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Small Cabin Forum / Cabin Construction / Plumbing sinks, showers, etc. - best ideas
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KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 5 Aug 2015 22:35 - Edited by: KinAlberta
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I figure small cabin owners plumbing their cabins or washroom buildings face some pretty unique needs for both space saving ideas, maintenance free ideas, heating/insulation ideas, hardware ideas, etc. I'd like to combine ideas in this thread and ask for opinions and ideas to vet them in one thread and hopefully have a go to thread for fantastic solutions.

For instance,

Preventing Freezing in traps:

When I was reading the following thread about preventing freezing from bursting water left in a trap and I found the solutions (of a rubber trap or the RV waterless value) to be wonderful solutions.
It's link is here...
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_1888_0.html



Better Undersink Plumbing:

This reminded me of a Fine Homebuilding article on plumbing under a sink for more space:


Better Undersink Plumbing
Throw away the traditional P-trap to minimize leaks and maximize storage space
by Rex Cauldwell

"Traditional undersink plumbing layouts leave little room for storage and often put pipes at risk of damage from inadvertent bumps and bangs. Veteran plumber Rex Cauldwell has come up with a better way to arrange undersink plumbing: He gets rid of the traditional P-trap and moves the plumbing to the rear cabinet wall under the sink. Using an assortment of well-designed plumbing parts, Cauldwell is able to create a system that drains faster and offers more storage space beneath the sink."

http://www.finehomebuilding.com/how-to/articles/better-undersink-plumbing.aspx



Source: article above

I'm wondering if the above two ideas couldn't be combined into a perfect small cabin solution.

Any other thread references, articles, experiences, DIY solutions that could be added?

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 5 Aug 2015 22:50
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More ideas...

CASE STUDY: Stop Frozen Pipes in a Cottage Water System
SteveMaxwell.ca
https://stevemaxwell.ca/stop-frozen-pipes/

KinAlberta
Member
# Posted: 17 Jan 2017 20:32 - Edited by: KinAlberta
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This was mentioned on another thread - linked to above.

http://www.hepvo.com

Anyone have experience using these?

Ziper
Member
# Posted: 30 Jan 2021 05:01
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thanks for the info

rpe
Member
# Posted: 30 Jan 2021 09:46
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A bit late, but KinAlberta, I swapped HepVo valves in place of P-traps in kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and shower over a year ago, and they have been trouble-free. I found a local guy who bought a bunch of RV parts from an auction, and had over a hundred of those valves. I bought a dozen for $50 (should add this to paulz's deals thread ), and am keeping some as spares in case they are needed as replacements in the future.

Ziper
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 04:24
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We have 2 houses. We rent one and live in the other. And when we started to make repairs, we started with plumbing. And then they saw that at the second house the santahnik was preserved in excellent condition, but we have not. This is all thanks to the valve manufacturer . Now we buy valves only from them.

rpe
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 10:05
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Spam... Do these guys get paid by the posting? Seems like a lot of work to draft some sort-of sensible post with embedded link.

paulz
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 10:58
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One thing I wish I had done differently:

My L5 water heater sits on an outside wall, 4' from the sink inside. But I plumbed 5' down to the ground, 3' over, 3' up to inside, a T for the shower, 3' over and 5' to the sink. So I wait for the hot water to make it through 20' of pipe. I could have T'd at the heater and run 4' to the sink. Still might open up a wall and do that.

Peewee86
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 16:26
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I haven’t gotten far enough to be installing plumbing lines in my place yet but I plan to install low point drains and several ball valves on a tee with air tool quick connect couplings to assist in quickly blowing the pipes out. When I was younger at my parents cabin we would turn the heat and the water off for the winter but if we were coming up for more than one day in the winter time we would turn the water back on. Once we had determined a system, priming and starting the well pump was a 20 minute chore. Draining the hot water heater, draining the toilet and blowing the pipes out at the end of our stay could be done in a similar time frame.

With compressed air and low point drains I can completely winterize my travel trailer in about 20 minutes as well.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 17:06
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Its a cabin; been doin most of this for 40+ years with no problems:
Dishpan wash, rack dry
Washstand basin and pitcher
Graywater 'drywell' for above with a Bucket Shower to the side
Gravity privy or Luggable Loo
No chore 'winterizing' at all

FishHog
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 18:36
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Quoting: gcrank1
Its a cabin; been doin most of this for 40+ years with no problems:
Dishpan wash, rack dry
Washstand basin and pitcher
Graywater 'drywell' for above with a Bucket Shower to the side
Gravity privy or Luggable Loo
No chore 'winterizing' at all



certainly doable and ive done the same for my first 40 years of cottage life but for the last 6 I've had running water in the warm months and its well worth the effort it takes me to winterize.

I open 3 drain valves and drain my water tank. Takes less than 15min and most of that is standing there with a beer watching it drain.

If you plan it right and use gravity its really very simple.

I revert back to the old school ways for winter visits. Only takes me about a week there before I stop trying to turn on the tap when brushing my teeth.

gcrank1
Member
# Posted: 31 Jan 2021 19:07
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Yeah, gravity! Let it work for ya Btw, at one time (back when I was 50 something) I built a 'gravity bike'
for downhill speed runs. I was always on the lookout for long, steep runs; came close to breaking 50mph by this !-! much.
Several folks around home have been dismayed when we are talking about the cabin and they say 'certainly you have plumbing' and we say 'no', thus my mention of the time-tested methods.
Some have 'paled' at the thought....go figure.

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