Installing handheld shower...

[IDBoating]

As the weather and water cool around here, I'm getting pressure to install a handheld shower so folks can dose their wetsuits with warm water after a nice chilling session.

I'm thinking about installing in the center storage locker back above the swim deck. We don't use those lockers for anything anyway - they're empty 100% of the time - and it's in the perfect spot to be accessible when wanted, but out of the way when not.

Here's my question: From where do you typically get the pressurized hot and cold water? If the water sources are both straight from the engine, then plumbing will be easy because the center storage compartment is right there above the engine.

I tapped into one of two exhaust dump hoses for cool water to the shaft seal last Spring, so presumably I could use the other for cool shower water. I could piggyback a pump off one of my ballast intakes but I already have this source of pressurized water from the engine sitting right there.

Folks typically pull hot water for air heaters from the engine. Any problem with running hot engine water to the shower valve? It would be ~160F, pretty hot but OSHA recommends water heaters be set to 140F under certain circumstances so it's not all that much warmer. An inline valve could limit the amount of hot water. What do people normally do? Some sort of heat exchanger, or just use the engine cooling water?

Thanks!

[Ewok]

Wakeman22 did a shower install on his 24ve, I'm not sure if he did a writeup on it or not but he might chime in with some advise.

[IDBoating]

Hope so, it would be appreciated. However, comments from anyone would be welcome. I'm not so much worried about how to do it on my specific 24Ve as I am in how folks have obtained the hot and cold water.

[skippabcool]

My '07 has the factory installed shower. The hot water comes from the engine block. The cold water comes from the line after the impeller. They both go to a pump that then goes to the valves for the shower.

Maybe these will help.

[skippabcool]

I may have to go look to see exactly how the hoses all go. If that will help let me know.

[IDBoating]

Thank you for the photos. I wonder if the electric pump is really necessary? The incoming water is already pressurized by the engine's water pump.

Without a separate pump you'd have to have the engine running to use the shower, but without the engine running the shower only has the water in the block to draw from anyway so you'd quickly run out of water. I presume the little electric pump won't be able to overcome the resistance of the raw water pump's impeller mounted on the engine and suck more water through the thruhull, so all you've got is whatever is on the downstream side of the engine's impeller.

I don't know what the water pressure is within the engine cooling system, but judging by what I saw running out of the propshaft seal it must be reasonable.

My goal is to do this without adding an electric pump, if possible.

[Wakeman22]

I have a writeup on my shower instal. It is under winter upgrades and probably in the ballast section. I am not to sure where I placed it. I am not sure if the presure on the hot is enough to overcome the hoses and valve so I used a pump. I will look and see if I can find my writeup.

For hot water I tapped into the manifold. In the heater install instructions from heatercraft that was thier location. For cold I went after the empeler like skippa did. I did use a pump as all the kits came with one. Not sure if it was needed. If you already have a heater I see no reason why you could not tap into those hases.

For a mixing valve I used and RV faucet from Ebay. $10.00. I used a hose from lowe's and a spray nozzle from lowes. Most all the parts came from Lowe's.

I used under sink style hoses from the engine hook ups to the faucet, then one from the center of faucet to the pump and then a hose up to the spayer. I used the same center area for access. It works great. Just used it yesterday. If you need more info let me know.

[Wakeman22]

My thread is under winter upgrades in the how to threads. I searched it and it came up a few threads down. I do not know how to post a link here so you will have to look it up. Also. Remember to put shut off valve where things attach the the engine just in case something gives way you can shut off the waterflow and still enjoy the day on the water.

[skippabcool]

My thread is under winter upgrades in the how to threads. I searched it and it came up a few threads down. I do not know how to post a link here so you will have to look it up. Also. Remember to put shut off valve where things attach the the engine just in case something gives way you can shut off the waterflow and still enjoy the day on the water.

http://www.tigeowners.com/forum/show...=shower&page=6

post 81 and below

[IDBoating]

Great photos, thanks for the link!

Still wondering if a pump is required, though.

I agree, most of my parts are probably going to come from Lowes or Home Depot or the like. I'm thinking a kitchen sink-style sprayhead with an integrated valve. Connect that to a hot-cold control of some kind. When not in use, that would put two closed valves in each water path. When in use, set the temp with the faucet and then just grab the sprayhead when you want water.

[skippabcool]

This doesn't say you need the pump but I found this kit that says it has everything you need. I first found it at Barts but it didn't say anythign about a pump so I looked up information about the particular unit Barts was selling. The next link details that the pump is included. I wouldn't think it would be included if you did not need it, but could be wrong.

http://www.bartswatersports.com/cata...stem/index.asp

http://www.skidim.com/prodinfo.asp?number=101-S-C

ps This looks like the system that came from the factory for my boat.

[IDBoating]

I like that control console. It would look nice mounted in the storage compartment back there.

Yeah, I haven't found anything authoritative about whether a pump is needed. I suspect that it's so the shower can be used when the engine is off, which I do not care about.

I may just try it without the pump, figuring I can always install one later if I have problems.

[IDBoating]

Doing research this morning, I found this pumpless transom shower kit:



...made by HeaterCraft. I thought I'd give them a call to discuss it, and discovered that HeaterCraft is literally minutes from my lake house! Had no idea they are so close.

A quick call yielded the answer I've been seeking. Yes, it's perfectly possible to set up a shower without a separate pump. The only question is one of water pressure. Sometimes the combination of low water pressure from the engine plus up to forty feet (!!!) of hoses associated with the kit ends up with too little pressure at the sprayhead. If that happens, you can always plumb in a pump after the fact.

Given the layout of my 24Ve and where I plan to put the shower, I believe I can substantially reduce that forty feet. The hot and cold water sources are within three feet of where the console will go, and after that it's just a question of how much sprayhead hose I want/need. If it's centered on the boat, ~6 feet ought to be enough to reach beyond all edges of the swim platform and high enough to reach the head and neck of most people. I'll take some measurements to confirm.

When the time comes, I can just stop by HeaterCraft while picking up groceries. Heck, we might even make it an ATV ride.

[IDBoating]

Turns out HeaterCraft also sells a flush mount valve setup all by itself:



I'm thinking this would allow me to use larger diameter hoses to reduce the pressure loss in the system. I can't do anything about the losses within the HeaterCraft valves, but standard sprayhead hose fittings have really small diameter holes. I may be able to reduce losses by fabricating my own hoses using standard, full-port fittings.

I'm also going to investigate traditional plumbing fixtures, for example as used on RV's, to see if there might be something appropriate in that industry.

[duffymahoney]

They make a sweet transom hatch I always wanted to install.