Garden showers – how to choose, design features, the best models
A lot of work on a hot summer day at the dacha. Sometimes you have to wash off the dust, sweat and labor dirt several times. Dacha owners consider a summer shower as one of the most important elements of improvement, not less necessary than a toilet. Since most summer houses are not equipped with full-fledged supply lines, we have to use more primitive, reliable and inexpensive designs. Let’s take a closer look at what a summer shower at the dacha is.
What is a summer shower?
Summer shower on a garden plot – it is an analogue of the usual element of the bathroom, but not connected to the centralized water supply system. At the same time, the connection itself (to the summer water supply system) is often there, but there is no hot water line. This does not mean that users have to bathe under icy water. Sometimes it is even nice when it is very hot, but not everyone likes to be under the cold jets. Most often, of course, solar or forced heating is used.
There are models on sale made of various materials:
- Wood. Typically, these are individual racks or sets of cabin and water tank.
- Metal or plastic tubing frame with fabric dividers on top. As a rule, such structures with water tanks come as a set.
Water supply systems can be different. Mostly serious power structures are used, characterized by simplicity and reliability. However, there are also more complex varieties with pumping systems and other mechanical devices.
Showers made of wood have an unreasonably high price, in addition, the material loses its performance qualities too quickly. For this reason, prefabricated wooden stands are not in demand.
design
The scheme consists of several units:
- A water tank mounted on a support structure;
- The system of water supply in the mental irrigation;
- A cabinet.
The tank is filled in different ways. The simplest option is to pour a few buckets of water into the tank. Sometimes the size of the water tank is too large to fill by hand. Then it becomes necessary to connect to the summer water supply, install shut-off valves or automatically control the water level. Install the simplest device with a float sensor.
When the level drops below the reference mark, the valve opens and the tank fills to a certain level. Using such a device saves you from worrying about the amount of water in the tank, but requires some maintenance and service mechanics.
In addition, it is necessary to provide a waste water disposal system. This can be a drainage ditch, a tank buried in the ground, or another option. If you do not worry about the removal of sewage, there may be unwanted consequences in the form of flooded beds, water in the base of the house or other buildings.
Water supply
Water from the tank usually comes by gravity. A mixer or a single faucet is installed in the booth that controls the flow. However, there are designs that use a forced flow of liquid. The most convenient option is a pedal shower-top-tunnel.
This is a compact device that does not require a connection to the power grid. The user takes turns pushing his feet on the pedals and activates the pump, which presses the water. It requires a tank of water and the cabin itself, which is only needed to protect it from prying eyes.
ways to heat water
There are several methods of heating water:
- Natural heating with sunlight. The best option is a black container, which more effectively absorbs thermal energy. Experienced craftsmen recommend choosing shallow tanks to avoid a significant temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of water in the tank.
- Heating with the help of electric devices (heaters). This option is good when the weather is overcast and the sun is unable to properly prepare the water. However, this method is only suitable for small tanks. In addition, there is the additional consumption of electricity;
- The use of gas or solid fuel boilers, boilers. This method allows you to get hot water, as in centralized networks. The disadvantage of this method is the need to use special equipment and fuel.
The most common method is solar heating. This is the cheapest option, which does not require large expenditures on equipment and the cost of fuel and resources. The right tank is able to cook water in a perfectly comfortable condition. Sometimes a solar panel system is used for this purpose, which can raise the temperature of the liquid even in the spring or fall. Their design uses vacuum overlapping pipes with circulating water, so the outside temperature does not matter.
Pros and cons of summer showers
The advantages of summer showers in the country house should include:
- the ability to refresh, wash away dust and dirt without the need to heat the bath or long heating water;
- To install the set is suitable for any point of the site, well lit by sunlight.
- there is a large number of designs in different materials;
- several options for water supply;
- the shower stall can be built by yourself.
Disadvantages:
- the degree of water heating depends on weather conditions and time of day;
- It is necessary to equip a water drainage system;
- The cost of prefabricated structures is quite high and unaffordable to the mass buyer.
