Small Cabin

Small Cabin Forum
 - Forums - Register/Sign Up - Reply - Search - Statistics -

Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / off grid cold / hot water ... rainwater only
Author Message
sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 00:29
Reply 


Greetings.

Long time lurker, first time poster...

I have recently achieved a life long dream, and have recently acquired a chunk of land (quarter section). Besides the financial issues (re: buying raw land and not being able to get a mortgage for same), it was a real challenge to find a reasonably suitable location and topography. This is because I live in the Edmonton area / northern Alberta.

I'm not really a prairie person, and miss Ontario (e.g. Algonquin Park type of topography). Nevertheless, after much searching, I found a chunk of land, fairly isolated, about 70 % treed. The rest is clearing / grass land with some muskeg. There are a couple of sloughs, the largest being around 30 m in diameter (I have no idea how deep).

I was fortunate that the previous occupant build a cabin on site. It is 24 x 24 ft. The back 1/3 has a loft area that is suitable for up to 2 of my kids to sleep in. There is a centrally located wood burning stove. There is a basic solar setup (I was told around 150 W and about 500 Ah of batteries ... I've done some basic battery maintenance / water top up, but haven't climbed up the pole thingy to verify the solar panel wattages).

There is an outhouse around 10 m away that is sufficient for the time being.

But there is no running water, so this is one of the things we need to haul in. This is somewhat difficult, as my SUV can only access the land about half of the year - it gets mired in deep snow or mud, and then I have to carry everything on my back about 800 m from the gate.

I'm trying to conceptualize some kind of water system using rainwater collection. The roof is steel, which helps. And there are no trees directly overhead to drop any needles / leaves. At first, I thought about making an elevated platform with 4x4s and collecting it into a barrel and then gravity feeding it into the cabin, with pex ... one drop off going to a "shower reservoir" ... another to a utility sink ... and the last to a kitchen sink. Then I wondered whether the lack of pressure was actually going to allow such a system to work.

I'm hesitant to try and rig a bunch of pumps because a) more things to maintain, and b) I'm not the handiest person in the world.

Another big issue is that the cabin is only heated when it is being occupied. Some of you who are familiar with my area know that it can get quite cold in the winter ... sometimes 4 or 5 days in a row in the negative 25 degrees Celsius range. So any system would have to allow me to drain out all the water between uses.

I know the above sounds like a tall order.

I am okay with the water being "a trickle" into the sinks. And I planned to collect it in a reservoir for the shower, heat it somehow, and then use a "rain style" shower head. I just need someway to have warmish water (e.g. 40 deg C) to perform "navy style" showers with. I was hoping to use a large Rubbermaid bin thing to stand in, with a shower curtain rigged via some kind of "hoop" setup, and then just drain the water through the wall to the outside of the cabin into a gravel filled 55 gallon drum / grey water system.

I know there are portable propane setups for camp showers. I was hoping to avoid using propane as it is one more thing to carry in, and still denotes a strong "dependence" on civilization. I am prepared to upgrade my solar bank and possibly think outside the box (e.g. use a Zojirushi beverage dispenser or similar) to add boiling water to a "mixing bowl" and use a thermometer to achieve the desired shower temperature ahead of time.

***

As you can see, I have a few ideas, but I need some input re: feasibility. If somebody has a pre-fab solution to this kind of problem, I'm all ears!

Thanks for your consideration.

Your stories are an inspiration to me and my family.

bldginsp
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 00:37 - Edited by: bldginsp
Reply 


Welcome Sarcopenia

For good advice on rainwater collection, read this-

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/hq/pdf/texas_rw_harvestmanual_3rdedition.pdf

But mostly what you are asking about is how to get the water where you want it. I'm lucky cause my property slopes so I could put a water tank shed up top the property, collect water off the roof, then run it down hill in piping to the camp site. Other people on this site make use of different pumping systems, which require plumbing and electrical skills, but no way around it. Search 'Sureflo' on the site here, that seems to be the pump of choice. You'll find a bunch of threads that discuss how they did it.

