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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 12:10pm
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Dang it, I spent a good part of yesterday under the cabin plumbing my indoor shower, which I have been slowly getting worthy (I usually shower outside) out to the hillside.
This morning I realized I could have, should have, put in a P trap. Looking online it says mainly for sewage backup issues. This though is a separate pipe, not connected to anything else.
Only reason I can think of needing one is to keep mice out. There is a 1/4" grate at the drain entrance. If I really should have a P trap I'm thinking I could put it out by the hillside exit, would be a little tough under the cabin floor.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 12:28pm
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The only thing I know about plumbing traps is they block sewer gas from coming inside. Mice? How about 1/4" wire screen on the end of the pipe?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 12:52pm
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Thanks Dave, yeah I thought about the screen too. If no real need for the trap that's what I'll do.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 01:13pm
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Insects, rodents and gas; with a screen on the end that will still let out the water fast enough, or maybe one of those downspout 'soaker' extensions, I dont think you will have any prob.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 02:24pm
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Quoting: gcrank1 maybe one of those downspout 'soaker' extensions,
Another good idea!
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 03:06pm
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Make it easy to clean.... hair.
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rpe
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 06:25pm
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Stick in a HepVo valve instead of a P-strap. I learned about them here searching old cabin threads. We used them in our cottage and have had no issues. Perfect for the intermittent winter user, as there's no P-trap to remember to drain at the end of each visit. They mount horizontal or vertical as well.
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Steve961
Member
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# Posted: 7 Apr 2022 09:02pm
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Quoting: rpe Stick in a HepVo valve instead of a P-strap. I learned about them here searching old cabin threads. We used them in our cottage and have had no issues. Perfect for the intermittent winter user, as there's no P-trap to remember to drain at the end of each visit. They mount horizontal or vertical as well.
This. I have HepVo valves on two separate sinks and the shower at my cabin. The shower HepVo is mounted horizontally which allowed me to install the trap inside, instead of under, my cabin. My shower pan is raised above the floor about 7" to support this though.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2022 06:32am
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I don’t have a trap on my shower. Just the grate on the shower floor drain.
8 years with no issues
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jsahara24
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2022 07:58am
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Quoting: FishHog I don’t have a trap on my shower
No septic fume issues?
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SE Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2022 11:44am
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I use a rubber P trap. Freeze friendly, installed 10 years ago, no issues. If a ring gets dropped in, easy retrieval... https://www.amazon.com/LASCO-25-6860-Flexible-Rubber-P-Trap/dp/B00ITPGPAC
SE Ohio
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BobW
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2022 12:29pm
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The trap is to prevent sewer gas from septic or sewer system entering the house. If the shower drains directly outside, one is not needed. No gas. Don't call the inspector. A hardware cloth cover over the outlet hopefully will keep rodents out, but it will clog with hair and thus should be removable to clean.
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rpe
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2022 01:35pm
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We used to have our shower drain pipe just open, and in winter the cold air would get pulled into the bathroom so much it felt like a meat locker. We ended up tossing a blanket over the shower drain, and stored our cold beverages in there with the door closed! That HepVo valve I mentioned earlier was installed the following year, and the problem was solved.
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Nobadays
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2022 01:46pm
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Quoting: rpe in winter the cold air would get pulled into the bathroom so much it felt like a meat locker. We ended up tossing a blanket over the shower drain,
We lived in an old housing Block in China with no dropped ceiling so you could see the plumbing from the bathroom directly above..... no P-Traps on the main floor drain! (A wet shower, no dedicated enclosure) The apartment stunk like sewer gas until we were taught a simple trick. Double up a couple of shopping bags and fill part way up with water, tie it off and plop it over the floor drain. Bob's your uncle! No more smell, and no more critters crawling up the drain pipe. Would work for Paul year round, but maybe not in the winter where it could freeze up.
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2022 06:37pm
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Hmmm.. I'm confused..
I have owned an RV for over 20 years and I have never drained a P-trap for winter. I just pour a few glugs of antifreeze down it and call it good. Never had one break or crack in all those years. I can't see how that would happen as there is more then enough room for expansion.
I like the other suggestions, but hard to swallow a $40 HepVo valve (price here in Canada) when a P-trap is like $4
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2022 07:21pm
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Do they really freeze and break even without rv anti-freeze? There is no containment; ie, the water freezing can expand in both directions.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2022 07:28pm
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I’ve had them freeze and break. It was in my dads workshop 10 years after he passed away. I just never gave it any thought until it was leaking in the spring.
So yes they can but seem to be fairly resistant. Antifreeze is an easy solution or draining if your not worried about sewer gas coming back through
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rpe
Member
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# Posted: 11 Apr 2022 08:48pm
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Quoting: travellerw I like the other suggestions, but hard to swallow a $40 HepVo valve (price here in Canada) when a P-trap is like $4
I bought a bunch of the HepVo's from a guy that was clearing out inventory of a closed up RV fabricator. Ended up they were the around the price of a P-trap. I'll agree, $40 is on the steep side, but one frozen and cracked P-trap would cause enough grief to make it worthwhile.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 13 Apr 2022 02:00pm
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I was at Ace hardware getting some other stuff and, being both cheap and lazy, decided I'd try gcrank's low tech suggestion. $9 for an 8' piece, enough to do both the sink and shower. The pipe in the middle runs to a 500 gallon black water holding tank, gets pumped once or twice a year, 100 bucks per.
Photo taken before covering with duff. As yet untested.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2022 12:52pm - Edited by: paulz
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Now that that's in place, I've completed work on the indoor part..
When I scabbed the bathroom onto the back of the cabin I had no shower parts or plans, so I just put valves down behind the toilet. Then, driving to the cabin one day was a yard sale sign, not a mile away, and I picked up this new but cheap plastic shower stall for $20, including the pan. Then a friend gave me the neat brass valve setup. Made the curtain rod out of PVC. I just bought the two braided dishwasher hoses and hooked them up yesterday. Won't win in best cabins and showers but it does the job.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 15 Apr 2022 01:47pm
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Hey, thats got a bit of a 'steam-punk' look 
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2022 08:53pm
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Just wait till I add a couple more elbows and 45s.
Been getting some much needed wet weather at the cabin, so I've been farting around inside. Needed a back splash and toothbrush holder for the sink, so I grabbed an old redwood sliver from milling my siding a long time ago. It was gray and dirty. Found some Deckswood cleaner on the shelf, brushed it on and whamo, 10 minutes later is looks like it came right off the mill. Also hacked out a quick toothbrush holder.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2022 09:42pm
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Well Done.
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 18 Apr 2022 11:36pm
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Love it.. We also reused a shower stall (got it for free). Ours is more traditional looking, but I think I like yours better!
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 30 May 2022 01:00pm
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Quoting: paulz Just wait till I add a couple more elbows and 45s.
Told ya, lol. Through a lot of naked trips to the L10 knobs outside, I have finally gotten it set for indoor shower use, had a couple of good showers. Flow knob all the way down (so it turns on at lowest pressure) and temp knob almost all the way down. The result is the hot on all the way in the shower and crack the cold just enough to cool it down but not enough that it lowers the pressure and turns off the L10. Once set, don't touch it! Problem was every shower head I have tried that has an off position still leaks enough when off that the pump cycles every few seconds while soaping down or shaving. So I put in a another valve up top that shuts off the water without changing the settings. Had the parts already in my ever expanding plumbing box.
Thinking about trying another, larger, pressure tank. That would cut down the cycling but when you want hot water it has to cycle through the water in the pressure tank, I think..
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