The Shower

 I was going to write one big blog about each system on the ambulance but I think it would be too long. So I am going to review each one independently.

The shower

I built a very unique shower system. It recycles the water indefinitely.

Starting off with the shower room. I used an outdoor compartment that use to house the hard flat boards for neck injuries. I removed all the vertical dividers and shelves and built the room. 

The shower room.

So it is a little awkward because you have to leave the main living space and go outside to get in the shower room. But that was the only way to make it work without major construction.

The walk to the shower room.

I make the walk in my swimsuit and flip flops. It was a little chilly when I was in the Northern Rockies!

Underneath the shower I built a fiberglass holding tank. I'm not exactly sure how many gallons I'm guessing 12 to 15. That is where the water starts it's journey. The water is pumped from there to a cleanable screen filter that catches hair and sand before it goes to the pump. After the pump it goes to a three stage filter system.

Filters and pumps

After the filters the water T's off one back to the cold water side of the shower and the other through the 3 gallon hot water heater then back to the shower.

The end result was supposed to be an unlimited hot water shower because the used water has already been heated and returns to the hot water heater. (That was the plan anyway.)

The learning curve.

So starting off with fresh water and 80 degree temperature in Oklahoma the system worked perfect. Unlimited clean hot water. 

The problems.

Once I got in the colder weather the three gallon hot water heater was not able to keep up with the near freezing water that was being pumped in from the holding tank below the shower. The best I can tell for unlimited hot showers the outside air needs to be above 60 degrees. If it's colder you will eventually run out of hot water. It still holds enough hot water for a quick hot shower. You can also run the shower without being in it and cycle all the water through the heater then wait for the water in the heater to get hot again but that uses a lot of power.

The second problem is if you are really dirty you don't want to contaminate the system. The way I solved that problem is a quick outdoor rinse before you get in the shower. 

If you use this option that water is not recycled and is lost. But it doesn't contaminate the filter system.

The third problem is after about two weeks the water started to smell a little. So now I am treating the water similar to the way you would treat a pool. I am not putting enough chemical in to make it smell like a pool. Just enough to keep things from growing in the tank  I am going to get a water tester and get everything dialed in. 

The forth problem. No more peeing in the shower.

Now I'm sure some people are asking why all that extra work, maintenance, and money in the build. When I went camping for 4 months 15 years ago that was one of the things I hated most - the camper needed to get water and dump every three days. 

It has been 19 days since I filled up with water. I'm not sure how long it will go. I have only eaten out twice during this time. The potable water tank is different from the shower it holds around 40 gallons. So I cook, do dishes, make coffee, water sis, brush my teeth, etc. out of that tank. I am not going to fill up until I run out. I want to see how many days it will go. 

Conclusion

I am extremely happy with the system. If I was to change anything I would make the holding tank smaller I think that would solve the colder climate problem. Although with a smaller tank I couldn't take very many outdoor showers. I guess the best solution is to stay in warm places!