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Cabin: No indoor plumbing

Double_B | Posted in General Discussion on March 28, 2008 10:39am

Anybody have any clever ideas for putting a bathroom in a cabin that has no running water? Currently have a 20×24 “cabin”(T-11 sided) and am thinking of putting an addition on to put a small bathroom and kitchen. Currently have a kitchen area but would make that a mudroom possibly. Right now we bucket water in for washing dishes. Thought of a holding tank with a small pump or use gravity….just need to fill the tank when we go up. We have an outhouse that we use so there wouldn’t be solids going out…just gray water.

Didn’t know if anybody has come across anything really clever that they’d share.

Thanks

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Replies

  1. User avater
    MarkH | Mar 28, 2008 10:52pm | #1

    Put in a small cistern.  Have a hand pump (or electric) to pump water.  I would do that if it rains where the cabin is located.

    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae029

    http://www.plastic-mart.com/class.php?cat=6

  2. rez | Mar 28, 2008 10:55pm | #2

    Double-B,

     Can you provide us with a bit more data regarding specifics

    as location which helps define heating clime questions, well potential and the like?

     Cheers

     

     

    Get a Peach full,
    easy feelin'.

     

  3. mike_maines | Mar 28, 2008 11:17pm | #3

    I haven't done it but always thought a small solar-powered pump to push water up to a holding tank in the attic would work well.  Couple it with a loop of pipe on the roof and you could have hot water too.

    Hand pumps push a surprising amount of water too.

  4. raggamuffin | Mar 29, 2008 01:07am | #4

    You didn't mention what/where your source of water would come from, but......

    I have a summer cottage on an island where there is no central electricity or running water.  I collect rainwater (gutters/plastic tank under the cottage) and use a pressure activated 12v pump to feed the toilet, garden hoses and sink for dishwashing.  Because the tank is under the cottage and therefore does not get any sunlight there is virtually no algae growth in the tank.  I installed a small water filter between the pump and the faucets to further clean/filter the water.  I have a screen filter on the downspout to keep any leave particles and other stuff from washing off the roof into the tank.

    I have a small PV solar array system mounted on the roof, connected to deep cell 12v batteries with a charge controller, etc.... to power the system.

    While the initial up-front costs were a bit steep, the system has been 'free' since I installed it in 1991.  Same PV array, same batteries, replaced the water pump once for +/- $100.00.

    Drain it in the fall, top off the batteries and that's it.

    I've expanded my PV array system over the years to provide 110 power with an inverter, etc....., but the original water system is still intact.

     

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