How to choose a bidet

A washbasin with such a “overseas” name in the era of socialism was considered a “bourgeois relic” and was ignored for a long time. Yes, and the people had a lot of more pressing problems, so only the “servants” of the people knew about the existence of such items, secretly installing them in their elite apartments..

The first bidets appeared in France and were, tapering from the sides, a small bath for ladies. Its name comes from the French word “bidet” – “horse”, due to the fact that outwardly it, mounted on legs, resembled this animal. Warm water was poured into the bidet and used as intended.

After warm tap water and sewerage appeared, the foot bath was transformed into a kind of toilet bowl. She began to have a similar type of toilet sink. The only difference is in the way of water supply: not through the tank, but directly to the tap, which is located on the side of the bowl.

The modern bidet is equipped with a dedicated mixer. Such a mixer differs from a conventional mixer in the ability to adjust the direction of the jet, which is provided by a rotating spout head.

Most often, the bidet comes with a toilet, although, in terms of its functions, the bidet is closer to the washbasin. The bidet sink is made from materials used in the manufacture of toilets and washbasins. It can be ceramics, polymers or steel, but ceramics, as a material for most sanitary appliances, is traditional. The quality of the bidet sink depends, first of all, on the firing and technology perfection. Shallow or uneven firing most often leads to cracks.

Higher quality ceramics – faience. It is distinguished by a deeper firing with stricter observance of the temperature regime, as a result of which there are no residual stresses in the structure of earthenware products..

Sanitary porcelain is made only from rare types of clay, and the technological cycle is even more strict. Due to these factors, porcelain has the highest strength and chemical resistance, as well as the lowest water absorption compared to other types of ceramics..

The better the material, the longer the bidet will last. Some European manufacturers have a 25-year warranty on sanitary porcelain. Everyone knows that even an elite material produced in an enterprise with low technological discipline is often of inferior quality. Therefore, it is better, if possible, to purchase not licensed, but original products.

Usually, sanitary ware is covered with a layer of glaze on top. And this is done not only for decorative purposes. The smooth surface of the washbasin provides effective cleaning when flushing and protects the walls from chemically aggressive substances. The closer ceramics are in properties to glass, the better they are. The quality of ceramics has long been checked by ear, but knocking on a bidet in a modern store is unlikely to be possible.

Bidet and modern technology

Bidets are installed as an addition to the toilet. The design of most bidets is simple, so the appearance is the main criterion for choosing this product. Did you like it? Buy! The only advice: if you chose a bidet not from the set, think about how it will look in the ensemble. Never forget the original intention.

If you like to surround yourself with the products of modern technology, then you can equip an ordinary bidet with a lid filled with electronics (for example, a Japanese one). It has a built-in additional service.

However, these days, installing a bidet is not at all a fatal necessity. This sanitary and hygienic problem has an alternative solution: you can get a so-called multifunctional flushing toilet..

As a rule, foreign inventions rarely go without further development by Russian craftsmen. As a result, such a “mutant” appeared on sale – a toilet with bidet functions. The idea is solved in this way: with the help of hinged brackets, a mixer or separate valves for regulating cold and hot water is attached to an ordinary toilet bowl. It is indisputable that such an option deserves attention due to its versatility, but from the point of hygiene – to put it mildly, not very much. And especially if the toilet is used as a urinal. In addition, the width of the tub is too large in this case..

However, now on the market there are already not only works of artisans, but also branded models of bidet toilets. After acquaintance with such a device, the impression remains that it is a secret space toilet machine for astronauts of the future. Rumor has it that it was originally developed for Arab sheikhs who, according to a long-standing Muslim tradition, place an unusually high emphasis on body hygiene. As a result, the price of a toilet with an installed bidet is adequate to the sheikh’s wallet. It is two to three times higher than the classic toilet plus bidet set of the same class. The toilet bowl is equipped with a built-in shower. It is enough to press the button of the remote control – and the shower will move to the desired position, and a stream of water will come from the sprayer, the temperature and intensity of which can be adjusted. If the button is released, the shower goes “home”, automatically cleaning and disinfecting. Moreover, the kit even includes a hairdryer – a competitor to toilet paper! And the toilet from the Swiss company Geberit also has an air purifier: a sensor is built into the seat, which turns on a fan that removes unpleasant odors from the toilet. There are cheaper and simpler products, for example, from Laufen (Germany), but their price category is the same.

A cheaper option is to equip only the toilet lid with a flushing function. This option is produced by Roca (Spain) and Evromix (Italy), and these products cost no more than $ 200. But still, if there is free space in the bathroom, a separate full bidet would be a preferable option..

Summarizing the above, we will give a little advice: communicate more with plumbers, sellers and other specialists, do not hesitate to ask your questions – a real professional will always gladly devote you to all the subtleties, and you will save time and money.