What this page holds
This page lists six Lafeme products: the Catania rimless bidet toilet suite in an extra height pan, two Thea electric bidet seats, the Catania electric bidet seat, and two non electric bidet seats, the Una and the Vera. They fall into four types, and the type decides what the bathroom needs.
A non electric bidet seat replaces the toilet seat and works on water pressure alone, so it needs no power point. An electric bidet seat adds warm water washing and a heated seat, and it needs a power point near the toilet. A bidet toilet suite is a matched pan and seat. A fully integrated smart toilet adds an automatic lid, flushing and drying, and none is active on this page. For the wider choice across makers, see smart toilets and bidets and bidet toilet seats.
Power, water and installation
An electric seat needs a power point near the toilet, installed by a licensed electrician. Every model connects to the clean cold water supply, not the bowl water, and a licensed plumber should connect it. The Thea and Catania seats have a plug-in power cord of 1.2m, a rated supply of 220 to 240 volts, a maximum power of 1050 watts and a water pressure requirement of 0.15 to 0.75 megapascals. The Thea luxury seat is rated to a maximum of 1150 watts, so size the circuit for that model accordingly. They use an atmospheric vacuum breaker as the backflow device, and take drinking water only, not rainwater, grey water or sea water. The Una and Vera work across a water pressure range of 0.07 to 0.8 megapascals.
A bidet connected to the drinking water supply must be installed by a licensed plumber, and bidet products must carry WaterMark certification. All Lafeme toilet suites and seats are WaterMark certified. Rules vary by state, so confirm what applies to your project.
The atmospheric vacuum breaker in the electric seats
The Thea and Catania seats use an atmospheric vacuum breaker as their high hazard backflow device. Non-registered air gaps and testable atmospheric vacuum breakers are suitable for high hazard protection against back siphonage. A seat is acceptable when its WaterMark entry names an air gap or a vacuum breaker as integral protection. Some installations also add a separate dual check valve on the water supply inlet. The box holds a T valve and water hose and a fixing kit, so ask the plumber whether a dual check valve is needed in addition. Rules differ by state, so confirm with your local authority that the device suits your location.
The Catania suite
The Catania suite is a complete matched set of rimless pan, cistern and Catania bidet seat. The pan is extra height, with a pan height of 440mm without the seat, a projection of 655mm and an overall height of 870mm. It has a universal S or P trap, a set out of 100 to 240mm and a bottom inlet. It is rated 4 star under WELS, with a 4.5 litre full flush and a 3 litre half flush, and it has air gap backflow prevention. The rimless pan has a tornado flush. The seat offers warm water washing, adjustable air drying, a massage option and adjustable temperature and pressure. For the rimless format, see rimless toilets.
The suite measures 655mm by 375mm by 870mm, takes a bottom inlet only and has an IPX4 waterproofing grade. The supply voltage is 220 to 240 volts at 50 hertz, the maximum power is 1050 watts and the water supply pressure is 0.15 to 0.75 megapascals. For the trap, an S trap with a set out of 100 to 240mm is included in the package, an S trap of 50 to 160mm is sold separately, and a P trap has a 180mm roughing-in. The features are a rimless tornado smart toilet with extra height, seat heating, feminine and rear wash, warm air drying, hot and cold massage, water heating, soft closing, a remote controller, and a control knob with a soft night light.
Pan height and the extra height Catania
The Catania suite has a pan height of 440mm without the seat. AS 1428.1 gives a top of seat to floor height of 460mm to 480mm for an accessible toilet, so the seat adds to the pan figure. A seat on a 440mm pan could sit within or near that range, and we can confirm the figure before you order. The suite is not an accessible fit-out, so ask for the seated height if height matters. The flush control zone in AS 1428.1 is 600 to 1100mm above the floor, a reminder that the remote and control knob of an electric seat are used from a seated position and should be within reach.
The electric seats
The Thea standard and luxury seats and the Catania standard seat are electric. Each has a heated seat with temperature adjustment, water temperature adjustment, warm air drying, and rear, feminine and massage wash settings. Each also has an antibacterial seat and nozzle with a self cleaning rinse after use. The Thea luxury seat adds an auto open and close cover that opens when you approach, and a control dial and remote control. The Thea box holds the seat, a remote control, a T valve and water hose, a fixing kit and an installation and user manual.
