Is The Toto Washlet Bidet From Costco Easy To Install?

Before the pandemic and the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020, bidets were rare in the U.S. After panic buying made toilet paper a hot commodity, many people turned to bidets as an alternative and never looked back. The TOTO Washlet Elongated Bidet Seat with SoftClose Lid from Costco is one of the most luxurious bidets on the market. Far from simply spraying a jet of cold water, it has dual-action warm water jets, an adjustable warm air dryer, and a mist that keeps your toilet cleaner. However, with all these features, you may worry about making mistakes when installing a home bidet.

Don't worry — the TOTO bidet seat was designed to be installed by anyone. You don't need serious plumbing chops to get the job done. A few people reported problems due to the way their toilets were set up, but most were able to work around these fairly easily. If you have a standard bathroom setup, you should be able to go from taking the bidet out of the box to enjoying the heated seat in less than half an hour.

Some people did have issues installing the washlet, so you may want to be aware of these. One issue several people cited was that the bolt holes in their existing toilet were too small to fit the bolts of the new seat. Several reviewers used a drill to enlarge the holes on the toilet, while another used their old bolts instead of the bolts included with the washlet. Another reviewer mentioned that their water line was too short to work with the plumbing connector included, so they had to buy a longer supply line.

In order to install the TOTO Washlet yourself, you'll need access to a GFCI outlet, since the heat and air features run on electricity. You'll also need to be able to access the water supply line that runs to your toilet. If you have a skirted toilet with an inaccessible water supply line, you may need to contact a plumber. If you don't have any of these issues, here's how to install a bidet in your bathroom for that extra clean feeling. 

To get started, take everything out of the package and verify you have all the parts. Keep the instruction booklet on hand for reference. Remove the seat from your toilet and turn off the water supply. Flush the toilet to remove the water remaining in the pipes. Disconnect the supply line from the bottom of the toilet tank and set it in a bucket to prevent water from spilling on the floor. Screw the included T-connector to the bottom of the toilet tank where you disconnected the water line. Reconnect the supply line to the bottom of the new fitting.

Now you're ready to replace the toilet seat. Wet the rubber grommets and push them into the bolt holes on the toilet. Position the bracket over the grommets with the metal hooks facing up. Drop the elongated metal washers into the slot that positions them over the grommets. Put the screws through the washers into the grommets. Then center the bracket on the toilet and lightly tighten the screws with a Phillips screwdriver. Slide the toilet seat onto the bracket until you hear a click. Check your alignment and make adjustments as needed, then fully tighten the screws.

At this point, you'll have two cords extending from the left side of the toilet. One is the power supply, and one is the water line. Connect the water line to the T-connector you installed earlier on the bottom of the water tank. It should easily screw into the side extension. Turn the water back on and check for leaks. Plug the power supply into a GFCI outlet. You can run an extension cord if the outlet isn't close enough to the toilet, but it should be plugged into a GFCI outlet. Now you should be ready to enjoy the benefits that make a bidet toilet combo the perfect buy for your bathroom.