CE Pro December 2022 - 35

that could replace a standard
toilet seat. It offered a
soothing warm water spray,
warm air drying, and even a
heated seat. I had tried one
once when visiting friends,
and I was intrigued. There
was a catch, though, and it
was a significant one - I
would need to have a GFCI
electrical outlet behind the
toilet to power it.
I wasn't a stranger to adding
outlets; I had hung TVs
on walls and installing power
behind the TV was a similar
challenge. Fortunately, there
was an outlet on the other
side of the bathroom wall, so
it was not a difficult project
(and it was my own home,
so I wasn't concerned about
any risks).
The " plumbing " part was
a cinch - if you can install
a hand-held shower, this is
no harder. And I loved it! My
wife loved it! In fact, of all
the technology we added to
our new home, this has been
our favorite and most used.
It cost under $500, plus a
few electrical parts.
You can find these products
at The Home Depot and
Costco, but they really aren't
the kinds of things that a
homeowner can just take
home and install; that outlet
is a real problem. However,
whether your business
is hanging TVs, installing
connected lighting systems,
or specifying technology for
multimillion-dollar homes,
adding a few electrical outlets
in traditionally unusual
places is a basic part of your
business, whether doing the
job yourself, collaborating
with an electrician, or just
specifying locations on a
drawing set.
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For new construction or
a bath remodel, the cost of
adding outlets behind every
toilet location is negligible.
For retrofit projects, it's
often not too difficult, and if
you're already adding outlets
for other equipment or
opening and patching walls,
it's probably not a cost that a
client will debate. But when
they try out their bidet for
the first time, they will be
pleased - a guarantee!
If you're skeptical, get one
for yourself. If you have a
showroom or a conference
room, install one there, and
encourage clients to try it.
Three Types of
Seat Solutions
These products come in
three ranges: there are some
very low-cost attachments
that don't require electricity
and connect to the
cold-water supply. Most
people won't like them,
as a cold-water jet is just
uncomfortable. But they are
still a fast-growing trend in
bath accessories, according
to manufacturers and the
NKBA (National Kitchen &
Bath Association).
The second range,
as described above, are
" smart " bidet seats. These
have an instant warm-water
tank, warm-air drying,
heated seats, and usually
a wall-mounted remote
control that makes them
easy to use. The better ones
have a " turbo " mode that
many clients (especially older
ones) will really appreciate.
Some even include a night
light, and UV-C sterilizing
options. They fit nearly all
toilets (there are some toilet
designs that will not accommodate
the seats, so check
anyway), and are very easy to
install. They range between
$500 and $1,500.
Finally, there are integrated
" smart toilets. " These
combine a bidet seat with an
electronically activated toilet.
They are more compact
and aesthetically pleasing
and offer auto-flush and
auto-seat-lifts in addition to
the other features. They are
about $1,500 to $5,000+.
Although they are advertised
as easy to install, until you
hone the skills here you may
want to contract to a plumber
- after ensuring that the
electrical outlet is installed.
There are many opportunities
to add technology to
the bathroom - from TVs
built into mirrors and built-in
speakers designed for wet locations,
to electronic shower
controls, floor heating, integrated
task lighting, handsfree
controls, leak detection,
and more.
Collaborating with a qualified
Kitchen/Bath Designer
can certainly of mutual benefit,
especially for your mutual
clients. These products can
be integrated with your
traditional home control
offerings, providing unique
experiences for your clients
that most Kitchen/Bath
Bidet seats, like these from Bio Bidet, generally come in
three varieties. They include low-cost attachments that
don't require electricity; " smart " bidets with features such
as warm-water tank, warm air drying and a remote control;
and integrated smart toilets as full replacements with various
automatic capabilities.
December 2022 CE Pro | 35
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CE Pro December 2022

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