Make a Solar Heated Shower
In the summer months, no backyard is complete without a shower, so why not have a solar heated shower? It can be anything from a simple piece of flexible water pipe to a proper shower cubicle with a drain, perhaps some decking for comfortable toweling, and screening for privacy.
We will look at a simple diy solar shower located in your garden or backyard, possibly close to a swimming pool or hot tub, both of which could share the solar water heating arrangements with the shower.
Your primary concern must be proper drainage for the solar heated shower. Your local authorities might permit drainage into a simple pit or into a vegetable patch. On the other hand you might need a proper mains drainage system. You will be responsible for following whatever regulations apply to your locality.
These are the other main points to consider in your solar heated shower design:
Screening. Do you want to be out of sight? If the answer is yes, then the shower will need to be shielded from upstairs and neighbors’windows.
Water Pressure. 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 boost the shower flow by mounting an old hot water cylinder or tank above the shower.
Sunlight. Clearly a solar heated shower needs plenty of sunshine to work properly. It should only take about 15 minutes to make enough hot water for the next shower, but the time taken can be badly affected by shade or poor positioning from direct sunlight.
Use. How do you intend to use the solar heated shower? After a swim, perhaps? To cool off after a sunbathe? Your shower design will depend very much on how you want to use it.
Litter. The shower pan can be a great magnet for every fallen leaf. A simple wooden cover plate is a good idea to place over pan, and placing the shower well away from trees if possible is also sensible.
Between 9 and 16 square feet is a good size for an outdoor solar shower, and build it on decking about a foot above the ground, to allow the fitting of a suitable galvanized tray under the shower drain, to collect soiled water and in turn drain it into the soakaway system.
It is a good idea to build the decking out a few feet at the shower entrance, for easy toweling afterwards and to keep feet clean. Pressure-treated softwood 4×4 posts can be used at each corner of the shower stall, and make the sides of the shower from wood or fiber cement paneling.
It is very easy to make the solar heating part of the shower. The simplest device is a shower head attached to a long length of water hose coiled up 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. If you need more hot water you could use an old water tank or hot water cylinder in the solar heating pipe, but this would have to be higher than the shower head to give you enough pressure.
If you live in a hot climate you should consider fitting a mixer system, for ensuring your shower is not too hot for you!
There are many ways to build an outdoor solar shower, and we have a highly recommended guide available to help you make one easily and safely. The guide has plans for all the various types of outdoor solar shower, together with clear diagrams and step-by-step instructions to show you how to build a solar shower easily and enjoyably.