Send pics of your place!

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 01:07
Reply 


As requested, here are a few pics, just to give a general idea.
exterior
exterior
inside from loft
inside from loft
centre of cabin / stove
centre of cabin / stove
aerial shot
aerial shot


skootamattaschmidty
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 09:04 - Edited by: skootamattaschmidty
Reply 


Welcome to the forum! Northern Alberta is beautiful! I'm sure you will enjoy your place for many years to come.

From the picture from the loft I see what looks like a Coleman on demand hot water heater. On the kitchen counter.Those come with a shower attachment. You can place the pump end in any water reservoir and the water heats up easily and quickly and you can shower with that.

As bldginsp mentioned, surflo pumps work well off your 12 v system and are quite easy to hook up with minimal electrical and plumbing. Used in conjunction with an on demand hot water heater they work great for showers etc. but again that requires propane for you to carry in. As well you would have to drain your lines etc for the winter which can be done easily. I use this system at my off grid place in Eastern Ontario.

Another idea that I have used in the winter is to heat water on my stove/ wood stove, put it into a five gallon pail and then place a submersible battery operated pump into the pail and hook up a hose and shower head to the pump with a switch for it. This works well.

Another easy suggestion I have used is simply to heat water up, then pour it into a shower in the bag that I have hung up and showered under that. You can easily get two showers with one bag of water.

Just do a search on this forum for showers and you will find many helpful threads and tons of information.
Good luck and we look forward to more pictures.

Just
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 09:34
Reply 


sending along pic of my rain water collection system' we also use a solar powered 12 volt Surflow pump to to get the water inside .. for hot water we heat the water on the stove, i think it is unpractical to heat water with solar power .
100_1592_2.jpg
100_1592_2.jpg
CCE02142011_00000_2.jpg
CCE02142011_00000_2.jpg


ColdFlame
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 11:10
Reply 


Welcome from a fellow Albertan! Beautiful piece of land & cabin. I look forward to seeing your project progress.

You might have to look into creating a water tower of sorts - catch your rain water and pump it up to the tower via an electric pump ran off of your solar power. You could then use gravity to provide adequate water pressure for a shower, etc...

Of course, you'll have to empty the water tower at the end of the season, however that shouldn't be a big deal. Pick up a used IBC (This one is too expensive, but gives you the idea) that can hold potable water. They have nice ball valves to empty it fully, and a removable cap at the top that you can unscrew to top fill it from your pump / rain barrel.

Just at thought... If you wanted to get really creative, you could also put a solar collector on the roof of the water tower and pump through that. One thing we do get in Alberta is long summer days with plenty of sunshine.

rockies
Member
# Posted: 30 Jun 2015 21:39
Reply 


This is a product I've seen mentioned for hot showers.

https://www.eccotemp.com/eccotemp-l5-portable-tankless-water-heater/

I believe it does use propane, but not very much. Just check the reviews.

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 1 Jul 2015 01:55
Reply 


Re: the interior accoutrements, some of the items (e.g. Coleman water heater mentioned above) are not mine. Most of my interior cabin pics are from when I was viewing the property when considering the purchase (last Fall). All my later pics feature my children running around wreaking devastation and are not helpful from a design standpoint!

I thank all of you for your expert advice. I really am enamored with the idea of a water tower thingy, but I'm thinking that "perfect is the enemy of good" or whatever. Before the winter, my goal will be to install eavestrough / downspout, and have at least one functional rain water barrell (hopefully one that is freeze resistant, with at least a basic particulate filtration). Water can be drawn manually via the spigot and carried indoors.

