Outside Shower.?
Question:I want to install an outside shower (not for daily use). I live in Indiana and our winters can get severe. How can I ensure it won't freeze?
Answers:
When you install it, make sure there is a water shut-off inside the house. When it gets too late in the season to use the shower, turn off the shut-off and drain the remaining pipe-it'll be fine until the spring.
Plumb it so it can be drained in the winter.
I would run the hot and cold water to freeze-proof faucets on the outside of the house. Use sections of garden hose to hook up the water to the shower, that way you can remove the hoses in the winter and drain the water from the shower head so it doesn't freeze.
Shut off valves on the inside of the house. And if it is not right on the outside wall of the house like a friend of mine has, then air compressor blow out the lines like sprinkler systems get done. If it is right on the house, then the winter shut offs inside should be fine.
You need to insulate the pipes, for sure, and at times, if it gets really cold, you may need to shut off the water.
You really have two options.
1. You can put heat tape on the pipes and insulate them very well.
2. You can install shut off valves with drain plugs on them in the house. That way you can drain the sytem in the fall. That is probably the best way to do it.
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