Hygienic shower for the toilet: a comparative overview of the designs and the nuances of the installation
In a typical apartment it’s hard to find a place for additional amenities. In a small bathroom only a toilet is placed. But small dimensions are not a reason to refuse to improve their housing.
Can't install a bidet? It will be fully replaced by a hygienic shower for the toilet, which takes up a minimum of space and performs the same functions as the familiar hygiene device. His device, design features and existing varieties will be discussed in our article.
We will also analyze the intricacies of installing various types of hygienic showers, consider the main advantages and list the best manufacturers on the sanitary ware market.
The content of the article:
Hygienic Shower Design
Visually, a shower for performing procedures relating to personal hygiene is almost no different from an ordinary shower.
Both the one and the other device comprise the following parts:
- mixer;
- flexible hose;
- watering can.
There are still differences, and they are due to the purpose of the device. Since the head of a hygienic shower should not give a diffused, but a jet focused in one direction and preferably without spray, it is much smaller than that of an ordinary shower.
Faucets for some representatives of this special category of showers are equipped with a thermostat, which is very convenient since no need to select the temperature - it is automatically adjusted.
The thermostat is designed to mix water ‚passed through a mixer‚ to such a temperature that a person feels comfortable. A one-time adjustment is enough after installing a hygienic shower in the toilet and the thermostat will constantly maintain the set temperature.
The presence of this element will protect against burns, and if hot water disappears in the system, then the unpleasant sensations from this will be minimized.
While an ordinary shower has 2 exits - for a flexible hose and nozzle, then a hygienic shower for the toilet simply does not need a second one.
Another feature - even if the mixer is turned on, water does not flow out of it, until a special button is pressed, with the help of which the flow is controlled. The pressure of the jet is regulated by the lever of the mixer.
The main types of devices
It is important to know the advantages of this option to solve the problem of keeping your body clean, such as installing a hanging or floor toilet with a hygienic shower.
Usually 5 main arguments are given:
- simple installation ‚carried out in several ways;
- space saving in a small room;
- universality;
- affordable price;
- the convenience of use.
The concept of a hygienic shower includes completely different sanitary equipment in appearance. By design, there are 4 types of these devices for personal hygiene.
Option # 1 - toilet bidet
This equipment is of a special design ‚in the body of which nozzles are mounted. The control unit is integrated in the drain tank, which slightly increases its dimensions.
Plumbing fixtures of this type are both floor-mounted and suspended. Manufacturers ‚in the process of improving their products‚ constantly add new ones to the list of available functions.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the models toilet bidetpresent in the market. This information is considered in detail in our other article.
Option # 2 - Bidet Cover
A pretty convenient mobile addition to an old toilet can be bidet cover. The control unit ‚built into the cover‚ may include the function of heating water to a comfortable temperature ‚drying‚ soft lowering of the seat.
An interesting solution is electronic bidet covers for the toilet. This is an elite plumbing manufactured by well-known brands. Such devices are more functional and comfortable to use, but they also have a higher price tag than conventional ones.
Option # 3 - wall-mounted construction
The hygienic shower option mounted on the wall is quite convenient to use. A long flexible hose with a compact watering can is placed near the toilet. Mount it to the water pipes, and this is additional construction work.
Option # 4 - connected under the sink shower
To realize this option, you need to place a sink next to the toilet. A watering can and a flexible hose are mounted on a special design mixer with three outlets. A miniature corner sink is enough for a separate bathroom.
The last option of a hygienic shower is the most profitable, based on the cost of the device itself and its installation.Its advantage is that you can not be afraid that the water will turn out to be too hot - its temperature can be adjusted to a comfortable level above the sink.
If you do not close the faucet due to distraction, the water will drain into the sink, which will prevent flooding of the neighbors.
Types of Hygienic Shower Faucets
According to the constructional solution, this element of the hygienic shower can be of three types - valve, lever and with thermostat.
The first is more common and differs in that the control of the volume of water is carried out by means of a valve tap. It is mounted when connecting a hygienic shower to a sanitary cabinet. Thus, adjusting the water temperature manually is inconvenient ‚additional connection of the thermostat is required.
