Recirculating shower installation

[Rod75]

Anyone know where or who can install a recirculating shower in FL or the SE area?

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by Rod75

Anyone know where or who can install a recirculating shower in FL or the SE area?

The commercially constructed ones I've seen have been $$$$$$$ what is your ballpark budget?

[Rod75]

Well, I just need someone whose comfortable doing this plumbing work. Someone who knows all the jibajaba of fittings and connections, heating exchange stuff....i have no idea of cost!!!

[joeblack5]

We have and use one.. Small sump pump ...and electric shower head.
Shower and soap ..3/4 gallon. Drain water.. Another 3/4 gallon and rinse off.. Last as long as you want.

Check out Dory.

[mmoore6856]

check out "showerloop" for low cost systems . its a open source project

[mmoore6856]

also if you use 120 volt for your pumps and heater use a qualified electrician so you dont get fried in the shower and it will be safe

[Rod75]

12v pump, uv light and heat exchanger for heat; besides that, not much electric needed.

[mmoore6856]

Originally Posted by Rod75

12v pump, uv light and heat exchanger for heat; besides that, not much electric needed.

yea thats how im doing it got zapped once at a swimming pool from a bad light and never forgot that pain

[mmoore6856]

im using a string wound filter then a charcoal filter then the uv-c sanitizer for mine.

[Sheherazz]

Or hydroponics... We used 12v pump which cost me about $110 for 4 online, set the plumbing and guarded the water pump plug away from the water. Its not much different from setting up a waterfall in a garden. I frequently had to go into the water for testing and aeration concerns and didn't get 'fried'

Commenters do have it right when they say you might want to just skip the cheap way and get an electrician to at least look over your idea.

I wouldn't do it for a shower, with heated water because you have to replace the cheap pumps frequently in hydroponics, I can't imagine what hot water would do to them.

I also don't like the thought of re-using previously used shower water - what if a guest pees in the shower or you have a wet/bath, (there's use-splashing) recirculating... nah, I'll keep bodily functions separate from my shower, thanks.

[dzl_]

Originally Posted by Sheherazz

Or hydroponics... We used 12v pump which cost me about $110 for 4 online, set the plumbing and guarded the water pump plug away from the water. Its not much different from setting up a waterfall in a garden. I frequently had to go into the water for testing and aeration concerns and didn't get 'fried'

Commenters do have it right when they say you might want to just skip the cheap way and get an electrician to at least look over your idea.

I wouldn't do it for a shower, with heated water because you have to replace the cheap pumps frequently in hydroponics, I can't imagine what hot water would do to them.

I also don't like the thought of re-using previously used shower water - what if a guest pees in the shower or you have a wet/bath, (there's use-splashing) recirculating... nah, I'll keep bodily functions separate from my shower, thanks.

I suppose you could just lean into it, and go full on international space station urine filtration system for shower and drinking water

Originally Posted by JoeBlack5

We have and use one.. Small sump pump ...and electric shower head.
Shower and soap ..3/4 gallon. Drain water.. Another 3/4 gallon and rinse off.. Last as long as you want.

Check out Dory.

Could you elaborate on this (or if its written up elsewhere point me in the right direction). I'm not totally following what you are saying. Based on context I think you are using a recirculating system, but based on your gallon limits(?) estimates(?) makes it sound like you may just be taking frugal traditional showers. Or a third options do you have two separate recirculating systems one for washing one for rinsing?

[aswallie]

Initially i wanted to have a dedicated 30gal tank for shower and washer loop. From the research I've been doing I'm leaning towards putting the filtered and sanitized water back into the fresh tank and using an RO system for drinking, but I'm looking at crazy small micron filtration, changing filters frequently and backwashing them when able.

Doing it this way means we still heat water with one propane tankless water heater and we can filter coming out of the tank. Water can go to the vanity, kitchen sink, RO, shower, or washer. Beneath the shower well have a sump into double filters, then the UV light, back into the fresh tank. I'm eyeing different treatment chemicals to "freshen up" the fresh water that the RO system will pull out.

