The control panel beside a Japanese bathtub can fill the bath for you, and can warm up water that is already in it. Each button does a different job, so it helps to know the labels before you press one.
Know the main buttons
| Japanese label | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 運転 入／切 | Water heater on / off |
| ふろ自動 | Fills the bath automatically; what happens next depends on the model |
| 追いだき | Reheats the water already in the bath |
| たし湯／足し湯 | Adds hot water |
| たし水／足し水 | Adds cold water, on some models |
| ふろ温度 | Sets the bath water temperature |
These are common labels. Your apartment may have a different panel, or a bath that is filled only from the tap. The manufacturer's instructions explain each model; Noritz's panel simulator (in Japanese) is one example.
Fill an empty bath
- Rinse the bath and close the drain plug.
- Check the temperature and water level set on the panel.
- Press ふろ自動, if your panel has it.
- Wait until the bath has finished filling.
- Test the water with your hand before you get in.
In Japan, you wash and rinse in the shower area first, then soak in clean water. This matters most when other people will use the same bath water.
The shower temperature and the bath temperature are often set separately. Leave any installer or maintenance settings as they are.
Warm up a bath
追いだき reheats the water already in the bath. It does not add water, and the water must be above the minimum level shown in the instructions.
Do not use automatic filling as a shortcut when there is still water in the bath. On some systems this overfills it, as Noritz explains (in Japanese).
Can you use bath salts?
Use a bath additive only when both the apartment rules and the equipment instructions allow it. Bath salts, sulphur products, cloudy additives and foaming products can cause problems in a system that reheats the water. Check that the exact product you want to use is allowed. Noritz's list of suitable additives (in Japanese) is one example.
When you finish
Turn off the keep-warm function if it is still on, drain and rinse the bath, and run the bathroom ventilation. If an error code appears on the panel, stop and send your apartment manager a photo of the display.
In a LOHUS home
Open the Guest Guide for your room and choose the water heater. Tap a numbered marker on the photo of the panel to read what that button does.
Button guide: tap a marker to see what the button does. This example is from one of our homes.
Or choose Step by step and use Next and Back to follow the instructions in order. The guide only explains; you press the buttons on the real panel.
Step by step: the last step for filling the bath.
If your panel looks different, or you cannot find the instructions you need, send us a photo before you try a button you do not know.
