Build an Outdoor Solar Shower

No garden activity area is complete without an outdoor solar shower.  You can make a simple shower with a length of garden pipe, up to a really sophisticated static shower enclosure with decking, drainage and privacy screening.  

We will consider a simple solar heated shower design which will fit neatly into an average backyard, maybe beside a spa or pool, both of which could share the solar water heating arrangements with the shower.

The most important consideration for an outdoor solar shower is the provision of adequate drainage.  In some areas you might be able to have a simple soakaway or take the soiled water to the nearest 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 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. You could increase this by fitting a water storage tank mounted above the height of the shower head.

Sun.  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 it will need much longer if there is shade over the solar heating system for a significant part of the day.

Use.  Is the solar heated shower to be used after having a dip in the pool or hot tub?  To rinse off after sunbathing before going into the house?  Your shower design will depend very much on how you want to use it.

Debris.  Leaves can collect in the shower, and it is a chore to remove them every time you want to use it.  Try to cover this with a wooden lid or similar device when not in use, 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 fitting of a suitable galvanized tray under the shower drain, to collect soiled water and in turn drain it into the soakaway system.

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.  Pressure-treated softwood 4×4 posts can be used at each corner of the shower stall, joined by side panels made from pretty much anything you like – plywood, clapboard, cedar shingles are some materials of choice.  

The solar heating system itself is very simple to make. A shower head attached to a length of ½ inch flexible pipe coiled on the roof of the shower and then to the main cold water tap is often sufficient. 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.

In very hot weather you might need to include a mixer system, for allowing hot and cold water to merge before you burn yourself in the 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.