Walk-in baths, unlike normal baths, allow people with reduced mobility to have baths too. They are usually taller by height and shorter by length, however, rather than having to climb over the sides as you would usually, in this bath, there is a door that you use to get in and out. This post should help you to learn more about walk-in baths and help you to figure out if they are the right option for you.
Are They Comfortable?
Standard baths are around 13 or 14 inches deep whereas walk-in baths can provide around 38 inches of water depth. The reason these baths are so much deeper is due to the fact that you are sitting down in the bath rather than lying down, the seats are usually placed about 17 inches off the ground. When the seat is at this level, it will usually leave around 20 inches for the torso to be in water which is above average for an adult’s torso length meaning you will be comfortably submerged in water.
Although walk-in baths are comfortable when they are full, something you need to consider is the filling and draining process. Since these baths have a door, you can only enter and exit the bath when it is empty. This means that you will have to sit inside and wait for it to fill up and drain, which can sometimes take quite a while. Luckily there are features you can add that will speed up this process but you will still have to wait till it is done. This can be a bit of an uncomfortable and long process for some people but if that doesn’t bother you then this bath is a great option.
Are They Safe?
Around one-third of over 65s will fall every year and 80% of those falls happen in the bathroom. Walk-in baths are designed with safety features in place to reduce this from happening, such as, low step on entry, handrails, anti-slip flooring, built-in seating and ADA compliant designs. Some models even include wide doors to allow people in wheelchairs to enter the bath with no assistance.
However, the way the bath fills up could be considered unsafe. This is due to the fact that you have to enter the bath before you start to run the water. This means you don’t get a chance to adjust the temperature before it hits your body. As you are in the bath as it fills, you can easily adjust to the temperature of the water as it rises, you may feel like the temperature is just right but in reality, it could be way too hot. However, the addition of a scald prevention valve to your bath to stop this from happening, it will stop dangerously hot water entering the bath.
How Much Water Do They Use?
When compared to a standard bath, a walk-in bath uses much less water. A standard tub can use anywhere between 42-80 gallons of water depending on how full you like it, whereas a walk-in bath generally uses approx. 50 gallons of water.
Although this amount of water can be significantly less than that of a usual bath, the pressure of this amount of water can lead to flooding if you aren’t careful. Some walk-in baths have doors that open outwards rather than inwards. With these ones you need to make sure the latch is attached properly or the pressure of the water can cause it to swing open and flood your home.
Contact Us
Overall walk-in baths are an excellent option for people with reduced mobility. So, if you would like to learn more about them or encorporate a walk-in bath into your bathroom design, call us on 01455 556155 or fill out our online contact form.
Posted in Bathroom Design, News
