I wonder how many of us have went to the beach and appreciated the outdoor shower that allowed us to get rid of sand and dirt before venturing on to our next vacation event. Or perhaps we have always thought that the bathtub was probably not the best place to get our dogs smelling fresh again at home.
Outdoor showers can be as simple or as elaborate as our time, knowledge and investment allows. Let’s take a look at one of the simpler ways to provide our family with an outdoor shower at our home.
Locate an outdoor spigot to use for our water supply. Now take a look around and consider what nearby spot could be a potential shower location. Here’s what you’re going to be looking for. You will be either installing a post to attach the showerhead and piping to … or think “out of the box” and consider attaching it to a tree, fence post or some other stationary item in your yard.
The last thing you want to do is wash off the dirt and grime and then have muddy feet. A wood pallet or a simple bed of round stone to use as a floor can be used.
Once you’ve picked out the location you’ll be attaching your shower, it’s time to go shopping for a few simple items.
-Garden hose that will reach from your water source to your new shower
-Adaptors to connect the garden hose to the pipe
-Two 1/2″ pieces of 36″ long pipe and 1 piece of 8″ long pipe
-Two 1/2″ elbow joints
-C-shaped hangers or equivalent to attach the pipe to its stationary position.
-Plumbing tape.
-A ball valve or gate faucet, depends on where you would like to turn the water on and off.
-A rain shower head
INSTALLATION
Attach your hose to the water source and take it to your shower destination. Connect the hose to an elbow joint with an adaptor. Then attach the elbow to the piping facing outward.
Attach the 2nd elbow joint to the other piece of pipe facing inward. Now connect both pieces together with a gate faucet, so that you will be able to turn the water on and off at the shower itself.
Connect the piping to the post or structure you have chosen. Be sure to have the top elbow pointing toward where the showerhead will be. Use the plumbing tape to wrap up each joint securely to help prevent leaks.
Once you have everything attached, install the showerhead and give it a whirl. The best thing about testing an outdoor shower, is if you find a leak to fix, there is no cleanup!
Remember, even though this is only a basic design, you can embellish and build onto it as much as your creativity allows.
Were you thinking about something more permanent? This simple design is intended for use temporarily in the summer. If you’d like a true outdoor shower, complete with the luxury of hot water, to be added to your home’s outdoors … give us a call! Your guests will love you for it!
For professional outdoor plumbing and installation in West Haven & Fairfield Counties, Rick’s Plumbing can help! Check out our money saving coupons and then give Rick’s Plumbing a call. If you need it quick, call Rick!