Whether you’ve only heard of or experienced the usefulness of bidets yourself might depend on where you live or the places you’ve visited.

Regardless of its popularity, it is one of the most life-changing additions you could make to your bathroom or toilet.

If you’ve not experienced it firsthand, you might find it hard to believe that this addition not only provides convenience during your toilet time but is also a much cleaner alternative than toilet paper.

If you’re not sure what a bidet is, you can read our full article here: What is a bidet and how to use a bidet. In a nutshell, bidets are essentially used for cleaning your private areas after using the toilet. The concept of it sounds simple, but just like a sink, bathtub, or toilet, the range for a bidet span from portable bidet attachments to electric smart toilets.

Just like any aspect of your home, bidets can be a permanent member of your bathroom, so it is wise to make informed decisions while shopping for a bidet.

What happens when you purchase a cheap bidet?

After all the research, you’re ready to change your perception of toilet paper comfort and you’re willing to elevate your bathroom experience to the next level. Imagine that you’re finally fully convinced about buying a bidet and you’re ready to convert from toilet paper cleaning to using bidets due to its many benefits.

Then it’s time to act and you’ve purchased a bidet from a random online shop due to its cheap price. After a few months, you suddenly find that your bidet had stopped working while you were cleaning yourself. Well, this is pretty much one of the expected scenarios when purchasing a low-quality bidet.

Why did this happen? The function of bidet toilets seems simple enough, so you might be wondering if it’s okay to get one that simply gets the job done. However, the drawbacks can be pretty severe and also a waste of your hard-earned money.

The worst mistake for first-timers is their search for this addition to their bathroom without doing in-depth research on the rarely discussed details of bidets. In today’s fast-advancing market, new additions to your bathrooms have surfaced such as smart toilets and electric bidet toilet seats.

4 mistakes to avoid when buying a bidet

Bidets can introduce you to a new level of comfort and change your hygiene game. This is why purchasing the wrong bidet will do a disservice to the experience of the right and good quality bidets out there. Before you go shopping for a bidet, here are 5 things you need to take note of.

Mistake #1: Getting your measurements wrong

If you’re planning to get a bidet toilet seat, getting the correct measurements is crucial. It’s like buying a pair of pants; the size of the toilet is fixed so it’s just a matter of knowing if the bidet toilet seat will fit.

There are various toilet types like close-coupled, back-to-wall, wall-faced pan, and wall-hung pan. However, the common toilet shapes are usually round or elongated. These toilet pans also vary in size and searching for a matching bidet toilet seat can prove to be a challenge because there are so many options.

A common mistake people make is when they assume all toilets have standardised measurements or when they eyeball the size of their toilet without taking out their measuring tape. Sellers cannot tailor bidets to the measurements of a customer’s toilet unless it is being custom-made.

The main measurement you need to take note is the length from the front rim to the rear end where the cistern is located. If you have a wall-faced pan or a wall-hung pan, then you’ll need to measure the front rim to the rear wall.

The second measurement is the length from the front rim to the holes at the rear end, which is where the hinge of the seat is located. You’ll notice there are two bolts that is securing the toilet seat and cover. The measurement should be placed in the centre of the holes.

Once you have those two measurements, you should be able to find the bidet toilet dimensions or diagram within the product page of the online shop. The diagram should specify the minimum length required from the front rim to the holes and also the maximum length allowed from the front rim to the cistern or wall.

If your toilet does not meet the recommended length, do not buy the bidet toilet seat unless you’ve opted for either a basic bidet toilet attachment or a full smart toilet suite with an integrated bidet.

Mistake #2: Missing the WaterMark certification

If you’re new to the sphere of plumbing, you might be asking yourself what exactly a WaterMark is. Having a WaterMark is mandatory for plumbing and drainage products as it certifies that they meet the Australian Standards and are suitable to be used. For bidets, bidet toilet seats, and smart toilets in Australia, this is the most important requirement and you need to make sure the product you’re interested in is certified under the WaterMark Certification Scheme.

You might come across a lot of sellers who are eager to convince you that even though their bidet products do not have this certification, their products are still high quality. Buying into their advertisements is a huge mistake for any buyer because the only assurance you have of its functionality is the seller’s word.

But what’s wrong with that? What might possibly go wrong with a cheaper bidet without WaterMark approval? Well, people who understand the demand for these items try to create unsafe alternatives with cheap materials in order to decrease their costs so they can sell bidets at a cheaper price.

