EcoRenovator  

Go Back   EcoRenovator > Improvements > EcoRenovator Blog Discussion
Advanced Search
 


Blog 60+ Home Energy Saving Tips Recent Posts Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-13-10, 08:20 AM   #1
SVOboy
Administrator
 
SVOboy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 291
Thanks: 3
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Default Enclosed Showers – More Comfortable & More Efficient

I think most of us know that showers are a fairly decent energy hog. We try to make them better by installing low flow shower heads, turning the water off while soaping up, or using a timer to get you out of the shower quicker. These are great things and do save a [...]Post from: EcoRenovator.org

Enclosed Showers – More Comfortable & More Efficient



More...

SVOboy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-10, 05:30 PM   #2
tasdbois
Lurking Renovator
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Mirabel, QC
Posts: 28
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Default

Thanks for that post. As a new homeowner, this is something I will definitely look into.
tasdbois is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-13-10, 06:01 PM   #3
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

Its something I've been wanting to do for a while. It just seems to make sense.
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-10, 05:39 PM   #4
Xringer
Lex Parsimoniae
 
Xringer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Woburn, MA
Posts: 4,918
Thanks: 114
Thanked 250 Times in 230 Posts
Default

One of those domes would be so great in the winter! Great idea!

Does anyone make them in the USA??
Xringer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-10, 09:14 PM   #5
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

The instructables article had links to these two other sites:

Bathroom Products
Steam Shower Doors & Enclosures - Steam Showers | Steam Showers | Artistcraft Shower Doors
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-14-10, 09:43 PM   #6
RobertSmalls
Journeyman EcoRenovator
 
RobertSmalls's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 344
Thanks: 3
Thanked 17 Times in 15 Posts
Default

I'd like to do this, but I can't figure out how to make it work with my freestanding tub, which has shower curtains all around.
RobertSmalls is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-10, 05:59 AM   #7
Daox
Administrator
 
Daox's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Germantown, WI
Posts: 5,525
Thanks: 1,162
Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts
Default

I'd imagine the best solution would be to get a sliding door for it. Or, just do like the instructables guy did and use plastic film. You could have the hard plexi/lexan top and then drape the plastic film on the inside of the shower curtain. It wouldn't be perfect, but much better I'm sure. Then, just slide your curtains all the way to the sides as much as you can while showering.
__________________
Current project -
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.



To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
&
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Daox is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-10, 11:45 AM   #8
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default Wet Room...

Quote:
Originally Posted by SVOboy View Post
I think most of us know that showers are a fairly decent energy hog...
Not at all off topic is the bathroom (actually 'wet room') that I have been working on for some months now.

At 700 sq. ft., my house is fairly small, so anything I can do to conserve space makes a big difference.

I'm not one who thinks that a bathroom is a tropical luxury paradise that can be an escape from worries and cares. I discovered a Scandinavian approach which combines all the bathroom functions into one efficient space commonly called a 'wet room'. Since the room is a shower, the floor and walls need to be water tight. This is accomplished by using a waterproof plastic membrane, sandwiched between layers of concrete, and topped with tile.

So here's a photo of the room, shot from the ceiling. The dimensions of the room is 32 inches wide by 52 inches long by 84 inches high. That's about 50% larger than a phone booth (remember phone booths?).


A. This is where the sink goes. I found a very stylish small sink with a nicely finished waste line, so it will be nice looking. To the upper-right of the "A" is water inlet and sink waste out.

B. This is the bathroom drain. For the finished floor, I figured .25 inch to the foot minimum slope.

C. Not part of the room exactly, this is a plastic pipe that carries phone & data cables from the 2nd floor to the basement.

D. Installed, but hardly visible is a water line for the Toto Washlet which will mount on the toilet. I decided to go with the Japanese convention and not heat the bathroom, The shower will provide enough warmth for the floor tile, and the Toto Washlet features a heated toilet seat.

E. GFI power outlet for the Toto Washlet.

F. This is a Geberit in-wall dual-flush toilet carrier. I have a Toto wall-hung toilet that will bolt to this carrier. The carrier has a flush water inlet and also a waste line outlet.

G. This is the shower controler. I have it covered with foam pieces to save my scalp while I'm working in this close space. Shower outlet is too high to see in photo.

H. This was the original toilet waste line hole, before I decided to go with the wall-hung toilet. I plugged it back up and epoxied it to within an inch of it's life.

I. This is my shoe for visual scale.

J. This is the door opening. Width is 22 inches by 74 inches high.

K. The shower controller had an optional tub outlet, so I ran it down to about 12 inches above the floor. I have attached a pneumatic hose fitting for yet-to-be-defined-purposes.

(Not shown is a small opening window above the toilet carrier. The top of the window is right at the top of the room, and may be enough for ventilation. I have allowed room for a power vent if I need to add it later.)

To a certain extent, a smaller bathroom will be a less expensive bathroom. But in my case, I set such extreme conditions for the size and function that the cost was higher.

(* No small benefit of this bathroom arrangement is that every time the shower is used, the bathroom gets washed down. *)

Regards,

-AC_Hacker

P.S. - Today, the pre-pan goes down. Photos to follow.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	wet-room.jpg
Views:	1692
Size:	47.9 KB
ID:	931  

Last edited by AC_Hacker; 09-15-10 at 12:02 PM..
AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-10, 05:31 PM   #9
RobertSmalls
Journeyman EcoRenovator
 
RobertSmalls's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 344
Thanks: 3
Thanked 17 Times in 15 Posts
Default

So your toilet is inside the shower stall? That would take some getting used to. Like, what if you're wearing socks and you'd like to use the toilet after someone showered? You'll still need a dressing room, a mirror, and a medicine cabinet outside the stall, right?
RobertSmalls is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-15-10, 06:30 PM   #10
AC_Hacker
Supreme EcoRenovator
 
AC_Hacker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 4,004
Thanks: 303
Thanked 723 Times in 534 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertSmalls View Post
So your toilet is inside the shower stall?
That is correct. When you take a shower, everything gets wet.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertSmalls View Post
Like, what if you're wearing socks and you'd like to use the toilet after someone showered?
Well, it's just me living here, so many of the usual issues are not issues. But I think I'll put some flip flops near the door in case that situation occurred.

Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertSmalls View Post
You'll still need a dressing room, a mirror, and a medicine cabinet outside the stall, right?
The whole house is the dressing room... And my plan is to put a tiled niche in the wall over the sink with a mirror as the door.

-AC_Hacker

AC_Hacker is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:11 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger
Inactive Reminders By Icora Web Design