48windsor
Well-known member
Im thinking of putting a shower in shop.
Has anyone else done it, Open to do's and dont's
Has anyone else done it, Open to do's and dont's
Shower in shop.
- Thread starter 48windsor
- Start date
The only advice I can offer is to keep the P-trap full of water. Run water down it when it not used.
Steve W.
Well-known member
I was cautioned by a friend that the inspectors might look at the project a bit more closely if there was a shower. Might be something that could be used for non-permitted habitation or some similar nonsense. I simply did not have the room, so did not install one.
Others, with larger, more prduction-like shops have said they prefer to clean up before heading to the house or getting into the vehicle to head home.
.
Others, with larger, more prduction-like shops have said they prefer to clean up before heading to the house or getting into the vehicle to head home.
.
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I installed a full bath in my shop (not yet complete) including walk in shower and a urinal. Also a hookup for a washer and dryer and a utility sink. I'm looking forward to using all of it. We will also use this bathroom as a sort of poolhouse to avoid swimmers going into the house on the hardwood floors.
I got a 4" waste line roughed into my shop at the concrete stage. Its turning out I won't have the floor-space, so the intended 3 -piece enclosed washroom will be on the future mezzanine instead.
Very true. I had to fight them on the toilet rough-in. Funny though, how they can also turn a blind-eye to all the non-permitted rentals (many being RVs with hookups).
Very true. I had to fight them on the toilet rough-in. Funny though, how they can also turn a blind-eye to all the non-permitted rentals (many being RVs with hookups).
Jeff Ivers
Well-known member
When I built my shop in 1991, I walled off an office area with a water heater closet and a bathroom off the office. I have never used the shower or installed a water heater. l installed the shower as a safety measure in case I ever got into chemicals that needed to be flushed immediately. The shop is about 50 feet from the house and I would have to navigate through a serious portion of the house before I could reach the shower in the house. I always figured I could tolerate cold water in an emergency. I regularly use the toilet and the sink in the shop bathroom and have never regretted the decision - think of it as an insurance policy that you hope you never have to tap. I never had an issue with inspectors but I can't remember if I explained the reasoning for the shower.
Yes already built . On septic .
Unfortunately Im lower in shop than house. Even though we are only 22feet away.
I have water plumbed from house to shop. Have a utility sink. Love it comes in handy. Attached to a French drain.
Doing homework on a pump to attach to septic system. Don't know if its a DIY project , or if its legal , permits required..Believe me if I was above or equal Id already have a toilet in there.! Lol, wife says where u gonna put it.400 sq. Ft But Id make it happen
Yes, sewer gas. . . even on septic. It'll get notably worse on windy days.
AC-WC
Well-known member
Legal but not cheap. Depending on your
area probably a permit. It is for Indiana. You will likely need a 500 gal tank and a solids pump to pump into your regular septic tank. That's how mom's was done for her bathroom in the horse barn.
Tanks are literally 3ft from each other.
dcg9381
Well-known member
Depends on where you are. There are ways here that are "allowable" to drain gray water. But connecting something new to existing septic is a big no-no (here), it's something they check for on resale and it would create a big problem.
If it's "lax" there and you have the septic capacity, you can install a pump to "push" it to your septic tank. Look at lift pumps, don't necessarily need a grinder, just something with two floats and some holding capacity:
65ranchero
Well-known member
That what I had to do for the toilet and wash sink in the garage.Depends on where you are. There are ways here that are "allowable" to drain gray water. But connecting something new to existing septic is a big no-no (here), it's something they check for on resale and it would create a big problem.
If it's "lax" there and you have the septic capacity, you can install a pump to "push" it to your septic tank. Look at lift pumps, don't necessarily need a grinder, just something with two floats and some holding capacity:
was lower than the septic system so the plumbers ran the waste line slopped enough into the house basement into a Liberty waste tank with ejector pump up to the 4" line in the basement
wssix99
Well-known member
DO:
Put it on a stage with a stripper pole. (The stage makes the plumbing and pole mounting way easier.)
DONT's:
Don't tell the wife, which is totally fair since if you aren't being allowed back in the house to shower.
^ Even if you don't like the style, I would still put whatever you do on a platform for ease of maintenance and to make it easy to rip out if you ever change your mind, need extra parking, etc. We have limited headroom in the house, but not so in the garage.
Put it on a stage with a stripper pole. (The stage makes the plumbing and pole mounting way easier.)
DONT's:
Don't tell the wife, which is totally fair since if you aren't being allowed back in the house to shower.
^ Even if you don't like the style, I would still put whatever you do on a platform for ease of maintenance and to make it easy to rip out if you ever change your mind, need extra parking, etc. We have limited headroom in the house, but not so in the garage.
RalphInCA
Well-known member
Who is going to clean it?
Are you sure?
Are you sure?
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Roughin exists for shower, toilet and sink. Working now thru the process to connect to existing aerator system.
What does an aerator system do?
racecougar
Well-known member
Improves septic system efficiency by promoting aerobic bacteria vs anaerobic.
larry4406
Well-known member
My previous shop had a full bath - sink, toilet, urinal, and shower. It was great. Gravity fed sewer that connected to house ground works which then gravity fed the septic system.
If you can do it, I would.
If you can do it, I would.
danfromsyr
Well-known member
how about a hose spigot tapped in and a small retractable hose reel.
a 1/4in air line would still provide plenty of water to rinse.. just adapt to hose fittings.
