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Comment by jadc | Hacker News Reader

According to the article, there are devices that could be attached to existing toilet seats that cost 100$ or less. If they do work well (article claims that they have good reviews), then cost is not an issue.

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If you read the full article, only the cheapo, probably ineffective solutions cost $100, you're looking more at $500 and up for a good unit.

And if you want a warmer, you'll need a GFCI outlet installed next to the toilet, which most US homes do not have. You'll want a warmer in many areas of the US during the winter.

So you're looking at quite a bit of cash there.

Edit: Please read what I wrote. I'm not saying most US homes do not have a GFCI outlet, period. I'm saying most US homes do not have a GFCI outlet next to the toilet.

Think about what you're saying before commenting. Are you going to permanently run an extension cord from the toilet over to the GFCI near the sink?

It's part of the international, federal, and most state building codes to have GFCI in all bathrooms and kitchens (any place where there is a water fixture). You're right though that most homes do not have an outlet near the toilet.

Most? Maybe it's just because I live in the Northeast, but I've only very rarely seen a bathroom that did not have a GFCI outlet.

(My current apartment has four: two in the bathroom, two in the kitchen.)

And most of them are usually not near a toilet. While the parts are cheap, it's not a trivial matter to install an outlet where one hasn't been planned in a finished room.

I don't think I agree with that. Every home I've lived in has had a GFCI outlet within four feet. (Usually on the side of the sink, next to the mirror. Also usually adjacent to the toilet.)

That, plus they cost about $10 and can be self-installed.

I have the cheaper, no-electricity model ($35 on Amazon) pictured in the article:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KKRCFA

It gets the job done just fine — I’ve never felt the need for heated water or a blow drier. The head is spring-loaded and retracts when water pressure isn’t being applied. Happy to answer questions if, er, anyone’s curious.

Interestingly enough, they offered to ship me a second one if I wrote a review, any review, on Amazon (I did). I’m guessing they’re trying to raise awareness of these things.

Is it possible to use this without damaging the toilet or any extra issues? I'm thinking about apartment situations in particular.

Yeah, definitely. You install it between the toilet seat and the bowl and connect it to water with a tee between the supply hose and the toilet tank. No permanent changes. It should take about ten minutes to remove it and put everything back to normal.

A single GFCI outlet on a circuit protects all outlets on that circuit: it will interrupt the circuit on a ground fault at any outlet wired in parallel. It is customary if not universal for the GFCI outlet to be closest to either the entrance to the room or the sink (often both). In such a case the fact that the outlet nearest the toilet doesn't appear to be a special GFCI receptacle isn't actually a problem.

Correction: a single GFCI outlet on a circuit protects all outlets on the load side of the GFCI outlet. A GFCI cannot sense a ground fault on the line side.

If you want to protect an entire circuit with one GFCI outlet, it must be the first on the circuit.

This is an important correction; I upvoted.

However, it does confirm that the normal outlet by the toilet, protected as it is by the single GFCI outlet in the restroom (assuming the electrician wasn't as foolish as I was above) doesn't need to be replaced by a new GFCI outlet in order to plug in a fancy toilet seat.

And if you want a warmer, you'll need a GFCI outlet installed next to the toilet, which most US homes do not have.

Am I the only one here who would install it myself?

I would love a Toto toilet... but I cannot comprehend the price. We're talking about some tubes and pipes. That's doesn't cost $1000. Why someone can't produce their $1200 washlet for $50 is beyond me.

Sounds like a good market to tackle, let us know when you're done. :)

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