- Tips when buying a walk-in bath

The things to look for to ensure you are happy with your purchase

WARNING : There is another Australian web site that has the words "MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WALK IN BATH"; this is not correct, they are 100% Chinese imports and ARE NOT manufactured in Australia; don't be fooled.

1. Remember with a walk-in bath, you are locked in the bath until the water has drained.

MAKE SURE that the bath doesn't have a pop-up plug or you may sit freezing for up to 20 minutes while the water drains.

The major world vendors of walk-in baths use normal plugs for a good reason, this is the quickest way to drain the bath.

2. Because you are locked in the bath you need FAST FILL taps.

Cheap imports use normal taps. A user of one of these found it took 18 minutes to fill the bath. Fast fill taps deliver 30 to 40 litres a minute, standard taps deliver 5 to 15 litres a minute.

Again, the worlds major vendors use these type of taps for a good reason, most commonly made in the UK, US or Australia.

3. If they have a grab bar fitted to the body, ask for a certificate of compliance to Australian Standard AS1428 in writing.

We don't fit grab bars to the bath body, as we cannot get the grab bar to meet the AS1428 standard when attached to fibreglass.

Again, the worlds leading vendors like Seabridge Bathing of Canada don't fit grab bars into the bath body for a good reason.

4. Does the spa inclusion use water or air?

We use only body-temperature heated air to prevent bruising to delicate skin that a water spa can cause.

Our air-spa system is made for hydrotherapy applications by the worlds leading provider in Canada.

Others use cheap water/air systems costing less than a quarter of the price.

You can turn on a heated-air spa 10 minutes before you enter the bath, to heat the bath shell, you can't do this with a water spa.

Again, the worlds leading vendors like Seabridge Bathing of Canada, ONLY use air-spas for a good reason

5. Avoid conventional lay-in type baths.

While a door may help you get into the conventional type bath, the big risk is getting stuck on the floor of the bath.

This is why lay-down type baths aren't fitted into aged care environments in Australia.

As a general rule, if you can't step into a bath, you are in the high risk category for being unable to get up and out of a lay-in type of bath.

The larger water capacity of lay-in type baths means you are standing [or laying] in the bath for a longer period while it fills.

Can you reach the taps at the foot of the bath?

Sit-in baths represent over 98% of walk-in bath sales world wide.

Sit-in baths can safely provide comfortable bathing for decades, lay-down baths will not.

6. Some low quality walk-in baths have hand-held showers incorporated into the bath shell.

Because of the weight of a metal flexi hose and shower head, these can be clumsy and difficult to use. Sliding a 1 to 1.5 metre metal hose into the hole in the bath is difficult and clumsy

To overcome the weight issue, some suppliers use low weight [and quality] metal-looking plastic hoses and plastic showers.

You are better to use a vertical ASNZ Standards Approved external grab bar above the bath, with an attached, sliding,removable shower head on a flexi hose.

Your plumber can supply these for about $300. They are easy to fit, as the hose screws into the existing shower outlet.

Again,the worlds major walk-in bath suppliers, Seabridge Bathing and Premier Baths use this method, as it is far better, safer and easier to use.

7. Will it fit through the doors in your house?

A standard door is 2'8" wide [81cm] less the door jambs giving you about 31"[79 cm]. If the smallest dimension of a bath you are looking at is over 30" [76cm] you may not get it through your doors; check this.

8. Australian Standards Compliance.

This is a key issue as it is largely about user safety.

Here are questions to ask before buying.

What is the IP [waterproof] rating of the electrics.
The picture below is of the appalling electrics in a cheap import with an IP rating of ZERO which shouldn't be sold in Australia

Would you risk your life in a wet area with exposed wiring like this?

If there is a hand held shower in the bath, what is the WELS rating?
If there is a grab bar attached to the bath, is there an AS1428 compliance certificate?
What is their Watermark number on their plumbing?
Do their spa motors have Australian Compliance test certificates
Do the spas have multiple one-way water flow protection systems to stop water reaching the 240V electrics?
If there is a heated water-spa, are there 2 thermostats as required by Australian Standards? Failure of a single thermostat model can have tragic results as the water gets hotter and hotter; [yes; they are sold in Australia with FIFTEEN HUNDRED WATT water heaters]; think about sitting in a kettle.
Are the baths sold through reputable retailers?
These standards are about giving you a bath that is safe and will give years of trouble free ownership.
Ask for WRITTEN proof of specific Australian Standards Compliance and WRITTEN proof of the country of manufacture [one dodgy vendor has been claiming 100% Chinese goods are from Canada].

7. Do your research BEFORE you buy.

If you buy a sub-standard bath,

you are stuck with it.

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