Despite some disadvantages, summer showers are very popular among dacha owners.
types and functions
There are two main types of summer showers:
- wooden structures. These are stationary structures that are difficult to move to another place. Wood is prone to warping, rotting and needs regular protective coating. As a rule, wooden huts are built in the presence of a centralized water supply or a productive autonomous system with a possibility to heat water;
- Light constructions, representing a frame from pipes with an external fabric fence. These sets have a small weight (the heaviest element is the water tank). If necessary, they can be moved from one place to another.
Both types of houses can be made by yourself, if you have the tools, materials and skills to work with them.
upper models
There are many options for designing summer showers for sale. For the untrained user, it is sometimes difficult to determine which option is best for them. Take a look at a few of the best models from different manufacturers and compare features. For ease of perception, the information is presented in the form of a table:
| Manufacturer, model | Design characteristics | gear | country of origin | average price |
| Garden dreams |
Not only complete functions are taken into account, but also individual assemblies. This is deliberate, because many users prefer to buy the main element (a vessel or stand by itself), and make the other parts themselves or use existing designs.
What is better – a ready-made model or a cabin made at home?
Buying a ready-made shower unit for dacha – quite a costly event. If you decide to buy a full-fledged model, the cost can be 10,000 rubles and higher. Ready-made wooden cabin costs about 20,000 rubles, and that’s not counting the price of the tank, installation and other costs.
As a rule, ready-made ones are bought by people who do not have the training and skills to own the tools. Other users prefer to buy only the basic units, and make the remaining parts themselves.
The advantages of buying a ready-made stand include the speed of getting the device up and running. In this case, all the problems with delivery, installation and repair of the shower stand fall on the shoulders of the owner. Most issues are automatically removed with self-made – if a person knows how to make a summer shower. He will not have problems with installation and repair work.
In addition, many domestic designs are highly efficient, the availability of different ways to heat water and other characteristics. The only factor limiting independent assembly can be considered the lack of training and experience with tools and materials.
Most often combine self-assembly and the purchase of nodes included in the kit. When buying a tank, it is much easier to assemble a system with a tent, as the size and shape of the tank already connects.
Conclusion
Garden shower – a necessary and useful element of the dacha. The choice of an off-the-shelf model is determined by financial capabilities and personal preferences of the owner. As a rule, expensive stationary units are purchased for plots, on which the owners often visit or live.
Lightweight and compact units (e.g., shower countertop) are purchased for use anywhere in the country, on a trip, etc. Each option helps you get a comfortable and healthy environment for work or peace of mind on your garden plot.
Varieties of summer showers at the cottage – tips on arrangement
Household owners who want to rest in comfort or refresh themselves in hot weather should take a shower. If you know all the functions of the summer shower, it will not be difficult to construct them.
About the materials
For the summer shower, the materials from which it is made are crucial. The design of the shower is up to you, your longevity and the cost of the arrangement.
Before you build your shower, you need to choose a material.
Cheap, durable, environmentally friendly and beautiful material. It retains heat. However, wooden structures deteriorate under the influence of moisture, so they are treated with antiseptic.
Lightweight, durable and beautiful material, but afraid of corrosion. Welding skills are required for installation. Due to the high cost of construction and the need for constant painting, the material has limited use in summer cottages.
This material has an attractive appearance. Brick construction is durable and inexpensive. It is always cool in the shower of such material.
Universal building material with low weight, moisture resistance and low price. The material of different colors is easy to cut. It is considered an alternative to glass. But the colored version is used in the shower, so you can not see what is happening in the cabin.
Beautiful, durable and inexpensive sheet metal. The walls of the shower enclosure, lined with such materials, do not need constant painting.
The choice of construction materials is not limited to the previously listed types. However, for the lintels and posts of the cabin use a beam or profiled pipe, and for the walls – any other materials.
About the choice of location
The use of the shower cabin will be productive if, before the start of installation work, a place for housing will be chosen. It must meet certain conditions:
- The accumulation tank should not be in the shade, so the place for the shower is chosen outside the dacha areas.
