Make a Solar Heated Shower
Written by Post on January 20th, 2010 in Home Improvement.
Would you like a shower in your backyard? Why not have an outdoor solar shower? It can be anything from a simple piece of flexible water hose to a proper shower enclosure with decking, drainage and privacy screening.
Let’s look at a simple outdoor solar shower in an average backyard, maybe beside a swimming pool or hot tub, both of which could use the same hot water as the shower.
The most important consideration for an outdoor solar shower is the provision of adequate drainage. Some local authorities will let you use a simple French drain or run-off into a convenient flower bed. Or you might have to build a full drainage system linked to the mains sewer or your cesspit. You will have to observe whatever rules are in force for your neighborhood.
The design of your outdoor solar shower will depend on other criteria as well:
Screening. Do you want to be out of sight? If yes, then you need to find a secluded spot away from upstairs windows for your solar heated shower.
Water Supply. You will experience a small drop in water pressure if your shower is a long way from your mains supply. If you find this is the case, you can increase the shower flow by mounting an old hot water cylinder or tank above the shower.
Sun. The solar heating system (pipe, tank or both) will need to get adequate exposure to sun for most of the day. Enough hot water for the next shower should be available in about 15 minutes or so, but it will need much longer if there is shade over the solar heating system for a significant part of the day.
Purpose. Is the solar heated shower to be used after having a dip in the pool or hot tub? To cool off after a sunbathe? The intended use will determine much of the shower design and location.
Debris. The shower pan can be a great magnet for every fallen leaf. A wooden lid is a good idea to cover the shower pan when not being used, and locate the shower as far as possible from your trees.
An outdoor solar shower will be between 9 and 16 square feet in size for comfort, and mounted on decking about a foot above ground level, to allow the installation of a simple galvanized steel drainage box under the shower to take soiled water away to the soakaway or other drainage system you have provided.
Consider extending the decking a few feet out from the entrance to the shower, to make toweling easier and to keep feet clean while being dried. Use 4×4 pressure-treated softwood uprights for the corners of the shower enclosure, and make the sides of the shower from wood or fiber cement paneling.
The solar heating system itself is very simple to make. It could be as basic as fixing a shower head to 500 feet of flexible pipe coiled in the sun. A more permanent arrangement is to fix the water pipe in an open box facing the sun and mounted over the shower. You can increase the capacity by including an old water tank or cylinder but, if you do this, you will probably need to mount it higher than the shower head – not always an aesthetically pleasing method unless you can somehow conceal it.
If you live in a hot climate you should consider fitting a mixer system, for blending hot and cold water together for a comfortable shower.
There is a huge variety of diy solar shower designs available and, to help you choose the right one for you, we have an excellent guide produced by solar heating experts. There are plans, diagrams and clear, step-by-step instructions to guide you through the whole process.
