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The US is a notoriously price-sensitive market. For a lot of folks, they wouldn't consider paying $1000+ for a toilet when the most basic American Standard can
by MrFoof 14y ago
The US is a notoriously price-sensitive market. For a lot of folks, they wouldn't consider paying $1000+ for a toilet when the most basic American Standard can be found for about $125. A lot of people would find it hard to justify an order of magnitude price increase.
I know Boston has a Toto showroom in its North End, but I really cant consider it due to the rules of my apartment building.
- jadc 14y agoAccording to the article, there are devices that could be attached to existing toilet seats that cost 100$ or less. If they do work well (article claims that they have good reviews), then cost is not an issue.
- runjake 14y agoIf 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?
- eropple 14y agoMost? 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.)
- ceejayoz 14y agoThat, plus they cost about $10 and can be self-installed.
- adestefan 14y agoAnd 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.
- eropple 14y agoI 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.)
- tadfisher 14y agoIt'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.
- Zak 14y agoAnd 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?
- jessaustin 14y agoA 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.
- tadfisher 14y agoCorrection: 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.
- jessaustin 14y agoThis 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.
- Sidnicious 14y agoI have the cheaper, no-electricity model ($35 on Amazon) pictured in the article: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KKRCFA 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.
- ebiester 14y agoIs it possible to use this without damaging the toilet or any extra issues? I'm thinking about apartment situations in particular.
- Sidnicious 14y agoYeah, 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.
- otakucode 14y agoI 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.
- davidandgoliath 14y agoSounds like a good market to tackle, let us know when you're done. :)
- tomjen3 14y agoHow long does a toilet last? Ten years? Then we are talking less than the cost of your internet connection (and we won't mention the cost of food, which is way more than that).
- cowsaysoink 14y agoWell I don't think people spend enough time on the toilet to justify an extra cost (save maybe IBS and toilet readers/surfers). And right now toilets are fully functional for most people, mine aren't uncomfortable to me and are easy to clean and most repairs can be done quite easily yourself. Adding technology to that sounds like trouble and would likely require calling out a plumber to fix things.
- hudibras 14y agoTen minutes a day on the toilet is 60 hours each year. Over 80 years, that's 200 days of your life.
- mbreese 14y agoBut we focus more on the up-front costs rather than the cumulative costs. Think about the cell phone market - how many people will be happy to get a free phone, only to be subject to $50-100 monthly bill for 2 years.
- jemka 14y ago>Then we are talking less than the cost of your internet connection Not if you consider the time value of money, which you should do when making any cost comparison.
- MrFoof 14y agoHey now, I'd have a Toto toilet if my apartment would let me install one. Problem is, they won't, because they don't want to deal with it when I move out.
- joezydeco 14y agoThe tank and bowl itself will last 30-40 years no problem. There are no moving parts to the porcelain. The valves and seals may need replacing, and the bowl should be kept clean to avoid staining, but I've never heard of someone replacing the entire unit every 10 years.
- jws 14y agoI bought a crazy expensive Toto when rebuilding the master bathroom because it was advertised to be quiet. Flushing sounded like you were using depth charges. A stream of plumbers, contractors, and sales reps came to look at the installation and eventually decided Toto must have changed something in that model, and swapped it for a mere mortal toilet that won't wake the entire household at night. Maybe their brand hasn't earned enough credibility to command the prices.