Smart Toilets Finally Coming to America?

by Terrence O'Brien on July 30, 2009 at 10:24 AM

Usually, the Japanese put the U.S. (and most of the Western world) to shame when it comes to top-notch tech. They've got all the advanced robots, phones with crazy features, and of course, mind-blowing toilets.

While we're stuck with water-wasting, cold and emotionless porcelain devices that do nothing other than flush away human waste, the Japanese get lavatories with automatic, heated seats, rising when you approach and lowering when you're done with your "business." Most have spray arms for cleaning, and hot air vents to keep things dry. Some advanced models even come with automatic air deodorizers, sound systems for drowning out those unpleasant noises, and even the ability to test urine for medical conditions.

Alas, these fancy loos are resigned to the houses of the rich here in the States. Fortunately, Kunio Harimoto, the head of Toto, the largest manufacturer of such toilets in Japan, is aiming to invade the American marketplace by positioning his potties as luxury items, and placing them in high-end, high-visibility public restrooms in cities like Fort Lauderdale, Florida and West Hollywood, California.

The tech-toilets may even find favor amongst the environmentally conscious, since they only use 4.8 liters of water per flush, compared with the 6 or more of most American toilets. Many even have a tap and sink on top that lets you wash your hands in the fresh water being pumped in for the next flush, eliminating the need for a separate sink.

We're already trying to figure out how to get one for the Switched offices. [From: The Infrastructurist and The Economist]

Tags: bathroom, bidet, japan, toilet, top

Comments

skaarcatJul 30th 2009 10:53AM

Neutral

I did get a water saving toilet at Kohlers. It has two buttons on it..one for liquid waste and one for solid waste (which needs to use a bit more water). The plumber had a hard time installing it because it was different. I had seen these toilets in Africa and Europe for YEARS. It's about time we got them here. Everyone claims to be so 'green' but this is such a simple fix to save so much water.

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Patriots1167Jul 30th 2009 11:16AM

Neutral

SO, if the toilet has an electrical short while you're sitting on it....you can kiss your ass goodbye (literally)......

As any good electrician would tell you .... NEVER mix water and electricity in close quarters. A sure combination of death trap "if" something malfunctions.
Worse case scenario...if the "standard" toilet malfunctions and the flapper (or) handle breaks...it won't kill me. You have an electrical short....your ass is cooked (literally). How do you explain that in your obituary? "Person fried on crapper"

No thanks....I'll use the "manual" flush method. Much safer.

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550aGOGOJul 31st 2009 2:29PM

Neutral

An electrical short on the board would short the AC board fuse and the unit would cease to function. These things are a lot more complicated than that. Lol, there has never been a death by crapper in the field so no your scenario would never occur. Also if you live in the US then in your bathroom (if up to date) you have GFIs which which shut off automatically if water contacts them. Needless to say no power to the toilet and no fried buns.

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Jeff9Aug 1st 2009 9:56PM

Neutral

The Japanese Toilet is really a toilet bidet combination and although nice is also very expensive. You can keep your current toilet and get the same benefits by adding a hand bidet sprayer for very little cost. A hand held bathroom bidet sprayer is so much better than a stand alone bidet and this is why: 1. It's less expensive (potentially allot less) 2.You can install it yourself = no plumber expense 3. It works better by providing more control of where the water spray goes and a greater volume of water flow. 4. It requires no electricity and there are few things that can go wrong with it. Available at http://www.bathroomsprayers.com

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AndreaAug 2nd 2009 1:08PM

Neutral

Toilets account for approx. 30% of water used indoors. By installing a Dual Flush toilet you can save between 40% and 70% of drinking water being flushed down the toilet, depending how old the toilet is you are going to replace.
If you are serious about saving water, want a toilet that really works and is affordable, I highly recommend installing a Dual Flush toilet. Caroma toilets offer a patented dual flush technology consisting of a 0.8 Gal flush for liquid waste and a 1.6 Gal flush for solids. On an average of 5 uses a day (4 liquid/ 1 solid) a Caroma Dual Flush toilet uses an average of 0.96 gallons per flush. The new Sydney Smart uses only 1.28 and 0.8 gpf, that is an average of 0.89 gallons per flush. This is the lowest water consumption of any toilet available in the US. Caroma, an Australian company set the standard by giving the world its first successful two button dual flush system in the nineteen eighties and has since perfected the technology. Also, with a full 3.5″ trapway, these toilets virtually never clog. All of Caroma’s toilets are on the list of WaterSense labeled HET’s (High Efficiency toilets) http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/find_het.htm and also qualify for several toilet rebate programs available in the US. Please visit my blog http://pottygirl.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/what-you-should-know-about-toilets/ to learn more or go to http://www.ecotransitions.com/howto.asp to see how we flush potatoes with 0.8 gallons of water, meant for liquids only. Best regards, Andrea Paulinelli

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MyKisaAug 2nd 2009 7:54PM

Neutral

...prefer Clivus Multrum...as green as it gets

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TackberryAug 3rd 2009 10:52AM

Neutral

Those features seem silly. But given the Japanese interest in goofy tech, it's not really surprising. True, they can make dancing robots, but so what? Personally, I don't want some confused toilet seat going up and down when I reach under the sink for my shaving cream. And heated seats with hot-air vents?
You save water, but you use power to heat your butt? No thanks.

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Kelly CrawfordAug 25th 2011 5:28AM

Neutral

It's not really necessary to buy an expensive toilet itself. If you're looking for comfort and assurance for your hygiene, then just use a bidet toilet. I'm actually using one from http://products.mercola.com/toilet-bidet/ Has anyone tried it before?

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