- When heating the tank uses a combination of water heating: from the sun and electricity. For such a shower, it is necessary to provide a convenient and safe laying of the electric network.
- In order not to get sick after a water treatment, the shower stall should not blow from all sides.
- In the shower, located on an elevated position, the water never stagnates.
About size
The dimensions of the stall should allow it to freely stand, twist and bend.
The following dimensions are considered optimal:
- height – 2.5 m;
- width – 1,4 m;
- Length – 1.5 m.
To ensure that clothes and towels always stay dry, equip the locker room in the form of an extension with the dimensions of 2 square meters.
Drawing of a summer shower with a changing room
About the storage tank
A variety of storage tanks are used for the summer shower. They differ in three ways.
Without painting, the structure quickly rusts, causing the water to turn yellow. It is easy to paint the outside of the tank in black, and through the neck you can not penetrate the inner surface.
- Galvanized tank.
The protective coating of zinc lasts up to 30 years. Water in the tank is always clean. Due to the low cost, such tanks are very popular.
- Stainless steel tank.
Such a tank never rusts. It is durable and, most importantly, looks aesthetically pleasing. The high price limits the use of structures made of such material.
- Plastic tank.
Such tanks are less durable than metal ones, but they are hygienic and chemically inert. Due to its low weight, the tank is easy to install. There are special requirements for its operation. For example, in the winter, the water is drained, and the tank is stored in a warm room.
- The tank is made of elastic polymer fabric.
In shape, it resembles a pillow with a filler neck and drain. Such tank can be easily folded up and put away for storage.
The minimum volume of the tank – 50 liters.
According to sanitary standards, a person consumes 35 liters of water per day. This means that a family of three needs 100 liters of water.
If warm water will sometimes be used for irrigation, choose the maximum volume – 200 liters.
Shower tanks come in flat, parallelepipedic shape, and round, barrel-shaped tanks.
Flat tank is easy to assemble. It is also a roof for a small shower. A flat shaped tank heats up faster and better than a round tank.
How to make a heated tank water supply
Many dacha owners prefer a shower that has a heated tank. This makes it easy to wash and not catch a cold in bad weather.
Thanks to the combined heating from the sun and an additional source, the water in the tank is always warm. There are various sources for heating water.
The stove, in which wood is burned, is located next to the hut. There is an additional tank on the stove, from which boiled water overflows into the main tank. By circulating and mixing liquids of different temperatures, warm water for washing is achieved.
Such a shower uses a storage tank with a heating element. To reduce installation costs, it is enough to place the shower with a tank near the power and water supply.
Water in the tank is heated using a cartridge or dual heating. The 200 liter tank requires a power of 2.0 kW.
When selecting a tank with a heating element, it is necessary to consider the condition of the electric network and the pressure in the water supply system.
Before you supply water with the heated tank, you need to make sure that it is reliably defined in the cabin. Frame made of profile pipe, installed on the foundation, provides a stable position of such a tank.
In a holiday cottage water supply to the heated tank is carried out from the centralized water supply system or a well-equipped fountain. For this purpose, a water line is laid from a well pump or from a battery.
The water level in the tank is controlled by a float valve. If you install an additional tank with cold water, you can get water of any temperature.
The tank with the heating function is easy to install. It is also inexpensive and lasts up to 40 years.
About the water supply
Water is supplied to the storage tank from a variety of sources that are located at a distance. Such sources are:
Rarely are dachas connected to a centralized water supply, so this source is rarely used.
For a reliable water supply of the dacha is equipped with a fountain.
If water is used only in the summer, a submersible pump with a capacity of 1 m3 of water per hour is enough. Given that the fountain was used for one year, the arrangement includes the installation of a deep pump and hydroaccumulator to ensure constant pressure in the network.
With the help of metal-plastic or polypropylene pipes with a diameter of 20 mm the water supply source is combined with the storage tank of the shower. Such pipes have advantages: durability, lack of corrosion, ease of installation, the ability to dismantle for the winter.