If it looks cleanish, it's probably okay for showering. If not, I'll gravity filter it with a Berkey or something similar first. For showering, I'll just build a platform or shelf to hold about 10 L of water in a reservoir. Hopefully, I can have a manual / alcohol thermometer readable from the outside so that I can make the desired thermal mixture before stepping into the shower (like I said, it'll be Karate Kid shower costume style).

The big "how" is ... how to heat the water?

I think we'll use a combination of the suggestions above:

- black shower bag thingies in the nice weather / passive solar
- woodstove heating (only suitable in the winter)
- propane heating (less desirable, but quite convenient)
- electric heating (in small quantities, but not until I upgrade my solar system. Current inverter is also only rated for 400 W).

I'll try and post updates in stages.

Thanks again to all of you!

toofewweekends
Member
# Posted: 1 Jul 2015 02:44
Reply 


We have a similar situation, creek & rainwater supply, Alaska winter, 3 miles to the car. We're weekend users, and getting rainwater to shower temperature doesn't take much propane. We heat 3 gallons on a Coleman and either ladle it on ourselves or run a small 12v pump (in a shower house). It could heat water for a shower bag, too. A 1lb bottle lasts a large number of showers. We use a BBQ size tank for a stove/oven combo in the cabin and it lasts for several visits. We can ATV in summer, but snowmachine in all the heavy stuff in winter. And load up gear on a kids sled -- it's way easier on your back in winter.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 3 Jul 2015 03:28
Reply 


Here's something I've been contemplating. What about storing the rainwater outside, of course, but having, say, a couple of 20 or 30-gallon water tanks upstairs in the loft that are connected by pipes to your downstairs water appliances and/or on-demand water heater?

You could fill them from the rainwater tanks near the cabin, the water wouldn't be cold going into any sort of water heater so it would sip energy to heat the water for hot showers, you would take advantage of *some* gravity effect, and you could install a small Shurflo pump where you needed it most for water pressure. The sinks wouldn't need it.

As I wrote previously, I'm considering some semblance of this idea for my cabin. I don't know how big your family is so this idea might not be practical for you and your water usage but I just thought I'd toss it out there.

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 3 Jul 2015 18:58
Reply 


TFW ...

THREE miles! That's a hike if you're loaded and the terrain is uneven. We don't have ATVs / quads / snowmobiles. Probably don't have the money for them right now, but even if we did, we have a minivan and a Jeep (i.e. no pickup truck), and would still have to get a trailer or something since there would be no secure storage at the edge of the property. I don't quite mind the hauling in as much as I used to, now that I have better winter boots and an excellent ruck sack (Mystery Ranch Crew Cab).

***

J2O,

Thanks for your suggestion. I thought of something similar to that, but then wondered:

- if there'd be a way to block the area off so the kids (we have 3, between ages 5 and 10) wouldn't get into it (they sleep / play in the loft area)
- biggest problem is how to get the water there ... haul it in manually up the stairs / ladder? Doable, but kind of annoying. I wondered whether it would be possible to use some kind of pump (either electric or a hand pump?) to bring the water from the rain water barrel to the reservoir. Of course, weather effects / freezing issues come into play with that strategy. I know little enough about plumbing that the barriers are considerable.

Intriguing though...thanks for reminding me about that possibility!

rockies
Member
# Posted: 3 Jul 2015 20:43
Reply 


Solar shower video on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE5OQA6L-Xo&list=PLu3w21HrwaGnE9NZI0VR2QJFcuYzw-WY6&i ndex=7

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 3 Jul 2015 22:56
Reply 


Good idea for the summer time ... (the black 5 gal pails) ... or to at least supplement the heat content required for the water.

I think my "ghetto" solution will be to get a 2 gallon "garden sprayer" (the pump up kind with the mini spray hose that you can use for pesticides and stuff).

On the video, the guy got 10 minutes of flow with a "rain style" faucet in a 5 gallon pail.

I think for my family of 5 (my wife and I, 3 little kids), we could shower everyone with the 2 gallon sprayer, filled twice (i.e. 4 gallons total, 8 mins of flow) if we do "naval style" showers.

