Quick lesson on smart toilet seats

Q: I enjoy your plumbing column and have learned a lot. I've also seen how plumbing has gone high-tech with things like smart toilets. But, now I am starting to hear about smart toilet seats. What exactly is a smart toilet seat? - Bill, Rhode Island

A: Smart toilets have become popular with features like built-in music and automatic flushing. But they do have one area of concern.

Usually, they are pricey plumbing fixtures that can be expensive to install. So to make it easier on your wallet, high-tech toilet seats are now available and made to fit most elongated toilets.

Believe it or not, some smart toilet seat features include: seat-warming settings, personal washing and drying, LED lighting, slow-closing lids, an odor control system and even a remote control.

Finally, even though the seats do require a power source, they can still be an intelligent alternative to a smart toilet.