How To Install a Tushy Spa Bidet: Tushy Install Directions

Installing a Tushy bidet is a simple process for most standard toilets that are compatible with the Spa components and fittings in the box. However, you might have to tweak the straightforward installation for skirted and other toilets with distinct features or fittings, such as top-mount seats.

The Tushy install directions for standard toilets include turning off the cool water supply to the tank and the hot line for the sink, fitting the adapters and hoses, removing the seat, and mounting the Spa bidet on the bowl. Some toilets need additional or modified steps.

Ideally, you should have the right fittings and parts for your toilet before you install a Tushy Spa bidet. If you are yet to order one, this guide will help you to proactively simplify installing Tushy bidets on most types of toilets used in American homes. Here’s how to install a Tushy Spa bidet.

1. Clean the Entire Toilet

You may not have a squeaky clean toilet unless it is new or unused. Installing a Tushy Spa bidet requires you to work closely on and with your toilet, literally. An unclean toilet is definitely not the most pleasant worksite for any DIY project and, more so, for installing Tushy bidets.

Clean the toilet thoroughly with special attention to the following parts that you will interact with:

• Bowl (inside and out)
• Seat, including the lid
• Tank (the water inlet)
• Water shut-off valve

Cleaning a toilet bowl may be simpler for most configurations if you remove the seat, along with the lid. Also, you may be able to clean the seat easily and more effectively after removing it from the bowl. Refer to step 10 in this guide to remove the seat when you clean the toilet.

2. Turn Off the Water Supply

Once you have a clean toilet, turn off the water supply to the tank. The water shut-off valve for most residential toilets is below the tank. Follow the hose or pipe connected to the tank or look behind or next to the toilet to locate the shut-off valve mounted on the wall. 

Turn the handle or knob by hand to close the valve. You may use pliers if there is no handle or the knob is somewhat stuck. Sometimes, the handle or knob feels too tight due to a buildup of mineral deposits and rust. Alternate clockwise and counterclockwise turns to loosen it up.

Generally, the handle or knob must be perpendicular to the flow, i.e., the inlet pipe and the tank hose, for the shut-off valve to close. Flush the toilet to empty its tank after shutting the valve.  

3. Unscrew the Tank Hose

Get a small container or towel before you unscrew the tank hose because there may be some residual water that will flow out. Place the towel or vessel under the tank’s inlet and unscrew the hose nut. This method works for all standard toilets with an accessible and flexible tank hose.

One-Piece and Skirted Toilets

One-piece configurations with an attached tank and skirted toilets that are installed almost flush with the wall may not have a readily accessible hose port. You can still try to access it, but there may not be sufficient space behind sleeker toilets to install the Tushy Spa bidet’s mega adapter.

In such scenarios, you can unscrew the tank hose at the water shut-off valve. The mega adapter you get in the box won’t work for most supply lines because the fittings are for the tank inlet. So, you need a Tushy brass mini adapter to use the toilet’s water supply shut-off valve.

These adapters include rubber washers and have 3/8-inch compression fittings on the three sides. You won’t be using the mega adapter for the Tushy spa bidet if you connect the flexible steel hose to the shut-off valve or supply line instead of the 7/8-inch ballcock fitting for the tank.

Toilet Tanks With Hard Pipes

If you have a hard or rigid pipe for the toilet tank, you must replace it with a flexible hose so that you can use the Tushy mega adapter. You may encounter a similar problem if you have a rigid pipe for the hot or warm water line connected to the sink. 

You can buy a flexible hose with an adapter or use a spare if you have one. Also, you may get a

stainless steel braided hose from Tushy to replace the hard pipe connection of your toilet. 

Tushy’s flexible stainless steel hose is 12 inches (0.3 meters) long with 3/8-inch and 7/8-inch brass compression fittings on both ends. Here’s how you can replace a rigid or hard pipe with this flexible steel hose:

1. Close the water supply shut-off valve to the tank and flush the toilet.
2. Unscrew the hard pipe connections using your hand or an adjustable wrench.
3. Remove the hard pipe from the water shut-off valve and the tank’s inlet.
4. Attach the 3/8-inch brass compression fitting to the supply shut-off valve.
5. Attach the 7/8-inch ballcock fitting of the flexible hose to the toilet tank.
6. Turn the nuts to tighten the threaded fittings but don’t over-tighten them.

Since you will be installing a Tushy bidet after this, you can combine step 4 with replacing the hard pipe. This approach will let you attach the Tushy Spa bidet’s mega adapter to the flexible hose’s ballcock fitting for the tank inlet.