Of course, there may be some "real world" testing that adjusts that estimate upwards (maybe I'll just make my wife and 2 daughters cut their hair really short, heheh).

If I have lukewarm solarized water and/or room temperature water, I can mix that with maybe a gallon of boiling water and have enough heat content...

I'll try and remember to upload pics when I get it setup (maybe I'll even wear a bathing suit and subject you all to my naked torso - LOL, just kidding, that would be cruel and unusual).

Thanks again.

Julie2Oregon
Member
# Posted: 4 Jul 2015 01:06
Reply 


Sarcopenia,
I was contemplating a submersible pump with some lift that could go into the barrel, with the hose up through the loft window. The pump could be removed and brought inside right after the inside tanks were filled each time so there wouldn't be any danger of the pump/hose freezing and breaking.

Can't help you with the kiddo issue. It's been a long time since I had a child that age!

780
Member
# Posted: 6 Jul 2015 05:13 - Edited by: 780
Reply 


sarcopenia[/b]

Well Well...haven't been here in a long time and it looks like they now just let anybody join..

Ill give you my experience with hot water, easy way, and then a little more complicated. first I was (not by choice) away from home for a month or so during dec..-30 temps, no one home to keep the wood stove going so my pipes burst (just one) Long story but I could not effect a repair for a few months so when I returned home I had to improvise ...I had two of those old galvanized plant watering jugs, with the big loop handles. I think they held 1.5 or 2 gallons, I would fill one and set it on the wood stove to warm up (could use a gas stove burner) when it was the temp I wanted I lifted it up and put a bungy cord through the handle. I had screwed a hook into the shower ceiling and both ends of this bungy cord hooked on to this screw.
I would have to reach up a couple times and slide the handle on the bungy cord to keep the water flowing out the head. This worked great...supper simple and I used stunningly little water for showering.


Now I don't know how skilled you are, or what you are willing to try... I will just tell you what works for me ( and others) and you can run with it or not....... First tanks for storing water...hit the ufa or Pevey mart, they often have the 1250 gallon tanks on sale for 650.00- 700 dollars ( don't pay regular price) You want two of these. Now get a plastic 45 gallon barrel.
cut from the top roughly 45 degrees, stretch window sheer cloth over this slanted top, tape or glue in place, route your eaves to empty above this 45 gallon barrel, the water falls though the shear cloth, and debry slides off to the ground. You will want to have this barrel on a stand. Now take a hot pin and poke small holes (6 to 12) in the bottom of this barrel, that's so the barrel cant hold water between rain storms and breed bad things sitting in the sun..call this your pre filter. Now run a line, I suggest 2 inch abs (for your roof size) to the first tank from the barrel, roughly 2-3 feet from the bottom. This first tank is your settleing tank basically. Run another line from this first tank through a 5 micron filter (homedespot) to the 2nd 1250 gallon tank. These tanks are 8 feet in diameter each. You will want to build a 18x10 foot building R20 for these tanks, with r20 walls (shed roof), the tanks on the ground, maybe sitting on foam board, but not necessary, and around the exterior perimeter set square hay bails.. ....the tanks will not freeze this way even through a Albertain winter, you may get frozen water floating on the top during a long -30C cold spell but they wont freeze...trust me on this.You want at least this much storage (more is better, 3 is perfect) as you have 5 people and with your roof size, and as I know the rain fall for your area you just will not have enough collection area, so during the winter you will have to call in a water truck. The trucks hold 3000 gallons so you will be able to take most of their capacity ( 180 dollars for my area) ( most cost effective). I know your thinking costs and how much this will all add up to but trust me it is cheaper than having a well drilled or a divorce, and you risk the second without enough water keep your stored water dark and I even suggest keeping bubble wrap floating on top so there is less contact with the air.
Now I never found the gravity fed systems practical.........just me, mabey others have...I suggest a pump and motor combo that I and my niebours now use...I can get you more info if you are interested but it is the pump and motor from a Bernard tig torch cooling systems..also used in miller coolmate 2 systems if I remember right. The pumps are rebuildable and a company does them in Edmonton.
I am running 10 years trouble free on this set up. pressure is adjustable, though max gallons perminute is something like 1.5 gallons...not a problem for me.
So now we come to heating water............you have collection, storage and pressure taken care of now you need heating your water...here is where you need to be handy...if your not don't read further.....
Go to princess auto and buy their 60 gallon air compressor tank...I think 300 dollars on sale. This tank has 2 two 1 inch npt fittings already welded onto it. use these fittings for building a thermo syfining coil for your wood stove ,can even buy them off the shelf (though they cost). Take a zip disk and cut the domed top off the compressor tank at the first weld, now you will have to build what I call a heat exchanger coil, 60 linier feet of coiled soft 1/2 inch copper tubing (again from home despot) 6 inch diameter coil is fine, 8 10 or 12 works too, this isn't rocket science....you know what... I just cant type this much, it may be confusing and its well past my bed time so I am getting cranky....... if you think you are up to constructing such a thing I will make time come fall, maybe this September to meet up with you in Edmonton and show you such a exchanger coil as I am building one for a friend... its so much easier to explain in person and show how to operate the valves. again if you are handy, willing to build, I will offer to make time ,bring a exchanger coil with me to show you.....I use such a system myself for the last 10 years... anyway let me know if your interested... you can pm me at that other place if you wish

SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 6 Jul 2015 13:51 - Edited by: SE Ohio
Reply 


Sarcopenia,

I chose a low-tech path for our off-grid weekend cabin. I collect rain water in 55 gallon food-grade barrels (came from a cola plant with a bit of syrup left in 'em!), and use a pitcher pump to extract water. A pitcher pump is freeze-friendly, as it the water drains back into the barrel. The dip tube from the pump doesn't split when the water freezes. My barrels have frozen solid a few times without splitting, but note that I have not drilled any holes in them other than to mount the pitcher pump on top. I do try to keep them 10-20% less than full in winter but don't always remember.

My indoor sink uses a rubber "p" trap, also freeze friendly. No anti-freeze required when it freezes in the winter.

I have a kerosene stove for cooking and heating water. A 3 gallon Zodi stainless steel tank is placed on the burner to heat water. Once water is hot enough for a shower, a cylindrical 12 volt bilge pump fits inside the tank. It is connected to a low-flow shower head, and our solar cell keeps our battery charged to power the motor. You could haul-in a small battery fully charged to run such a shower if desired.

For dishes, we heat the chlorine-treated rain water in a pot on the stove. No fancy plumbing used (except the p-trap), so no pipes to drain or winterize out each time we leave in the winter.

ColdFlame
Member
# Posted: 6 Jul 2015 15:17
Reply 


Sarcopenia: Here's another idea which is extremely low-tech, cheap, and easy to implement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTdwnczkqgw

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 6 Jul 2015 21:42
Reply 


Interesting responses.

780 ... you sound pretty talented. I appreciate the lengthy message. But my skills lie in other areas, I'm afraid. I also do not have the time to devote to building such complex apparatus. I want something workable, but simple. I see that your first paragraph is similar to the suggestion by ColdFlame / Youtube video link though.

I am wondering about how efficient (are there calculators?) it is to try and use passive solar (black painted water containers in a solar cooker type of setup), particularly in the winter months. It will certainly be an interesting experiment to run.

SE Ohio, I was unaware of the "pitcher pump" concept (or if I vaguely knew it existed from a Little House in the Prairie book or something, would not have known what to call it or how to search for it). I will definitely look into whether such a concept may be used to pump water from an outdoor collection vessel into an indoor storage reservoir!

