Off grid shower and toilet solution needed

[TpXThinnr]

Hi, would be extremely grateful for any advice on the following.

I'm installing a bathroom (shower, toilet and sink) in my summer house. It has mains electricity but not water.

I've bought a power shower and a large Thetford cassette toilet.

The plan is to use water from a refillable storage tank or water butt through to a booster pump but not sure about how to connect everything to this water source.

Wondering whether I need a specific type of outdoor water tank with a tap or hole at the bottom and then do I just connect it to one pipe that will filter through to the pump and then onto the toilet, sink and shower.

If poss please advise.

Thank you

 

[oz-plumber]

You will need a pump that is connected to the water tank and the mains pressure.
The pump will determine itself whether to use the water in the tank or mains water.

You connect a sensor from the pump into the tank. When the tank is near empty it will automatically switch to mains supply.

Very hit and miss units.
We have had issues for years over here where once the unit goes to mains, it doesn't switch back.
So water tank full and overflowing, still using mains water.

Do some research on the pump setup to be installed and go for something with longest warranty and backup support.
( Generally those 2 conditions don't go hand in hand )

 

[TpXThinnr]

Thanks for the guidance, but just to clarify, mains water is not an option.

It will all have to run off a water tank. We have a power shower that apparently is designed for low or no pressure (Triton TAS2000SR) and thinking we could connect the 1000l water tank tap to a three way connector that splits to the toilet, shower and sink via a booster pump if necessary.

Do you think this is feasible?

Thanks

 

[Chuck]

AFAIK you'll need Building Regs approval for such a project and possibly Planning Permission. Not really a DIY exercise IMO. Also, shower, etc. fed from non-mains water and a storage tank will need a proper legionella risk assessment / testing regime.

 

[TpXThinnr]

That's very helpful to know! Thank you.

 

[oz-plumber]

It doesn't matter what plumbing you have downstream of the pump.

You have water tank, pump and then plumbing to fixtures.
There are specific pumps that have sensors on them to know when to use tank water or mains water.

The basic setup for us was to have this system connected to cisterns for toilet flushing.
Rainwater tanks only inclusion into the household was for toilet flushing and for garden watering or hose use.

By the way, due to failures of these pumps, between switching from tank to mains water for toilet flushing, and the cost of the water switching mechanism, most people when they failed, just deleted the water switching mechanism and connected the toilet flushing line to mains water.

Just another Government Incentive, that was enforced during the time of installation and was deleted soon after due to cost of replacement units. Now it's never heard of nor installed.