Mini Air Hose Reel With 1/4in. x 26ft.: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement
Mini Air Hose Reel With 1/4in. x 26ft.: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement
www.amazon.com
dcg9381
Well-known member
I've got an outdoor spigot on the shop that's plumbed into a mixing valve on my $250 propane tankless heater. I was using it with an RV to extend shower times in the RV by pre-heating water.. But could be used as an "ourdoor" shower also..
Russell_Reid
Well-known member
We just put in our outbuilding this year. Has a half bath in it. Around here if you put a full bath in an outbuilding they consider it an ADU (Auxiliary Dwelling Unit). An ADU requires its own independent septic system. For just a half bath they allow you to tie it into your existing septic providing it can handle it. Needed a septic engineer to come up with a design and our septic maintenance company submitted for the permit and did the work. They added a 50 gallon lift station to handle the half bath and had to move one sprinkler head that was near the new outbuilding. Lift station run was about 90 feet and the relocated sprinkler was about 70 feet. Design cost $250 and the septic modifications cost about $3k, $300 of which was the permit fee for the county.
rooster59
Well-known member
I wouldn't put in anything an inspector would look at if I was on septic, unless I knew in advance that it was absolutely OK.
Edit: After the final inspection , well ...
Edit: After the final inspection , well ...
Last edited:
manwithtools
ALLIANCE MEMBER
This is apparently highly location dependant. I called the TN state health inspector prior to planning my bathroom in the shop. Abbreviated response was "We don't care how many bathrooms you have hooked up to the septic system, we care home many bedrooms you have and what your septic area perked for bedroom wise"
Captain Spaulding
Well-known member
It‘s not a shower. It’s an emergency eye wash station with an enclosure to keep the water off your tools.
driftpin
Well-known member
We did a whole house re-model preparing for retirement, adding a new layout bathroom, which actually replaced an existing, permitted garage bathroom. The new bathroom is much-better (the footprint is outside of the 2-car garage, on the other side of the CBS wall separating the bathroom and pantry/washer/dryer from the garage) and because it has its own exterior entrance, it serves as a full bathroom for our pool and patio/deck, which was also re-modeled. The bathroom also has a second entry door into the hallway from the 2-car garage to the house; the hallway leads to the kitchen. Opposite the bathroom, on the other side of the hall, is a pantry/washer/dryer.
Its function is akin to a decontamination station. Dirty clothes can go right into a laundry hamper, dirty workers go right into the full bathroom.
Its function is akin to a decontamination station. Dirty clothes can go right into a laundry hamper, dirty workers go right into the full bathroom.
My previous shop was in a free standing building and had a “maid’s toilet”. I live in the South, the house was built in about 1915 and that’s the way it was. When I bought the house the toilet wasn’t in use. I rebuilt it and the sink. I used it and my kids used it.
Do it.
Do it.
1320stang
Well-known member
I'm planning one on my shop porch (roughed in shower drain and toilet flange), its a 8'x50' porch and I had always planned on enclosing that half of it. I too plan on a Liberty type lift station with a grinder pump to my septic tank. I plan on putting a 2" trap seal insert in my shower drain, I also entertained the idea of the bathroom sink being trapless and open sight draining thru the shower wall which would go down the shower drain. But I'll have a shop sink on the other side of the wall in the shop that will have dirtier hands, so trap seal it is.
Attachments
bugnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Septic system minus the leach field also
Russell_Reid
Well-known member
Same here. The septic engineer told me "Doesn't matter how many places you can poop, it matters how many people are pooping."
dcg9381
Well-known member
Different places do it different ways. See above "how many people pooping" might be approximated with sqft.
Or by number of toilets.
Or by number of bedrooms.
Whatever.. But if your local jurisdiction cares, you gotta follow the rules if there would ever be a future inspection.
Hilltopmasonry
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 12, 2015
- Messages
- 2,167
I think most people think it’s a good idea to put a shower in a shop/ garage
but in reality showering in a shop/garage is not practical. Unless you’re the type to always have a change of clothes and all of your toiletries with you. Dont forget the floors in a shop or garage bathroom are usually pretty gross. I definitely would not want to strip down in there and would prefer to just wait until I get home.
I have known a few people that put a shower in garages and they rarely if ever get used. Usually, it’s a place to store junk.
The only true practical benefit is to use it as a safety shower to wash chemicals off in an emergency, but most people don’t use the amount of chemicals required to actually need a shower compared to a simple sink
When I built my garage, my neighbor was insistent that I put a shower in there and I kept telling him it would never get used so we just have a half bathroom in my garage that also doubles as the bathroom everybody uses when they are over hanging out by our pool to keep them out of the house
but in reality showering in a shop/garage is not practical. Unless you’re the type to always have a change of clothes and all of your toiletries with you. Dont forget the floors in a shop or garage bathroom are usually pretty gross. I definitely would not want to strip down in there and would prefer to just wait until I get home.
I have known a few people that put a shower in garages and they rarely if ever get used. Usually, it’s a place to store junk.
The only true practical benefit is to use it as a safety shower to wash chemicals off in an emergency, but most people don’t use the amount of chemicals required to actually need a shower compared to a simple sink
When I built my garage, my neighbor was insistent that I put a shower in there and I kept telling him it would never get used so we just have a half bathroom in my garage that also doubles as the bathroom everybody uses when they are over hanging out by our pool to keep them out of the house