Because of this, you’ll end up with a bidet that is significantly cheaper than its counterpart, but these products might not be durable and could even be unsafe to use. You may also have complications with your home insurance if you ever need to make a claim relating to damages caused by hose bursts flooding from the bathroom.

One of the most stressed factors about bidets is that it’s an investment to your home, meaning that if you invest the time and money on research and quality, you’ll surely receive a good quality product in return. Therefore, when you’re in the market looking for a bidet in Australia, keep your eye out for products that are WaterMark certified.

Mistake #3: Not having backflow prevention

There’s a bigger picture to this. You need to understand your toilet and its drainage system and how this could affect the community. An important term to research is backflow prevention.

Backflow is essentially when water in your drainage system flows towards the opposite direction it is meant to. Preventing this is crucial because it can cause unclean water to contaminate our clean drinking water. Nobody wants faecal contamination in our drinking water supply as this can cause infectious diseases.

So why is this important for bidets? Well, bidets use that same water so if the water flowing through the bidet is contaminated, it will essentially be spraying sensitive areas of your body with contaminated water.

Not only is this water dirty, but it will also put your health at risk. Dirty water is a breeding ground for bacteria while on the other hand, your private area is extremely sensitive when washing with the bidet water. You can easily be affected by poor sanitation and in due time, this could lead to rashes and even infections.

We recommend having a licensed plumber install the product. If the product does not have backflow prevention, the plumber will need to install either a double check (DC) valve or a reduced pressure zone (RPZ) backflow preventer which will offer protection against backpressure and back-siphonage.

Legally, plumbers cannot install products that are not WaterMarked. Products that are WaterMarked (WMTS051:2016) means it has gone through a testing process including backflow prevention and are compliant to the Australian Standards, thus ensuring health and safety for the public.

Mistake #4: Not understanding the accessibility and water source

When placing a bidet toilet seat or a bidet toilet suite in your bathroom, there are a few things to consider. Go to your bathroom or toilet, look at the space around the toilet and take note of the following:

Is your water supply valve accessible?

The standard bidet receives water through the same water supply valve as your normal toilet, but the only difference is that the water supply diverges into your bidet via a T-valve adapter.

For back-to-wall, wall-faced, and wall-hung toilet pans, some of these toilets are installed with the water supply valve hidden in the cavity at the rear of the toilet. As such, you may not be able to connect the hose from the bidet toilet seat.

Is your water supply valve on the left or right side of the toilet?

Make sure you know where the water supply valve is on the wall and also where the water inlet valve is on the bidet toilet seat. This will enable you to make sure the hose connection is long.

If you have a closed coupled toilet, the hose can easily go through the empty space under the cistern but for back-to-wall toilets, there may not be any space for the hose to go over the other side.

Is there a power point or general power outlet (GPO)?

Many of the highly featured bidet toilet seats or smart toilets are electronic. You may need to organise for an electrician to install a GPO in the toilet if you don’t have one. Be sure to find out whether the GPO should be positioned on the left or right side of the toilet.

You should be able to see which side the power cable is located from the diagram in the product page of the online shop. The diagram or product specifications should also specify the length of the cable which will allow the electrician to provision the GPO position.

Where is the water coming from?

The bidet usually performs a task that is crucial to your hygiene; however, the bidet can only be as sanitary as the water that comes from it. This is why it is necessary to look into the source of water for your bathroom or toilet. Even if you are using the best attachments out there, you could still end up with rashes if you are being exposed to contaminated water.

An example of this could be rainwater as, during the first shower of rain, it usually carries pollution and other contaminants in the droplets. If rainwater from your tank is your source of water, then it means sensitive areas of your body are being exposed to these contaminants. This will clearly be a potential hazard and health risk.

On the other hand, the water supply from the tank may not have the required water pressure to enable the bidet to function and it may also damage the product.

Final thoughts

Though the bidet is just one component of your entire bathroom, it is worth taking your time to find the right one.

These additions to your bathroom are not only an addition to comfort, but they could also be useful for elderly members of your family who have difficulty moving, such as arthritis patients. Moreover, bidets are also more hygienic than tissue as it washes off any residue, which is why they are great for people for whom hygiene is a priority.

Additionally, this small change in your bathroom might be expensive, but it is good for the long run as you will have to buy significantly less toilet paper, and it is also good for the environment.

Not only that, if you live in an area where it is not commonly used, this addition to your bathroom can also be the pride of your house as well as a testament to your family’s personal hygiene.

This minor upgrade in personal hygiene might seem like something too small to fret over, but the changes it brings in your life and health make up for the effort you put into finding the right bidet for your home.