11 Steps to Install a Bidet to an Existing Toilet
Last Updated on September 19, 2022 by Alex Cubias
Bidets have been popular in Europe and parts of Asia for a while now, but their fame is just now starting to spread to North America. The problem with bidets becoming more and more popular in the United States is that the plumbing of many homes isn’t set up for bidets, so many Americans are finding ways to install bidet attachments or sprayers onto their existing toilets.
Keep reading to not only find out how to install a bidet to your existing toilet but also to get a little more familiar with different types of bidets and how they work
1. Determine Which Type of Bidet Is Best for You
There are two main options for bidets that attach to an existing toilet: a bidet toilet seat and a handheld bidet sprayer. When polled, over 82% of bidet users said they prefer a bidet seat to a handheld bidet sprayer. Both have pros and cons that are important to understand so you can pick the one that best suits the needs of you and your family.
Bidet Toilet Seat
A bidet toilet seat is a great option if you don’t want to install a new plumbing line for a stand-alone bidet. You can get an attachment for your toilet seat or buy a seat that has a bidet already. Bidet toilet seats do all the cleaning for you which could be more convenient. The toilet seats are a little expensive though, with most of them costing between $150-$500 and the most expensive ones being over $2,000.
If you want warm water, you will end up paying a little more for an electric bidet seat that heats the water for you. Some electric bidet toilet seats even have a seat heater, dryer, or deodorizer.
For steps on how to install a bidet toilet seat, follow steps 2 through 6 as well as step 11.
Handhels Bidet Sprayer
Handheld bidet sprayers are like a hose attachment on the side of your toilet. Some argue that they are easier to aim and help you clean more thoroughly than a seat bidet, but this can also lead to a bit of a mess and water on the floor if your aim is off.
Because it is attached to the side of the toilet, handheld sprayers aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as the seat and can also clutter the bathroom with the hose. However, handheld sprayers are less expensive, with most of them costing less than $100. You can also hook up your handheld bidet sprayer to the bathroom sink so you can have hot water without paying more or running a hot water line to the toilet.
To install a bidet sprayer, follow steps 2 through 4, and then skip to steps 7 through 11.
2. Remove the Old Toilet Seat
Once you decide what kind of bidet you want, the next step is to remove the existing toilet seat. A toilet seat is normally attached to the rim with large bolts that often have plastic covers over them. You will need to pop those off and remove the bolts with a screwdriver. After this, you should be able to take the seat off.
If you are installing a bidet toilet seat, you can recycle the old seat, but if you are installing the handheld bidet sprayer, you will need to hold on to the seat and hardware so you can reattach it later.
3. Turn Off the Toilet’s Water Supply
Before moving on, you must shut off the water supply to the toilet. The shut-off valve should be located behind your toilet near the base and is turned off by rotating it clockwise. Once the water is shut off, you will need to drain the rest of the water in your toilet by flushing it.
4. Install the T-Valve
A T-valve should be included in your bidet kit whether you are installing a seat or a handheld sprayer. To attach the T-valve, detach the water supply hose and replace it with the T-valve. There still might be some water left in the hose, so if you don’t want a mess you might want to lay down a towel or bucket before completing this step. After attaching the T-valve, screw the water supply hose onto the bottom of the T-valve.
5. Attach Bidet Toilet Seat to the Rim of the Toilet
Every bidet toilet seat should come with instructions on how to correctly attach that model to your toilet, but most are similar. First, you will line up the mounting plate with the bolts that were there before, and then attach the plate with the bolts. Then you will slide the seat onto the mounting plate, making sure it is in place. You will know it is connected properly when you hear a click.
6. Connect the Bidet Seat to Water Supply
Bidet seats have separate water supply hoses. You will need to attach the bidet supply hose onto the other end of the T-valve and the connection on the bidet seat. You can now skip to step 11 below.
7. Connect the Hoses & Sprayer Head
After connecting the T-valve, you should attach the bidet hose to the T-valve as well by screwing it onto the remaining end of the T-valve. At this point in the process, you will also need to screw the sprayer head onto the remaining end of the bidet hose.
8. Attach Bidet Sprayer on the Back of the Toilet
The bidet sprayer will have a mount to attach to the side of the toilet, usually, this is through a toilet tank clip that you install by clipping it onto the side of the toilet tank.
9. Turn the Water Supply to Your Toilet Back On
After your bidet seat or sprayer is all attached, you are good to turn back on the water supply valve by rotating it counterclockwise. This will ensure that water can go through both the toilet and the bidet seat or handheld sprayer.
10. Reattach Toilet Seat with Original Hardware
Now that your sprayer is all ready to go, you can reattach the original toilet seat with the original hardware by screwing it on and attaching the bolt covers again.
11. Check the Seal
Once you have installed your bidet seat or handheld sprayer, you will want to ensure that the seal is as tight as possible so you won’t experience leaks. You do this by drying off the toilet so that it is dry to the touch. Then, lay down newspapers and towels, leaving them there with the water on for at least an hour.
When you come back, check the towels or papers to see if they are wet at all. If they are wet, you will need to go back and tighten the seals.