3 years ago I helped some dear old frinds to move into a new house. While emptying out their garage they gave me an $800.00 TOTO that was used by their mom for a week before she passed. It was like new--after a light cleaning with some bleach. I was moving into a brand new home myself two weeks later, and installed the TOTO Washlet. I was skeptical, but after a couple of visits to the potty, I decided that toilet paper would never again be an option for me-- as long as I had electricity and running water in any place that would ever live in, for the rest of my earthly days. I found out that in Japan, So. Korea, and much of civilized Europe, they have had this type of washlet for years. And, I even recall seeing a funny looking toilet in Paris back in the 1961 when I was a young teen--and later found out it was a thing called a bidet.. Well, the beloved TOTO died. Most likely my fault, because I removed it in order to install a new dual-flush toilet---and, yes, I did do a very agressive cleaning on it. I think a high pressure water hose may have been involved... So, on to the internet to look for a suitable replacement...--never did use that hot-air fan blower on the TOTO---and actually always had the water temp turned down all the way. Found this little gem--ordered and installed it on my new "comfort height" elongated new throne--and could not be happier. First, had the nozzle all the way forward, but soon found out that the nozzle needs to be all the way back in a vertical position to aim corectly at my sweet spot. I think I am going to buy another one---just as a backup--just in case this unit is discontinued--like many other things. Ever save a label from a pair of pants that is perfect?----only to go back 6 months later to buy another pair? And be told--we do not carry those.... Love this thing. Pefect for very little money. And, yes, it does come with a nylon braided flex compression supply line of apparently good quality----although the thread size appears to be some proprietary type--metric, maybe---definitely NOT available at the H. Depot. Not 3/8 or 1/4 compression---something very much "other" The adapter "T" is very high quality, installs without any hassle--and does not leak, or cause any other strange side-effects. To get a bit technical---I wish Brondell would change their fittings to fit a standard 3/8 compression supply line. I realize these are mostly available in minimum 48 inch lengths--(standard dishwasher supply line) but---you could then splurge on a dual-outlet-dual shutoff valve (coming out of the wall) and also be able to buy a replacement line at the Depot-or similar. This way, you could shut off only the valve going to the washlet--while leaving your toilet functional---as when you remove the washlet for some heavy cleaning. Read more
I was looking thru several different bidets, and I decided to go with this one because I had contacted the company previously and they were very helpful. The main things I considered in a bidet was 1. temperature (ambient or optional heating), 2. self rinsing/cleaning 3. adjustable water streams. I choose this one because it is very easy to assemble and because it was both self cleaning and adjustable (self cleaning doesn't mean you don't have to clean this thing...by the way). This particular one only has ambient water temp (the temp that comes out of your regular cold side faucet). I decided that if I were to install a bidet with the heated water option that I would need to hire a plumber. Also my toilet is rather far from a hot water connection so I didn't think it would be too easy. Also truthfully, WARM water after doing your business doesn't seem as refreshing as cool water. However, that being said, I DO live in South Florida. Our water never really gets "cold". So bottom line.....If you can spray yourself with your regular cold water, you should just get the ambient temperature model like this one. If you can't deal with freezing water (and that is what you have) consider the hot water one. One thing that no one talks about in these reviews is about toilet bidets, in general. I very much recommend this model. The price is great, it was easy to install, the company was very helpful, and I haven't had problems with it. However, here are a few things to consider when buying a toilet bidet..... 1. Who is going to be using the toilet that has the bidet (besides you)? 2. How often do you clean the toilet? I DO NOT recommend using one of these in a guest bathroom or a multi person bathroom. First of all, your guests (unless they are hippies or environmentalists) probably won't appreciate it. They will still need to dry off with something (do you want them using your cloth towels? and if they are going to use TP anyway....why bother with the bidet?). Second, sharing this with multiple people really seems....unsanitary. Not to get detailed, but let's say the person using your toilet with the bidet isn't particularly....EASY on the toilet. You risk additional "uckines" on the bidet - both on the spray nozzle AND where the bidet mounts to the toilet (you know how the back of the toilet behind the seat always gets dirty?) So bottom line.....I like mine. I use it regularly. I have it in a bathroom where I am the only one who uses it and I am happy with my ambient temperature. If you have unusually cold water or plan to share this with multiple people, you may want to reconsider buying a toilet bidet, in general. Read more
TIP: If you find yourself getting unwanted enemas, enlarge the center nozzle hole with a 1/16" (or smaller) drill bit. I bought this bidet to replace my trusty Hyundai HDBM-100 which, after nearly 10 years of service, broke in a recent move. To my surprise, most current offerings were inferior: no adjustable nozzles, and threaded (rather than push-to-connect) fittings. While I wasn't able to find a new bidet with quick-connect fittings, this Brondell does have an adjustable nozzle that's nearly identical to my old Hyundai's—in fact, the whole bidet appears to be a rebranded and slightly updated version of it. Installation was easy and the bidet works great, but I found the center jet way too sharp and needle-like. If I turned up the pressure to the level required for effective cleaning, I'd get an enema every time. I had the same problem with my old HDBM-100, which I fixed by enlarging the center hole in the nozzle with a 1/16" drill bit. The same hack worked on the Brondell unit. Now I can turn it up as much as I like, without getting stabbed in the ass. Yay! My only other complaint is the valve knob. Being split between cleaning and self-cleaning, you get a very small turning radius (under 90 degrees) for adjusting the water pressure, which doesn't allow for much precision since small turns can have a huge effect. Having the cleaning (i.e. most-used) function on the right side also means you turn clockwise to open and counterclockwise to close, which is the opposite of a faucet. Read more
