How do I have an outdoor hot/cold shower near my pool?

[Whiteagle]

I want to have an outdoor hot/cold shower near my outdoor pool. A free standing stainless steel shower appears to cost around $1500 to $3000 plus installation costs which is beyond my budget. A cheaper option is to mount the shower on something but I don't want to build a wall/cubicle which will block the view. Is there another option? I am wondering could it be mounted on a nice looking post that is concreted in the ground for stability. I assume it will be unstable if I try and fix it to my existing concrete. 

[EricL]

Hello @Whiteagle

Thank you for sharing your question about setting up an outdoor shower with hot and cold water available. I suggest having a quick look at this discussion - D.I.Y. outdoor shower by @peta. This is a nice handy way to create a mounting point for the plumbing. This assembly can be fixed to your cement floor with DynaBolts or a ChemSet Kit. Your other option is to use a Pryda Post Bolt Down Anchor and a 90x90 Treated Post.

The tricky part is running the hot water into your outdoor shower. Using a garden hose from the hot water tap is not recommended as the fittings get soft and fail. The garden hose forms bubbles and bursts if the hot water is run in it for any extended period. I recommend engaging the services of a registered plumber and asking them to tap into your hot water line and run a copper pipe to your outdoor shower. Just make sure to install a shut-off valve at the connecting point so that you can turn off that extension for emergencies.

The cold water can come from your garden hose, however, if the budget allows for both lines to be run to the outdoor shower, I suggest doing both. The last part of this equation is the outdoor pipe fittings. You can either use copper which equates to more plumbing work for the plumber or you can use galvanized pipes which you can do as a D.I.Y. fitting. One very important thing to consider is where all that extra water is going to drain to. If it's going to an open lawn or garden it should be fine, but if it goes into the pool just remember that it will upset the chemical balance of the water.

Now before you begin your project, it's important to check the rules and regulations of your local council. There might be rules about setting up a hot water line for your outdoor shower. There might be rules on drainage. Just to be safe I recommend having a look.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric