads without any fuss.
• A wrench with adjustable mechanism: If the bidet comes with plastic fittings, you can easily use your hands for tightening. On the other hand, if there are metal connections, you will need an adjustable wrench for the task. 
• A small bucket and a towel: You will have to disconnect your toilet’s supply house as part of the installation process, and in doing so, some clean water could drain out. A bucket will help catch the water and prevent the work area from getting messy. You may also need a rag or a couple of paper towels for any clean-up need that may arise.

STEP 1: REMOVE THE EXISTING TOILET SEAT:

Your current toilet seat is held in place to the rim by a set of two mounting bolts. On top, small-sized plastic covers could shield the screws, so you will need to use a flathead screw to pop the covers open.

Use the screwdriver to unscrew the bolts once you can reach them underneath. It may call for you to get below the toilet and free the nuts that hold the bolts in place. In some circumstances, the bolts of the seats are inbuilt in the seats, and you may not have a top surface to unscrew. The only option is to untie the nuts underneath. 

Having removed the bolts and nuts, proceed to lift the old seat, and there shouldn't be any difficulty. Lift the seat, and should it easily come off. Wipe the rim of the toilet clean in readiness for the bidet seat. If your bidet seat model uses the existing seat, you would want to spare it and not throw it away immediately.

STEP 2: SWITCH OFF THE SHUT-OFF VALVE/WATER SUPPLY FOR THE TOILET

Start by locating the shut-off valve, which should be at the back of the toilet closer to the floor. You will see a supply hose that runs from the toilet tank's bottom to a water supply pipe on the wall. A valve shaped like an oval connects the two, and this is the shut-off valve. 

To turn it off, rotate it clockwise until it can’t turn anymore. Go ahead and flush your toilet to empty any water that is left in the toilet tank.

STEP 3: ATTACH THE T-VALVE TO THE TOILET'S CURRENT SUPPLY LINE:

The package containing your bidet seat will come with a valve in the shape of a T appropriately called the T-Valve. Its function is to switch water through the bidet sprayer and the toilet. Most of the components are plastic, so most of the tightening will be by hand, which should have all parts snugly fit. Should there be any metal fittings that are difficult to tighten, you can always use the wrench. 

Detach your supply hose from under the toilet tank. While you do this, be ready with the small bucket and the towel as some water left could leak out.

Screw the T-valve to the base of the toilet’s tank in the same place the supply hose previously connected to the tank.

Attach the supply hose to the other end of the T-valve. 

STEP 4: INSTALL THE BIDET TO THE TOILET:

Your bidet plate comes with a mounting plate. To mount it on the seat, position it so that the mounting holes align with the bolt holes of the toilet at the back of the rim. In some bidet models, the whole package serves as a mounting plate.

With the holes properly aligned, proceed to insert the mounting bolts that come with the package through them. Then secure the whole setup together by locking the bolt with the nuts under the rim. Reliant on the bidet model, the bolts and the nuts could be either of plastic or metal. For metal, use your screwdriver or the adjustable wrench. 

With the plate mounted, push the bidet on the mounting plate pushing it back until you hear it click into place.

STEP 5: CONNECT THE BIDET SEAT TO THE WATER SUPPLY:

The bidet comes with its own water supply hose. Take one end and attach it to the T-Valve opening left and attach the other end of the supply hose to the connection on the bidet seat.

Double-check all connections to and from the T-Valve and the bidet water supply and ensure they are all tight. At this point, you can turn on the shut-off valve that you had turned off at the start of the installation process. 

Turn the shut-off valve counter-clockwise to open it, and this will let the toilet tank fill up while supplying water to the bidet seat. Check if there are any leaks as you fasten any connection points as may be necessary.

If your bidet is electronic, you will need to have a grounded GFCI channel or a reliable extension cord in your bathroom or toilet. Plug it in and then proceed to check out other features of the seat and ensure it is functioning as intended. You will need to be seated on the bidet for you to access many of its functions. If everything is working fine and there are no leaks, you can continue using it and enjoy the convenience and comfort it brings. 

ACTIVATE THE BIDET

After straddling the bidet, it’s time to activate it. So, gradually open the valve until the pressure is adequate to clean your butt. The device has a wash button on the remote control that helps rinse the nether regions with a stream of water.

Once the underneath feels clean, please turn it off. If the type you have consist of a self-cleaning feature, it will clean the nozzle after use.

People have different habits when it comes to using the bathroom. Therefore, what works well for one person might not work the same for another one. It's for this reason that there are several types and designs of bidets! Some prefer the whole hands-free experience, while others will choose the simpler bidet in conjunction with a small piece of toilet paper to dab their skin dry.

Regardless, the power of the stream of clean, fresh water will ensure to wash every dirt down your toilet where it should belong. Remember that there is no need for soap; if anything, it will irritate your gentle skin. The water pressure works magic to leave you cleaner without any infection or itching.

Now that you know that the bidet works so well, it's time to take action. The challenge with the status quo — good old toilet paper — is that using the tissue paper alone will smear fecal matter all over your skin.

It just doesn’t get the job done. But if you are using the toilet bidet without the drying function, you might need to dry yourself before wearing your pants back on. And that's how the TP comes in handy.