The Thea luxury seat measures 505mm by 375mm by 93mm, is made of polypropylene, weighs about 4.2 kilograms, and has an ultra thin cover and an auto lid. The finish is gloss white. The Catania seat adds air and water pressure control and a soft closing lid.
The non electric seats
The Una and the Vera are cold wash only. Each offers a posterior wash and a feminine wash, a self cleaning spray and a soft closing seat, and each is rated to 170kg. They connect to the existing toilet and need no power point, which suits a bathroom with no outlet nearby. They have no heated seat and no dryer. The Una measures 500mm by 370mm by 60mm and the Vera 480mm by 370mm by 62mm, and the Una has a bottom water inlet. Neither has electric parts, so the water connection is the only trade work. The box holds the seat and an instruction kit.
Installing a non electric seat
There are two ways to fix the seat, and the first is recommended. Take off the old seat and lid, insert expansive nuts in the holes of the ceramic, fit an installation template, fix an adaptable panel with connecting bolts, remove the template and slide the seat onto the panel until it seats. The second uses butterfly nuts screwed from underneath the ceramic.
The water connection goes through a T-shaped connector fitted to the cistern supply with a rubber packing between. A water hose with a filter and washer at each end joins the connector to the seat. Then open the water valve and check for leaks. The shutoff valve should be near the product so it can be installed and removed, and the seat should not be lifted with the cover and seat open.
Water pressure, the regulator and the supply
The static pressure range is 0.07 to 0.8 megapascals and the dynamic pressure must be above 0.03 megapascals. The water supply cannot be above 40 degrees or below 0 degrees. A regulator sits in the inlet. If the water pressure is bigger than 0.1 megapascals, the regulator cover and o-ring must be used. If the dynamic pressure is lower than 0.05 megapascals, especially with a household tank, or if the nozzle does not work normally and water is low, the cover and o-ring are removed. If you do not know your pressure, ask the plumber to measure it before you choose between the non electric seats.
Cleaning the seat, and what not to use
Clean the outside with a smooth sponge or cloth and diluted kitchen detergent. To clean the nozzle, pull it out softly and use a smooth cloth, sponge or toothbrush with kitchen detergent. Avoid hydrogen chloride detergent, paint thinner, benzene, abrasive paper, polishing agent, fragrance and insecticide. The main body comes off by closing the lid, pushing the dismantlement button and pulling it out. If the water flow is smaller than usual, clean the filter and regulator o-ring, with the water supply hose disconnected first.
Check the seat fits the pan
A bidet seat has to suit the pan. Check the pan shape and measurements before you buy, and confirm the hinge centres, the pan length and the width, as explained on the toilet seats page. Measure your pan against the specification before you buy, and ask us to confirm the pairing for a pan from another maker.
Wash modes, drying and seat comfort
The electric seats share a set of modes. Rear wash is the standard cleansing mode. Feminine wash is a gentler, targeted mode designed for comfort. Massage wash pulses the water for a more stimulating clean, and on the Catania the water and air pressure can be controlled separately. Water temperature adjusts so the wash is comfortable in any season, and the heated seat has its own temperature control, so it is warm from the moment you sit down. Warm air drying finishes the cycle, which reduces the paper you use. The antibacterial seat and nozzle rinse themselves after each use, so the wand is clean before the next person.
Controls differ by model. The Thea and Catania seats come with a control dial and a remote, and the Catania suite adds a control knob with a soft night light. Decide where the remote will live before you plan the room. A remote on a wall bracket or a shelf within reach of the seat is used far more often than one that has to be found in a drawer.
Before you buy
Decide first if the toilet is being replaced or kept, and check for a power point if the seat is electric. A household that wants the washing without replacing the pan can start with a seat, while a full renovation can take the Catania suite. For a bathroom planned around accessibility, see accessible toilets, and see Caroma smart toilets and bidet seats for another range. The toilets page covers set out, inlet and projection. A pressure reading from the plumber settles which seat suits the house before you order.
