Got bubbles? Got lights? Got colors? Good. Now bathe

Why is bathroom remodeling all the rage? Blame it on the empty-nest syndrome, says Ed Del Grande, star of DIY Network’s “Ed the Plumber” (8:30 p.m. ET Wednesdays).

“The kids go to college and leave them with these huge houses,” says Del Grande, so parents are turning old bedrooms into “the big, beautiful bathrooms of their dreams,” complete with toys: “Whirlpools, bubble tubs, fixtures that everyone wants instead of needs.”

Whirlpool tubs have jets that vigorously move the water around. The more refined bubble tub has a compressor instead of a pump, sending out thousands of tiny bubbles. “It gives you the feeling like you are sitting in a glass of champagne,” Del Grande says.

Del Grande, a Master Plumber, is a big fan of the soaker tub, which lets the bather submerge in the warm water, which is filled to the tub’s rim. “There’s a rail around the tub like a gutter system so that any water that spills over is recirculated back into the tub,” he says. “It’s the coolest thing.”

In addition, some soaker tubs incorporate chromotherapy (color therapy), which supposedly promotes healing energy as well as mental and physical balance. Different colored lights “are actually built into the tub and the lights change color,” Del Grande says.

Recirculation hot water systems are designed so there’s no more waiting for the water to heat, which wastes thousands of gallons a year, “not to mention the inconvenience,” he says. “It’s just like the systems the hotels have, but it is now available at affordable prices in the home. This is a huge trend and, in fact, in many western states it will become law.”

Before loading up on gadgets, though, Del Grande advises homeowners to focus on basics, such as proper ventilation, “or else the paint will get midewy and destroyed. No matter how expensive the paint, if you don’t have good ventilation there will be black spots, the paint will peel and the wood is going to warp.”

According to the National Kitchen and Bath Association, a complete bathroom remodeling job costs $10,000, which includes replacement fixtures, parts and labor.

Some changes cost too much. The toilet’s heavy cast-iron drain line makes moving it even a few inches a heavy expense. “That opens up a whole can of worms,” Del Grande says. But “Moving sinks on the wall? No problem.”

A simpler way to remodel is to change the fixtures and wall colors, he suggests. Or turn that tub into an environmental whirlpool with different streams of water coming straight out of the wall.

“Really, it’s about time people realized that plumbing can be fun, that some of the things they can do are from scratch,” Del Grande says. “You have this wide-open canvas where you can paint the bathroom of your dreams. And you don’t have to destroy everything just to make your plans.”

One final note for those bent on a complete bathroom makeover: “If you only have one bathroom, don’t rip it out,” Del Grande says. “I have seen that happen a hundred times where people come up to me and ask, ‘Where do I go now? That’s my only bathroom.’ And I say, ‘Well, you didn’t tell me that.’ “

On the Web:

_ “Ed the Plumber” on DIY Network: www.diynetwork.com

_ National Kitchen and Bath Association: www.nkba.com