In an effort to cut down paper waste or just to get a superior clean after doing business in the bathroom, many people turn to getting a bidet installed on their toilets.
This is a great way to accomplish the aforementioned, all while being exceptionally safe and highly regarded. However, nothing is perfect, things breakdown, and that includes electric bidet seats.
These are some of the most common problems with electric bidet seats:
- No GFCI outlet nearby
- Water does not spray
- Bidet is not working
- Leaking water
- Weak water pressure
- The water is cold
- Seat and/or dryer is not warming
All things considered, these issues are minimal and are likely to have easy solutions to get the bidet back up and cleaning bums just like it did before.
Keep reading to learn more about common problems that might arise with electric bidet seats, as well as the solutions to them.
No GFCI Outlet Nearby
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While not every bidet needs to be powered, electric bidet seats do. Unless it’s a portable model, they’re going to need to be plugged into an outlet in order to function.
This allows them to have additional features, such as:
- Heated water
- Remote controls
- Adjustable pressure
- Spray-release deodorizers
- Heated air dryer
- Mechanisms to raise and lower the toilet seat/lid
However, this cannot happen without an outlet nearby. GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) are most recommended around water, as they are grounded and have fail safes in play that prevent electrical shock and fire. (Link)
While these grounded outlets are often near the sink, sometimes that is too far from the toilet or is not desirable.
In these instances, a licensed electrician would need to be hired to wire a three-pronged GFCI outlet of 15 amps or more near the bidet.
Water Does Not Spray
The whole point of a bidet is that it sprays water to clean away waste. If the water doesn’t spray, that defeats the purpose.
Here are some reasons that the water might not be spraying:
- The water tank is empty
- Closed shut off valve
- Freezing
Thankfully, these all have easy remedies that usually just involve waiting a little bit or opening the valve.
If none of these seem to help, it might be time to look into problems with the plumbing or electrical supply.
Bidet Is Not Working
There’s nothing more annoying than something not working when it should. Instead of getting frustrated, try to take a moment to troubleshoot some basic reasons why the bidet isn’t working.
For some examples, an electric bidet seat isn’t going to work if nobody is sitting on it, or the power cord has been disconnected somehow.
Additionally, the batteries in the remote controls or wireless models may be dead if they haven’t been changed recently.
If there is a power outage or a tripped breaker, a bidet isn’t going to work unless it is battery operated.
With everything going on during one of these events, it can be easy to forget especially since water typically still works (and thus toilets flush) even when the power is out.
Water Leaking From My Bidet
When plumbing starts leaking, people start panicking. However, it doesn’t always mean that things are going to be a total disaster in the case of a leaking bidet.
If the water is leaking from the hose or the connectors, make sure that these connections are snug. Consider using plumbers tape if necessary, such as being unable to tighten further without risk of injury or the connectors breaking.
On the other hand, if water is leaking from the bidet itself, it’s time to either reach out to the manufacturer or replace it.
Weak Water Pressure From The Bidet
It’s a bit difficult to clean up down under if the water pressure in a bidet is weak.
In this case, it’s best to check the pressure level settings and make sure that they aren’t set too low. If that’s not the problem, check the strainer, as it may be clogged. Clean it out if it is.
Otherwise, it might be time to contact the manufacturer or bring in a professional.
The Water From The Bidet Feels Cold
While not all bidets have warm water, part of the appeal of an electric bidet seat is that they are capable of generating warm water. So, if the water is cold when it’s not expected to be so, that can be pretty startling.
The first thing to do is to check that the water temperature is not set too low. It seems like a simple thing, but it’s easy to forget to check just in case it was adjusted by accident or by someone else and not put back.
For tank water heating models, there’s also the chance that the warm water supply has been depleted and that its time to warm the water again after its been consumed.
The Seat And/Or Dryer Is Not Warming
If there is a feature to have a warmed seat or dryer on a bidet, then it’s expected to be functional.
What’s the point of paying extra when it doesn’t work?
Thankfully, this is usually a simple case of the temperature being set too low. If it was just set to a higher temperature, it might take a little bit of time to warm up.
If that isn’t the case, check to make sure that the whole unit didn’t end up unplugged. Check the batteries if there are any too, especially if they haven’t been changed in some time.
Conclusion
Bidets are highly regarded, safe, and economical ways of reducing paper waste and getting clean after using the toilet.
While a bit on the pricier side, electric bidet seats come with a lot of wonderful features that make the extra money worth it. That includes having warm water, heated seats, air dyers, and even remote-controlled toilet seat/lid lifting mechanisms.
However, they’re not perfect and sometimes will have issues. The good news though is that most issues that arise are quick and easy to fix without the need to call in a professional.
However, if there is a need to get involved with something like adding in a new GCFI outlet, it is best to hire someone so that it’s done both safely and correctly.