[Native]

What effect would all of the recirculated particles and chemicals have on the filtration of the recycled water? Just tossing out numbers here just for discussion ... if fresh water filters can handle, say, 100 gallons before needing a change, then how often would the same filter need to be changed if it were having to filter the reused water?

[aswallie]

Originally Posted by Native

What effect would all of the recirculated particles and chemicals have on the filtration of the recycled water? Just tossing out numbers here just for discussion ... if fresh water filters can handle, say, 100 gallons before needing a change, then how often would the same filter need to be changed if it were having to filter the reused water?

I could be very wrong with the mindset but if the filters are doing their job then it shouldn't have any affects on them to use reclaimed water, on the larger scale. How much particulate they remove / how dirty us and our clothes are would play a much higher factor in filter life for how i understand it.

I wouldn't want to use the same 100 gallons for more than two or three weeks if i could help it, using the water from the tanks to backwash the system as we drain it. Or flush the system with fresh when we fill up and go from there.

I want to reclaim our shower and washer water because i really don't want to have to limit use of those two things if i can build a system to allow it. Consumption, if we find issue with the system can come from bottled stuff or we can store drinking water in bottles at fill up or run a separate smaller tank for that. The water coming out of the recycle tank should be more than clean enough to wash hands and plates.

A general anticipation for filter life would be 4 to 6 months playing on the conservative side and seeing the actual life from there.

[Rod75]

I'm having a dedicated 30gal tank just for that and will be back flushing water and changing the 30gal often when I need to replenish my fresh water tank. Anyway, there will be a wkly and a monthly maintenance, BUT the thing is....I was asking who could or knew someone to help me install, i was not asking for opinions if I should or not have it on my bus...THAT train has left the station long ago, so...of anyone can help me with the set up/instalation, great!

[cadillackid]

what keeps the water in a recirculating shower from getting really nasty and growing bad stuff? or do you just recirculate say a gallon of water for a single shower and not reuse it more than once?

[aswallie]

Ah, I'm sorry, i can only offer my own knowledge from afar.

[aswallie]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

what keeps the water in a recirculating shower from getting really nasty and growing bad stuff? or do you just recirculate say a gallon of water for a single shower and not reuse it more than once?

Generally it's done with a sand filter for fine particulate and an activated charcoal filter with a similar small micron level. After those two you pass the water through a clear pvc tube with a UV light shining on the water to sterilize it by killing any of the bacteria that may still be in the water. If done correctly the water SHOULD be perfectly safe to drink. The filters could probably get pretty nasty over time but that's why you want to back wash them to flush them out. You'd want to put a strainer or two at the shower drain and before the pump inlet to minimize the larger stuff getting to the filters.

[BeNimble]

My plans for the boat shower were to have a valve that you switch for the drain water to go to waste or recirculate. So you can start by wasting the first rinse, then recycle it to just soak up the hot water, and then waste it when you are done, so you never store the old water. Now if you filter it might be ok, but that was never my plan.

[joeblack5]

Originally Posted by BeNimble

My plans for the boat shower were to have a valve that you switch for the drain water to go to waste or recirculate. So you can start by wasting the first rinse, then recycle it to just soak up the hot water, and then waste it when you are done, so you never store the old water. Now if you filter it might be ok, but that was never my plan.

That is how we do it.. our diy stainless shower stall floor has a 1/2 falling collection pan welded in. We have a small dc sump pump pumping it up thru an online uv filter to a heated showerhead.

We fill with 3/4 gallon warm clean water and circulate with the showerhead heat on.. you shower as long as your want....depending on energy source... Then you drain the 3/4 gallon and use a fresh 3/4 gallon to rinse of.

The showerhead needs to be about 2500 ..3000 watt to maintain the water temp.. after finishing the water drains back from the showerhead and uv filter thru the pump into the pan.

The pan has a plug to drain it

Johan