Matsushita HE-RQC2W heat pump / bath

After a month of construction, we restored the old bath at our house. It is a very traditional bath with lots of room and a bathtub that fits 2-3 people. Antipixel has a good blog entry about the art of Japanese bathing worth reading. Basically, you wash before you enter a Japanese bath and the baths are more for soaking than cleaning inside. You don't bring towels or soaps into the bath itself. There is a lot of room outside the bath to clean.

The tradition for older baths is to fill the bath up with hot water and keep it warm through the day, everyone sharing the hot water. In the old days, there was a boiler that the water would circulate through to keep it warm. The heat pump water heater we installed keeps a tank of hot water for the whole house including the kitchen and the bath. The heat pump takes care of filling the bath with hot water, managing a reserve of hot water for the kitchen and shower, and also circulates the water in the bath and maintains the temperature as you like. It's quite an amazing synthesis of modern technology and tradition.

Maybe after washlets, Japanese baths will become popular in the US. What about it Sergey and Larry?

Comments

[Jessica]

That's a nice granite tub you have. I think the idea of sharing bath water (despite being clean) is not something that will catch on quickly in the U.S.

If Japanese bathing caught on in America, each person would use their own water and the tubs would be smaller (to save water and people would bathe alone).

Cleaning before entering the bath is good though, much better than soaking in dirty water.

[Joi Ito]

But aren't hot tubs popular in the US? It's sort of like a hot tub.

[Jessica]

Hot tubs are different, because you're usually wearing a bathing suit, and the water is chlorinated, so you'll have to wash off afterwards. The water stays in the tub 24/7. Before you go in, you should rinse off with a hose, but people skip that step.

Both are similar because you relax in them and they stay warm all the time. Whirlpools are closer to Japanese baths because of their size (similar). They're like a combination hot tub and bath tub. I'll put a pic of our whirlpool on my blog.

[Marcus]

Please tell me.
Did someone install the Matsushita HE-RQC2W in America?
If so, how may I contact them.
Currently, I've only been able to find Rinnai hot water on demand products.
Yet, I am looking for the old, fashioned Japanese gas water heater that sits alongside the bath and has an intake valve at the bottom through which water circulates, gets heated by gas and then released through an output valve at the top of the tub.
It's difficult to describe, but those of you who have lived in Japan for a while will know what I am talking about.

[Marcus]

Please tell me.
Did someone install the Matsushita HE-RQC2W in America?
If so, how may I contact them.
Currently, I've only been able to find Rinnai hot water on demand products.
Yet, I am looking for the old, fashioned Japanese gas water heater that sits alongside the bath and has an intake valve at the bottom through which water circulates, gets heated by gas and then released through an output valve at the top of the tub.
It's difficult to describe, but those of you who have lived in Japan for a while will know what I am talking about.

[Eric]

Hi
Just to echo Jessica and Marcus, we are interested in the heat pump but can't find it online.
Where can we get one?
Thanks
Eric

[Danny]

In case you cannot find an authentic Japanese style soaking tub in the U.S., you might consider making your own from a plastic tank.

These plastic tanks come in many sizes and they are available from manufacturers across the country. All you need to do to make them into a tub is drill a hole in the bottom and install a standard tub drain fitting with a stopper.

I have a long body so I bought one that is 30 inches in depth and the extra high water level allows me to soak submerged up to my neck.

If you like to bath with a partner, just get a tank that will accomodate two persons.

I also have a "bidet" for hygenic cleaning so I can add bubble bath and hop right into the tub for a soak without contaminating the water. Then I just use the shower to rinse off after the bath. The bath is also very energy efficient in cold weather because the heat in the water is just transferred into the room.

If you are looking for a pleasurable and very economical method of relaxation, just get into Japanese bathing.

Cheers -

Danny

[mary]

could anyone tell me where i could buy a japenese style bath or point me in the direction of a suplier please thanks mary

[Chip]

We want to put a Japanese style bath in our American house. I need help finding suppliers of water heater and the tub. I noticed the "Matsushita HE-RQC2W heat pump" mentioned above. Was that bought in the states? Thanks.

Chip