Toilets With Flushometers

Some toilets have a flushometer, which isn’t compatible with a Tushy Spa bidet’s mega adapter. Since a flushometer doesn’t have a tank or the standard hose, you will have to use the sink for both cool and warm water lines. Of course, the sink must be nearby, or you need longer hoses.

You can get the Tushy flushometer conversion or installation kit to use the sink’s water lines for the Spa bidet. This kit includes the following components:

• 9-foot (2.74-meter) polyurethane hose 
• Single brass 3/8-inch compression fitting
• Brass mini adapter for 3/8-inch connection
• Plastic fastener with a plastic barb valve

If you use the flushometer conversion kit to install a Tushy Spa bidet so that you can have the cool water line from the sink, you won’t need to use the mega adapter that is meant to connect to a flexible tank hose.

4. Install the Mega Adapter

Tushy Spa bidets have a mega adapter in the box, which may be metal or plastic, depending on the model you have. Once you remove the flexible tank hose from a standard toilet, screw in the mega adapter with your fingers. However, the alignment should be appropriate.

The mega adapter has a smaller male connector on one end and a larger female connector on the other. The smaller male connector goes into the ballcock fitting of the tank hose. The larger female connector will take the place of the ballcock fitting when you thread it into the toilet tank.

The mega adapter has another small male connector to the side that will connect to the flexible steel hose for the cool water line to the Tushy Spa bidet. This port should be facing outward or toward the toilet for easy installation. So, here’s how you can install the mega adapter:

1. Attach the bottom male connector to the ballcock fitting of the flexible tank hose, and thread it in with your fingers.
2. Fit the female connector to the tank and turn the nut to tighten it while ensuring the male fitting on the side faces toward the bidet or toilet.

You won’t be using the mega adapter if you have to install a mini connector at the water supply shut-off valve or a flushometer conversion kit. In both cases, you will skip this step.

5. Connect the Steel Hose

Take the braided or flexible steel hose that’s included in the Tushy Spa bidet kit and fit it to the male connector to the side of the mega adapter. If you use a mini adapter at the shut-off valve or the cool water line for the sink, that connector also has this male port to the side.

The flexible steel hose has locking nuts on both ends, so screw the threaded fitting to connect it to the mega or mini adapter. Ensure you align the fittings accurately. The threaded fittings must be straight. Otherwise, you won’t be able to turn the nuts all the way for a snug fit.

You can connect the steel hose to the Tushy Spa at this stage if you don’t want to set up the hot or warm water connection at the sink. Else, proceed to step 6.

6. Shut the Hot Water Line

The hot water line to your sink has a shut-off valve, not very different from the one for the toilet tank. Don’t touch the shut-off valve with your hand if you aren’t sure whether it is hot or not. Use a rag or towel to protect your fingers and close the valve.

Unscrew the hot water hose and fit the mini adapter that came with your Tushy Spa bidet. If you have a hard pipe, you must replace it with a flexible hose. Tushy offers a stainless steel braided hose for the sink. This hose isn’t the same as the one to replace the hard pipe for the toilet tank.

The flexible steel hose for the sink has 3/8-inch and 1/2-inch brass compression fittings on the two ends. You need this hose to replace the hard pipe to fit the mini adapter for the warm water connection of the Tushy Spa bidet.

7. Install the Mini Adapter

The Tushy Spa’s mini adapter is usually attached to the polyurethane tube that serves as your hot or warm water line to the bidet. After you unscrew the hose from the closed shut-off valve behind or below your sink, fit the mini adapter and use the threaded ends to install it.

The mini adapter has a locking nut at one end, which is for the warm water shut-off valve. The threaded end, on the other side, is for the hose that will already have a locking nut on it. You can fit the locking nut of the hose first and then the other at the shut-off valve or vice versa. 

Make sure the rubber washer is inside the mini adapter so that there’s no leakage. The PU tube should be facing outward or toward the toilet. If the provided 6 or 9-foot (1.82 or 2.74-meter) tube isn’t sufficient for your warm water connection, get the 15-foot (4.6-meter) hose from Tushy.   

In some cases, the mini adapter in the box may not fit the sink’s hot water line. This problem can be either due to the line having an internal diameter of 1/2-inch (California, for example), or it is of the G3/8 standard thread that’s common in many countries and continents, such as:

• Australia
• Europe
• United Kingdom

You can get a 1/2-inch mini adapter or a G3/8 standard connector from Tushy. A similar problem is likely if your toilet’s shut-off valve is a 1/2-inch IPS pipe, which might make the provided mega adapter incompatible. You can get a 1/2-inch mega adapter for such connections from Tushy.