The lever mixer is more convenient in operation. It works well without additional equipment, so installation is easier. The designers assigned the lever the role of a regulator of water pressure and its temperature. Managing all this with its help is simple.
For the constant maintenance of the optimum temperature and pressure of the water stream for the particular person or all living in the apartment, it is more suitable than others mixer thermostat. Its work is not affected by any pressure surges in the system. The disadvantage is the high cost of the device.
How to install correctly?
Installation of a toilet bidet is carried out almost according to the same technology as for a simple toilet. The difference is that you have to additionally connect water and install a mixer.
This process for other types of sanitary equipment of this type has significant differences and requires knowledge of many nuances.
One of them concerns the height of the hygienic shower. It is optimal when the level of the holder and the mixer coincides with the upper line of the tank, and in order to reach the holder it is enough just to extend a hand.
Installing a hygienic shower on a wall
If the dimensions of the apartment do not allow you to install a sink next to the toilet, you can install an external or built-in model of a hygienic shower on the wall in the toilet.
Choosing this option ‚you need to constantly ensure that the mixer does not remain open. Otherwise, pressure remains in the hose and in the watering can, destructive to them.
With an external water supply, a tee must be installed to insert the mixer. To do this, shut off the water supply, both cold and hot, and drain the remaining liquid.
Then proceed to insert the mixer. To do this ‚you need to put tees and taps on the pipelines‚ supplying cold and hot water. First of all, they shut off water and relieve pressure, then there will be no puddles on the floor.
The next step is to disconnect the flexible discharge of the toilet flush tank. Here you need to substitute the tank to drain the remaining water.
Disassemble the connection at the lowest point of hot water supply ‚substituting a container under this place‚ to glass water. If hot water is not supplied centrally, but individually from a water heater installed in the apartment, then it is often supplied with a plastic pipe connected to an old steel pipe. Therefore, having disconnected the pipe from plastic, unscrew the coupling.
The steel pipe is stripped, the winding is removed. A sealant layer in the form of a linen tow is wound on the tee and pipe threads, then the tee is screwed on and the metal-plastic pipe is returned to its place.Before this, it is shortened a bit and burrs removed ‚so that they do not damage the rubber seal.
Mount further ball valve to overlap the mixer and finally restore the connection.
To connect the toilet bowl, mount a tee on a pipe with cold water. As in the first case, a tow is wound on the thread, a sealant is applied, the assembly is put in place. Thus, an outlet is obtained both to the mixer ‚and to the drain tank.
Mount a tap for the toilet tank and connect a flexible hose. To install the first element you will need a corner. The thread on it is very slippery, so it is notched with an adjustable key.
A non-return valve is installed on the pipe supplying cold water so that hot water does not enter the cold water supply system, which is possible if someone forgets to close the mixer. Then proceed to the installation of the mixer. One of the options for fixing it is fixing it on a special factory-made holder.
You can make a holder yourself by cutting a rectangle from plywood and attaching it to a wooden block. In its center make a hole ‚paint. Having inserted the mixer into the prepared hole, connect it to the water supply. A hose with a watering can is connected to the mixer through an adapter.
At the end of the process, a hanging or floor toilet with a hygienic shower is tested for leaks.
The installation option for the built-in hygienic shower is chosen ‚when the walls are not yet tiled or during the overhaul of the bathroom‚ when the old finish is replaced with a new one. A niche is made in the wall, and 3 grooves are laid to it. Water is supplied to the mixer in two, the third serves to remove it and supply it to the shower hose.
A niche is needed to place the mixer, and strobes for the ability to hide the pipes. After connecting the pipes, they perform wall lining, then mount the lever and sleeve with a watering can.
Smart Kit Installation Guide
Let us analyze the installation process for a kit, consisting of a hygienic shower and a bidet, on a clear example.
We will install on a regular toilet.
The bases on which the hygiene devices are inoperative and the control system with the bidet cover are installed.
Now let's proceed to the assembly of the mixer and its installation:
Next, we will assemble and connect directly a hygienic shower, consisting of bellows hose and shower head, as well as installing a bidet pad control device:
At the end, we connect the hygiene complex to the water branch:
Mounting the bidet cover
They release bidet covers without the function of heating water and with it. The kit with the device ‚heating the water‚ is powered by electricity. As a rule, this includes a hairdryer.