***

I think I have enough to work with for now. I'm hoping to have at least an initial system in place by the end of August. Winter comes quickly here, so I need to use the nice weather advantageously if I am to make things a little more comfortable by the time it gets cold in October or so.

Thanks again! (I pledge to upload pics when there is something worth showing. Maybe I'll be able to synthesize something novel out of all the cool ideas).

Take care.

Grandma Off Grid
Member
# Posted: 20 Jul 2015 23:42
Reply 


in the summer, how about directing the gutter into a big black horse waterer or small kiddie pool. dark or black will heat pretty good. i have a black trash can i use in the warm months like that. heats water good. i treat with bleach and keep top covered well.
i have a monolithic water filter thats just for drinking, coffee, cooking.
dry sink in kitchen area. bucket under it, that goes in 55 gallon compost barrel. compost potty inside. just a fancy bedside commode i bought for $5. all this goes in barrel and sits thru the winter.

any black container sitting in the sun will heat up, even in winter. put in car window.

just ideas

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 18:57
Reply 


Greetings All.

As promised, I am posting an update.

Once I get the pictures up, I'll supply some comments...
Step_1__Overhead_Ha.jpg
Step_1__Overhead_Ha.jpg
Step_2__Spray_Nozzl.jpg
Step_2__Spray_Nozzl.jpg
Step_3__Test_Positi.jpg
Step_3__Test_Positi.jpg
Step_4__Lock_in_Pla.jpg
Step_4__Lock_in_Pla.jpg


sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 18:57
Reply 


Just one more after this
Step_5__Select_Tub..jpg
Step_5__Select_Tub..jpg
Step_6__Overview_of.jpg
Step_6__Overview_of.jpg
Step_7__Triumphant_.jpg
Step_7__Triumphant_.jpg
Step_8__Platform_Co.jpg
Step_8__Platform_Co.jpg


sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 18:58
Reply 


Last pic
Step_9__Curtain_Pos.jpg
Step_9__Curtain_Pos.jpg


sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 15 Aug 2015 19:13 - Edited by: sarcopenia
Reply 


Okay, so here's the deal.

As I think I mentioned, the back ~ 40 % of the cabin is divided into 3 rooms. The two corners are bedrooms. There is a middle "utility area" that was being used for storage. This is going to be the "bathroom" (I use the term very loosely at this point) for the cabin. (Above these three rooms is a small loft where the kids like to sleep - the 3 of them seem to have a rotation where 1 or 2 of them are in the loft and 1 or 2 of them are in the "kids' room" corner room).

This "utility area" is kind of narrow but deepish. Just wide enough for our purposes actually.

I wanted a "circular shower" with no structural support, like the "red and white polka dot shower costume" in The Karate Kid movie.

I liberated a hula hoop (apparently I paid $1.50 for it at the Dollar Store at some point) that I found in the garage. I screwed this into the floor joists above in four places. It actually holds pretty firmly.

You can see the fairly standard plastic storage bin that was chosen for the "tub" of the shower.

Sprayed water is provided by a 3 gallon "pesticide sprayer" thingy that I got for about $40 from Home Depot or Lowes (purchased new, never used for pesticides).

If I fill the sprayer 1/2 full with room temperature water, and 2 or 3 kettles of boiling water are added, the resultant temperature is in the high 30 / low 40 deg C range - perfect shower temperature.

I experimented at home with this first, and determined that after pumping the handle to pressurize the unit, I could get 2-3 minutes of "spray time" before the pressure runs out. There is enough water in the unit to do that about 5 times. In practice, we didn't need much water at all - 2 adults and 3 children showered, and we used less than a gallon of water. This involved the same-gender parent "hosing down" the appropriate child(ren) - kids are only between 5 and 9 years old and not tall enough or coordinated enough to use the contraption themselves. Since we aren't used to having a shower at the cabin, we forgot bodywash / shampoo, and had to settle for pump hand soap "field expedient" bodywash. Which is to say we did not wash our hair - it's possible we may have needed 2 or even the whole 3 gallons if hairwashing had occurred also.