8. Install the Warm Water Line

Run the PU tube straight from the hot water line to the toilet and, thus, the bidet. If your sink has a cabinet, drill a small hole for the PU tube or route it through under the door. Get a cup of hot water and place the open end of the PU tube in it so that it softens a little for easier installation.

Here are the steps to install the warm water line on the Tushy Spa bidet:

1. Take the bidet attachment or console and flip it to access the connection ports.
2. The hot water port has a barb valve and a threaded nut for the polyurethane tube.
3. Unscrew the threaded nut, and the hot water barb valve will also come off the port.
4. Take the warm and somewhat softened polyurethane tube out of the cup of hot water.
5. Guide the tube through the bore of the nut with the latter’s thread towards the open tip.
6. Insert the hot water barb valve into the polyurethane tube and ensure it has a snug fit.
7. Slide the locking nut outward up to the valve, fit it onto the hot water port, and screw it in.
8. Turn the locking nut with your fingers all the way in but don’t over-tighten the connection.

9. Install the Cool Water Line

Take the braided or flexible steel hose that’s already connected to the mega adapter. Connect it to the cold port of the Tushy Spa bidet, and turn the locking nut to thread it in. Keep your Tushy Spa bidet on the floor and prepare the toilet for the final phase of installation.

10. Remove the Toilet Seat

You can remove the seat during step 1 when you clean the toilet. Nonetheless, how you remove the seat depends on the toilet you have, whether the bowl and tank configuration or any specific type. I have tried to cover all the popular styles and varieties here.

Standard Toilets

Standard toilets, especially two-piece configurations, have 2 mounting holes on the bowl for the seat. These holes typically have plastic caps or covers that you can flip and open. If they are too difficult, get a flathead screwdriver and pry them open.

Your toilet may have normal or Philips screws for the seat, so use an appropriate screwdriver to take them off. You will need to access the nuts under the mounting holes and hold them as you unscrew. Remove both sets of nuts and screws, and don’t lose them. Take off the toilet seat.

Skirted Toilets

Skirted toilets usually don’t provide easy access under the bowl or the mounting holes and screws. But you can still use a compatible screwdriver to remove the screws. These screws are most likely held by an expanding rubber nut under the mounting holes, so they will come off.

Flip the caps or remove any covers on the screws, unscrew the fasteners, and remove the toilet seat. I have already explained the mega adapter connection at the shut-off valve if the tank inlet for your one-piece skirted toilet is inaccessible. Refer to the step 3 subsection of this guide.

Quick Release

Many contemporary toilets, whether one-piece or two-piece, have quick-release seats that have retaining knobs. All you have to do is turn these knobs or tabs to their unlock positions and take the seat off the bowl. You will still need to remove the screws and nuts from the mount holes.

If you have plastic mounts, you can turn the knobs behind the seat for a quick release. Some toilets have metal pins. The release tab of such models is typically under the seat. So, raise the lid and the seat, look for the release tab at the base, press it, and lift the unit off the metal pins.

11. Install the Tushy Spa Bidet

After you remove the seat, follow these steps to install the Tushy Spa bidet on a standard toilet:

1. Place the Tushy Spa bidet on the bowl and align the adjustable sliders with the holes.
2. Perfectly align the adjustable sliders on the mounting holes and get the rubber washers.
3. Place the two rubber washers, included in the kit, on the mounting holes of the bowl.
4. Place the Tushy Spa on these rubber washers, and align the seat on top of the bidet.
5. Use the toilet seat’s nuts and screws to install the Tushy Spa bidet firmly on the bowl. 

The exact process of aligning and fastening the Tushy Spa bidet depends on the type of toilet you have. Here are the modifications that will likely be necessary for different toilets:

• For skirted toilets with inaccessible nuts, you may need top-mounting screws to attach the Tushy Spa bidet.
• If the toilet seat’s mounting screws are thick or short after attaching the Tushy Spa bidet, you will need thinner or longer top-mounting ones and rubber nuts for skirted models.
• For quick-release toilet seats with plastic retainers, you must align the adjustable sliders with the mounting holes and the locking tabs.
• For quick-release variants using metal pins, you must align the Tushy Spa with the holes and the raised mounts before fastening the toilet seat atop the bidet.

12. Test the Tushy Spa Bidet

Cover the toilet with a plastic sheet, turn on the cool and warm water connections, and test the Tushy Spa bidet. Check for leaks first. If there’s any leakage, that connection may be loose, or the adapter is probably missing a washer. Finally, use the Tushy Spa’s features to test them.

Final Thoughts

The Tushy Spa bidet kit includes an inlet cap that you can use if you don’t intend to connect the attachment to a warm water line. Refer to the owner’s manual for your Tushy Spa bidet before you begin the installation and arrange for any parts that you may need if they are not in the kit.