Covers with electronic shutdown often have a button for manual control and automation. In addition, there may be an audible alarm on such a cover, reminding you to turn off the device. Many models are complemented by a disinfecting system. In this case, there is a special container for liquid, which flushes both the toilet itself and the nozzle.
As with the installation of a wall-mounted hygienic shower, before installing the lid-bidet, cut off the path of water to the tank and empty it. The flexible hose ‚which supplies water to the tank and the lid on the toilet‚ are removed. Remove the fixing plate from the lid and attach it to the toilet.
Remove the nuts and washers from the mounting bolts, thread them through the holes of the toilet bowl and tighten. A cover is inserted into the grooves until a click is heard. Install the tee on the hose, then mount the filter. Insert one nipple into the filter, and the second into the lid. Combine the filter and the cover by means of a tube and check how water flows.
How to install a shower on the sink?
If in the toilet you can find a place to install a sink, then to install a hygienic shower design you need to purchase a special mixer, which includes the following elements:
- lever arm;
- nose;
- threaded spout to which the hose is connected.
The principle of operation is that when the faucet is open, water flows through the spout into the sink, and when the button on the handle is activated, it switches and the toilet starts working as a bidet.
Manufacturers of the best hygiene showers
This type of plumbing is widely marketed. Choosing preferences should have companies with a well-known name. There are not very many manufacturers of quality products.
The following brands are ahead:
- Hansgrohe;
- Damixa;
- Grohe;
- Geberit
Faucets ‚manufactured at the enterprises of these companies‚ are of excellent quality ‚convenient to use, but their price is corresponding. Saving is still inappropriate in this case.A device ‚purchased for little money‚ will not last long ‚and a high-quality‚ but expensive product will justify the money invested in it for decades of trouble-free operation.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with rated best models hygienic shower, compiled on the basis of feedback from real users.
In order not to purchase a fake, you need to check the availability of a quality certificate. The original hygienic shower can be made of brass ‚stainless steel or other‚ no less high-quality ‚chrome-plated material. A metal braid must be present on the hose ‚and on the plastic watering can a coating of a special composition.
Conclusions and useful video on the topic
One of the methods for installing a hygienic shower is highlighted here:
We learn to install a hygienic shower on the sink:
Hygienic shower on the toilet can be installed even in the smallest toilet. It makes the bathroom more functional and convenient, but you should not use it instead of a traditional shower.
The choice of designs is very large and among them there will certainly be a suitable model. Such equipment is chosen based on the layout ‚the size of the toilet‚ as well as its design features.
Do you use a hygienic shower that you installed yourself? Are you having difficulty installing? Are you satisfied with this model and its manufacturer - share your impressions of use, add a photo.
Or maybe you have something to add or recommend to people who are just eyeing a hygienic shower? Express your opinion in the comments section.
My wife really wanted to put a bidet in the bathroom. But due to the small size of the bathroom, this is impossible. We decided to arrange a hygienic shower for the toilet. We bought all the materials, and in three days a shower was made. They took a mixer with a thermostat. The whole family liked this know-how. Functionality is better than a bidet. Performs all its functions without question.
Many times I saw such a mini-shower when I was abroad. In the Emirates, for example, every public toilet has such a device. I want to go home this way, because the bathroom is separate, and such a shower is simply necessary. But I wanted to connect it to both hot and cold water. There was an idea: to buy a conventional sink faucet, fit a shower hose to it through some kind of adapter and use it. Tell me, is this a completely crazy idea or is there a rational kernel in it?
The idea will be rational if the sink is close enough to the toilet. That is, so that you can reach the faucet at arm's length so as not to get up. In this case, it is indeed possible to implement such an option.
Plus, it is better to choose a multifunctional shower head, in which different modes are configured and there is a button, when clicked, a stream of water opens. This is much more convenient than reaching, opening and closing the pressure on a hygienic shower through a conventional mixer.
If the sink is far from the toilet, you will have to mount a hygienic shower separately, so that it is located as close as possible.
The thing is good, but there is one drawback.If after use you do not close the mixer, then water is mixed. And the entire riser uses only hot or cold water. Depending on which pressure is greater. We have not been able to find a cross-eyed one week because of which the cold flows instead of hot.