April 16, 2007

Unsafe at any speed

You just know this is going to make Dave Barry's day: "Tokyo Flaming Toilet Crisis Comes to a Head"

Japan's leading toilet maker Toto Ltd. is offering free repairs for 180,000 bidet toilets after wiring problems caused several to catch fire, the company said Monday.

The electric bidet accessory of Toto's Z series caught fire in three separate incidents between March 2006 and March 2007, according to company spokeswoman Emi Tanaka. The bidet sent up smoke in 26 other incidents, the company said.

"Fortunately, nobody was using the toilets when the fire broke out and there were no injuries," Tanaka said. "The fire would have been just under your buttocks."

The company will repair 180,000 toilet units manufactured between May 1996 and December 2001 for free, she said. A manufacturing defect is thought to have led to the faulty wiring.

Toto has been a pioneer in high-tech toilets fitted with pressurized water sprayers — a standard fixture in Japanese homes.

The popular Z series features a pulsating massage spray, a power dryer, built-in-the-bowl deodorizing filter, the "Tornado Wash" flush and a lid that opens and closes automatically. Prices range from $1,680 to $2,600.

Posted by Steve-O at April 16, 2007 09:00 AM | TrackBack
Comments

These things hve a little keypad controller on the right hand side. It's labeled only in Japanese, so if you don't read the language, it's best to leave well enough alone, as several houseguests found out. The tornado wash will flush you along with whatever you left in the bowl.

When I lived in Tokyo, one of our cats liked to sit on the keypad. I think the little putz liked the beeping sounds when he walked on the jeys. But that meant that you never knew what the dang thing was going to do when you sat on it, if you didn't resent the controls first. Whoo hoo! Hot seat, cold bidet at 3:00 in the morning!

Posted by: John at April 16, 2007 11:13 AM