On a recent visit to United States of America (Hawaii) it was very interesting to see the style of toilets being used in a recently renovated hotel we stayed in. The toilets all had an electronic seat retrofitted to them, of course the correct plumbing and electrical points needed to be put in place during the first fix stage to make this possible in this case.
As you will see in the images on this page the toilet seat is electronically controlled via a wired remote placed on the wall to the left of the pan. These seats can be heated up and provide warm water with multiple options for cleaning and a fan for drying. The seat also has a self-cleansing mode for the bowl and can be remotely opened or closed (no more excuses for leaving the seat up!).
Let’s help the environment
For me the biggest winner from this new technology coming to Australia would be the environment. With an increasing problem of wet wipes clogging our sewer drains and council pumping chambers this piece of technology certainly will help cut back on the need for people to use wet wipes as much. These seats use a very small amount of electricity, certainly not enough to make a difference to your utility bills. Another benefit will be a reduction in the production of toilet paper as the demand on this will decrease. The hygiene aspect of this will also win a lot of people over, just as we have seen a slow increase into the market with the installation of sensor activated tapware which I touched on after my last over seas trip in one of my other blog posts this technology will also appeal.
Installation process
These seats don’t necessarily need to be fitted to brand new hotels of houses although that is the ideal scenario. What is needed is a cold-water feed which is not hard to find at any toilet. The second is an electrical point, this is where an additional piece of work may be required from a licensed electrician. Once this is all done the original seat is removed from the pan. Then a bracket is mounted to the ceramic bowl where the old seat used to be, these are designed to fit various set ups universal. Once the bracket is secured the new seat is pushed onto the bracket. The seat has two easy to press buttons which allows for the seat to be removed for any cleaning or repairs.
A change for a greener future
Although this technology will no doubt take a long time to reach the shores of Australia it is certainly something I feel will take away a current burden on our sewer treatment plants and in turn help us develop a greener future for our environment. As we look at the growing building trends particularly in Adelaide the move for buildings to achieve a 5 or 6 star green star is on the increase. Architects and consultants are continually looking for innovative ways in which their next project will stand out and reach a new mile stone in ecofriendly building. It is these electronic toilet seats which will allow a buildings impact on the environment to be less getting it one step closer to achieving its green stars. Watch this space, you heard it here first!
