Recirculating shower

The Build
1

Odd question…

Im just starting to look at different builds and starting plans. One requirement is that there needs to be a full bath / show on board or the spouse will not accept it… I was looking at recirculating showers as a possible solution but they seem very complicated as well as they seem to hold a ton of water.

My plan – and this is where im looking for a reality check.

  • Use a smaller filter; possibly a sand filter based on fish tank filters like the Fluval 307. Use a foam filter on top with course, then fine sand with possible addition of charcoal. These filters only hold 1-4 liters of water based on the size.
  • Add an inline led UV light - AquiSense - PearlAqua Deca, to kill off any bacteria.

If done correctly i think the entire system would run on 2-3 gallons of water. My spouse and i could each shower and then the system be purged. Perhaps flushing could be done every other day or the water reclaimed for other uses (depending on toilet solution).

I should mention i doubt very much we will be boon-docking a lot. Mainly it would be for while on the road between destinations and then either staying in a hotel or rv park.

Does this plan seem to make sense or is it jsut nuts…
thanks all

1 Like
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I have a very simple setup: Just a water pump, two mechanical filters and an active, carbon filter in the shower head. No water tank. I pour about 1/2 - 1 gallon of hot water from my kitchen sink into the shower base, turn on the water pump and enjoy the endless shower. We use just a little soap on the wash cloth. After shower I dump the water via electrically controlled valve either into the ground, if legal, or into the 1-gallon plastic container. We are using it for a couple of years and the setting works perfectly. Wouldn’t change it for anything else.

4

Greetings!

VERY INTERESTING!!! That’s the first recirculating shower setup that actually intrigues me.

Long ago, I did something similar except without filters. Using a 1 gallon jug, sat under the van, it had 2 tubes going into the top. The inlet ended at the cap, and the outlet tube went down to 1 inch above the bottom. My theory was any soap would float, and anything else would accumulate below the output.

The catch was the water cooled off too rapidly during the winter. Other than that I was pleased, but still in search of perfection for a 20 minute shower. In the end, I opted for higher pressure using less water, giving me a 30 minute shower without recirculating, and only using about a pint of water. It met my shower desires, but required power to create the high enough pressure.

My goal changed to conserving power. So then I wanted a shower that did not require power. Heating the water used fuel or the sun, not power. My solution became a hand pump weed sprayer, with a kitchen sink sprayer for the shower head, and if I released the trigger the water stopped. I could use it indoors or outdoors, it still used very little water, but took a LOT of pumping.

Eventually I found a battery powered weed sprayer that used D cell batteries. PERFECT! I bought rechargeable D cell batteries, and a small solar battery charger for AA, AAA, C, D, & 9v batteries that I could just sit in a window to charge them. So today I have many things that run on these types of batteries, and I always have freshly recharged batteries to replace them with as needed.

I also have many individual goodies that have their own solar panels, and most can also be charged via USB, and some can be charged by hand crank as well. I use my house battery as little as possible, and prefer using fuel power whenever possible. A single ~$8.00 gallon of cooking oil available at any grocery store will power most of my necessities for a month +.

It’s all about choices & preferences. If we can find what works and makes us happy, then all is well.

Cheers!

"If you fail to plan, you better plan to fail." ~ Marine Sergeant


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Sounds very fancy but I found I never needed anything more than a gallon folding bucket, a wash cloth, a cup and some kind of pan to stand in. My motorhome has shower and tanks, plus external shower, portable shower too, but I never use them, just use a bucket to wash :))) It can be left outside in the sun to heat up too.
If someone doesnt boondock having no water access for weeks on end theres not much reason to go through the trouble of recirculating. Im also swuirmish about water cleanliness, wouldnt want butt washing water end up anywhere but on the ground on in the tank!

6

this is something I’m going to do for mine once i get closer to getting a van. i love a Hot Shower.

i know that comprising is part of the life style but for me that’s not one ill budge on haha.

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If you, like you said would not boondock but rather use the van between destinations, there are tons of real hot shower opportunities on the road usually. Pleasant shower uses a lot of water, need big tanks even if recirculate water once. That’s why I gave up on tge idea of showering in my RV. When its cooler I just use my water heater to make the water hot, hot cloth wash is quite pleasant. Real showers, they are availble in big gas stations, rec centers, swimming pools, marinas, campgrounds, etc. I lost interest in them boondocking full time and use then once in a couple of weeks, as much as I like them outside of life on the road, they feel so overrated on the road that I have to force myself to go and get one. A few times I found free showers. With something like a van (small, even the bigger models) shower will take up space, can do portable folding one but I think it’d be much harder to set it up as foldaway one with recirculation