On Tue, 31 Jan 2017 04:18:46 -0600, in alt.home.repair
wrote:

I kind of like the idea of a bidet. I once figured out that we spend
around $150 per year for toilet paper, and I dont buy the expensive
stuff.

Let's go with $150 per year for TP (plus the hassle of having to store it,
especially if you're a Costco buyer like I am, where storage is the name of
the game).

So, over your homeowning lifetime, which, let's say, is from 40 to 80, so,
let's say it's 40 years, that's six thousand bucks in TP (for the whole
house).

If you have, say, 3 bathrooms, that's two thousand bucks that you can save,
per bathroom, over 40 years of a bidet versus TP.

How much does it cost to retroactively add a warm-water bidet to a
bathroom?


The last time I had my tank pumped, it cost $115.

You didn't say where you live, but you can't get the mailman to come out
here for $115 per visit. So, it's going to be $500 minimum out here (and
maybe more, I don't know). But it's never going to be anywhere near $115
for anything.

I will see if I can find out prices though, since I'm just guessing at
$500.

Google google google

This article (which is kind of old though) says that just the new state
regulations *add* $100 to the cost of pumping septic systems in the area!
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/art...NEWS/902049844

They say that the average cost in 2009 was $325 every five years to inspect
the septic system so I think $400 is probably a good number to use for this
area.

So, $400 every five years is $3,200 over the 40 years that you own a home.

For the entire house, the costs a
1. $3,200 for pumping the septic
2. $6,000 for toilet paper

Let's call that 10K dollars is the cost of using the toilet paper.
Does that make sense as a start?

But I always dig the
dirt off the cover, so all the pumper has to do it run the pump. I think
it costs $180 if he has to do the digging. But that price may be a lot
different elsewhere, depending on state codes, distance to travel, and
other stuff. (Dont guess, CALL a local pumper and ask for a quote).

I'll call in the morning to get a quote, but I can't imagine the prices are
anywhere near what you're quoting.

I have not priced a bidet. In my case I'd install it myself.

Me too. I think the main cost is in heating the water.
Either you pipe warm water to the toilet, or, you pipe electricity to warm
the cold water.

Neither electricity nor warm water is usually at a toilet though, so, I'm
not sure which basic option is best.

There is another option, an OUTHOUSE.
When the hole fills up, you grab a shovel, dig a new hole about 8 foot
deep nearby and find someone with a team of pulling horses to pull the
outhouse over the new hole.

Actually, believe it or not, there is another option, which is not as
chilly as an outhouse. You can get a roll of small plastic bags, and when
you wipe your butt with TP, you just seal the used TP in the plastic bags
and put it in the garbage can next to most people's toilets.

Would that work?

Of course, there's the cost of the plastic, but, I always grab a ream of
the stuff at Costco when I go and stuff it in the cart (they let me). I use
it to bag the cat litter, which is essentially the same thing we're talking
here. And then I put the bagged cat litter in the trash.

So, for free, you can bag your TP and save about $10K in 40 years!