How to make a shower in the country

How can you not rinse yourself after physical work “in the fields of the country” or even relaxing in a sun lounger on a hot day? And even with the comforts of home, it’s nice to do it outdoors. And even the presence of a pool does not cancel his majesty of souls!

However, this article, of course, is not for those who have a pool in their dacha … In addition, it is designed for people who have an idea (or who are able to find in other topics) how to seal a pipe connection or how to put together a wooden house. Let’s dwell on the nuances of the device is the soul.

First of all, let’s decide how summer it should be. In principle, the function of a shower can be performed by a tank on four pillars hung with a sheet (or even without it). And it can be erected in 1 day. But you should also think about a more fundamental option: firstly, even in summer, the evening breeze may not be so pleasant for a wet person, and secondly, when there are no more fundamental amenities in the house, you can swim in a closed shower with hot water on frost.

So, the house. Most often (if we are not going to invite the Queen of England to visit) it is made of “whatever has to”, which is not a pity. When there is a lot of extra slate on the site or, say, a cabin from KAMAZ, the question of choosing is not worth it … If there is no waste material, I recommend a tree – the most environmentally friendly and ergonomic. No smells. Never lean against something hot or cold. Even load-bearing pillars (if thick pipes do not disappear) are better made of wood: there are fewer problems with fastening everything else to them, and you don’t have to worry about the service life if you pitch or grease the buried parts.

It is better to sheathe the pillars on both sides (see figure). Not prevent! (Don’t forget that “warm” walls protect you from heat too). Best of all – a wooden clapboard (naturally, in an “anti-storm” arrangement). Since the posts are usually made at a distance of no more than 1m, the intermediate frame is not necessary: ​​you can nail the horizontal strips directly to them. Slate and sheet asbestos cement are not bad. The worst are plastic and metal. I don’t even recommend painting a tree (especially from the inside): it is better to change rotten planks every couple of years than to turn a wooden house into a synthetic “gas chamber”.

The door, if there is no ready-made frame, it is better to hang it with hinges on an additional beam (not rooted to the spot, holding on to the casing), and with the flapping part – to the supporting post. In the opposite wall, it is advisable to provide a window that is constantly open in the summer for effective ventilation. And in the case of using a shower in winter, you can insert glass into it once a year (even two) or close it tightly if there is other lighting.

The floor (better also wooden) is laid on horizontal beams at a height of 10 … 15 cm above the ground. The bars are attached to the supporting posts. They should not touch the ground and the bottom edges. With this design, there will be enough gaps between the floorboards and the natural slope of the soil to drain. True, from soapy water a few square meters. m of land will become unusable. To avoid this, but also not to dig a drain hole, it is advisable to place a shower on the lower edge of the site bordering some no-man’s or unnecessary territory..

Particular attention should be paid to the stairs to the cistern. It is better to make it stationary (tightly nailed to the house), worrying about increased reliability and convenience: even if the water is supplied by a pipe, but there is no heater, you will have to repeatedly climb it with a bucket of water, including boiling water!

The water tank is the main element of the entire structure. It is very convenient when it completely replaces the roof of the house. The ideal (if possible) is the use of automobile fuel tanks: they have high reliability, all the necessary holes for water and fastenings, a horizontal (usually) flat shape convenient for the roof. The smell of gasoline is removed by several rinses (with intermediate drying) with strong aromatized detergents. Also now they sell a lot of plastic containers of various shapes and volumes. When choosing them, you should focus not on environmental friendliness, the smell of plastic (you should not drink from it), but on its frost resistance.

The lid must be tight (from dust and the smallest insects), but not tight, otherwise it will interfere with the exit of water. It is important that the outlet pipe is at the very bottom of the tank. It’s not just saving a liter every time. The small amount of water remaining for a long time will “bloom and smell”. By the way, from time to time you can throw some antiseptic agent harmless to humans into the tank. For example, hydropyrite, hydrogen peroxide. With potassium permanganate – more accurately (first stir in a glass until the crystals are completely dissolved). Very good with iodine: the water becomes just sea! But this is a quick death to steel elements (no paint will help) only if you have a plastic tank and even a tap…

And the last thing is about the electrification of such a structure. Frankly, like a 6th grade electrician: it’s better without her! It is not for nothing that, according to the PUE (Electrical Installation Rules), such a booth does not even belong to “rooms with increased danger”, but to “especially dangerous”. This is not a formal requirement, but a real risk! The most “firm” TENs can break through to the case, in the highest quality grounding contact may disappear. And the man standing barefoot in the wet…

But if, nevertheless, it is unbearable to raise a bucket of boiling water, there is nowhere to hang a flashlight (when the urge to swim at night) – then only LOW VOLTAGE food! There are many heaters for 12 … 24V (used in various vehicles), not to mention light bulbs. And the voltage of 220V should not come close to the soul!