Outdoor shower

[tuppence]

I want to install some way to shower dogs outside when they come back from a walk, particularly in winter, and to be able to do so using tepid water. I do not want to go inside to turn the water on.

What I would like to do is reuse an old thermostatic mixer valve I have by installing it inside the house and leading its output through the wall. The temperature and flow would be pre-set but the outlet controlled by a second valve. I imagine it's inadvisable to install a thermostatic valve outside.

Assuming what I am trying to do is reasonable, I see two options for this second valve. The simple one would be to have a lever valve outside the house to release the water when needed. If I kept the pipe run outside very short, essentially an elbow between the pipe passing through the wall and the lever valve, what kind of freezing risk would there be?

I can avoid all risk of freezing by keeping the pipe passing through the wall dry when not in use. This could be done with a normally closed solenoid valve indoors operated by a switch outside. Obviously this would be more hassle so would it be necessary?

We have unvented DHW and the installation would be in an urban part of South East England if that makes any difference.

 

[Elkato531]

ok 37 views and no replies so I'll jump in.

It's a dog. It can cope with cold water.

 

[oilboffin]

Probably better cold

 

[bazdaman]

Blending valve inside to a bib tap?

 

[Madrab]

Could you hard pipe the 1/2" outlet of a mixer shower to an outside bib tap, never seen it done but can't see why it wouldn't work. Probably have to make up a rigid bracket to hold the mixer but I'd certainly give it a go. Just use a piped wall plate so there's no outside pipe

 

[tuppence]

The piped wall plate/bib tap combination leading onto a shower hose seems perfect. Thanks for the suggestion, I'm very grateful.

Just for the record, there are experts who advise against cold showers for dogs in winter. Showering an uncooperative dog in cold water is not particularly pleasant for the handler either and if the dog has rolled in something unmentionable and has to be shampooed then that's another reason for not using cold water.

 

[Madrab]

I wouldn't use a shower hose, rather something designed to hold water under mains pressure for an indefinate period of time, which is why i mentioned rigid. A shower hose is not designed to hold pressure for long periods.
The ideal would be a tap connector onto rigid copper/plastic compression onto the wall plate feed pipe. Alternatively, a flexible tap connector with a compression end on it.
I'm sure you dogs will appreciate a warm shower after a cold muddy walk

 

[tuppence]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant attaching the shower hose onto the bib tap outlet where of course it is not under pressure most of the time. Inside the house I would use rigid copper to connect to the piped wall plate.

 

[Steelmasons]

My dog gets in the shower with me.....when dried off she curls up on our bed or takes a walk downstairs and watches telly whilst snuggled up on the sofa eating biltong..

 

[BigSnoopy01]

just fit a hot and cold outside tap and make a shower hose to fit them.

 

[Madrab]

Sorry if I wasn't clear. I meant attaching the shower hose onto the bib tap outlet where of course it is not under pressure most of the time. Inside the house I would use rigid copper to connect to the piped wall plate.

Ah I see, I was thinking about it the other way. The mixer shower itself would be always on and temp set and then it's just a case of turning the bib tap on outside that has a short hose with a spray attachment.

 

[TonyW2]

Why would it be inadvisable to install the valve outside so that it was just an outside shower?

 

[Elkato531]

Because of the possible frost damage. I once went to a static caravan which had been left empty and unheated over winter. The whole place was totally wrecked by water damage. Traced leak back to bar mixer valve that had been ripped open as the water inside it froze.

 

[TonyW2]

Isolating valves indoors could be fitted .lt's no worse than the proposed suggestions or a camp site shower block

 

[Elkato531]

I assume the OP wants to use this throughout the year and and it is highly likely that that it will be left on during freezing conditions. A campsite shower block will almost certainly be mothballed during the coldest months. A properly installed external tap should have minimal exposed pipework and with some protection will likely be ok. When an external tap freezes it more often than not the compression joint onto the backplate that goes as the tap should have been designed with possible freezing in mind. A burst frozen pipe wastes a lot of water and installing a shower valve externally would be going against the water regulations. I can't see a problem with installing one internally to feed an external bib tap but I'm afraid I struggle to see the point.