You can see from the photos that the shower curtain was both too short, and insufficient in "circumference." I had actually calculated the hoop's circumference at home ahead of time, but somehow this did not get communicated adequately to my wife (who bought the shower curtain). No big. We'll get another curtain and duct tape the edges together or something.

You'll also see the shower curtain was too short. I made an elevated platform out of scrap wood (my carpentry skills leave much to be desired, but the box did not collapse under my 175 lbs, so it worked out).

Admittedly, the setup is more than a bit "ghetto." Personally, I don't care - it's a cabin. We now can have indoor showers at nearly the same temperature as at home, which is pure luxury. And the whole thing probably cost $75. And we can use the sprayer to wash dishes too.

I'm just going to work on the water heating part a bit more. In the winter, I'll just have a jerry can / non-heat sensitive container kept near the wood stove for this purpose. In the summer, I'll probably just throw a water container into my Jeep and try to passive solar heat it instead.

Well, there you have it. Not sure if anybody would actually use this design as an example they'd want to try, but hopefully, some of you at least find it amusing.

Take care and have a great day!

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 23 Aug 2015 22:13
Reply 


That's basically the solution I adopted, except I am satisfied with the default spray head.



Bret
Member
# Posted: 24 Aug 2015 07:06
Reply 


Question about the dirty water. What's ya doin with it? Like the hula hoop.

sarcopenia
Member
# Posted: 25 Aug 2015 01:39
Reply 


The bin is simply lifted up and the "dirty water" is umm, disposed of ... outside ... in an "environmentally responsible" manner.



I thought about digging a "grey water drainage pit" thingy, by burying a 55 gallon drum underground with holes drilled into it, gravel layers inside, etc. Then, I could just connect a pex line from the side of the bin, through the wall (which I'd have to drill through," outside, and into the ground and the pit.

Truthfully, the above would not add much functionality for us, since the system is only used once or twice per month. Also, I'm not keen to drill holes through the walls (with winter considerations). Lastly, I'm assuming things would freeze up anyway, such that drainage is impaired in colder months.

Bret
Member
# Posted: 25 Aug 2015 07:03
Reply 


Thanks for the response. i'm where you are. Just needing to firm up a direction to go with the "shower". I might be going with a drain water pit and add the "sink" to it. All good ideas.

steverobertson
Member
# Posted: 25 Aug 2015 12:07
Reply 


Here's an option for hot water in cold months:
http://hilkoil.com/

I've used this for over 3 years to heat my household water in the winter flawlessly. I build ONE fire to heat my house, heat my water, and cook.

LoonWhisperer
Member
# Posted: 25 Aug 2015 15:07 - Edited by: LoonWhisperer
Reply 


I'm liking your final product. Nice job.

We did something similar but without room in the cabin, put up a small resin shed that serves as both the john and shower.

A pass through was created for a 12v shower similar to a zodi (but better. I have had both) and is closed off when not in use with an outdoor outlet cover.

Hot water is provided by a propane powered turkey fryer (Canadian tire)

The shower frame is built with pvc pipe and we use a wide plastic container as the shower base. That sucker gets heavy after a shower so we drain it with a Canadian Tire cordless drill pump. Just run the hose back out the pass through and drain away. This empties it in an instant and saves struggling in that small area.

Got to love small cabin ingenuity we all have here lol

Enjoy!
20150426_114119.jpg
20150426_114119.jpg
20150426_114136.jpg
20150426_114136.jpg
20150426_114259.jpg
20150426_114259.jpg


Your reply
Bold Style  Italic Style  Underlined Style  Thumbnail Image Link  Large Image Link  URL Link           :) ;) :-( :confused: More smilies...

» Username  » Password 
Only registered users can post here. Please enter your login/password details before posting a message, or register here first.