Thunderstorm Rain Shower
Invention

June 11, in Tucson, the outside air temperature is 108º. That’s HOT!

Here is an invention to help those who are lucky enough to have a back yard with a hose bib nearby.










The pieces are connected with 4 inch lengths of 3/4 inch PVC pipe using PVC primer and glue on each connection.. In the above photo, the “slip” connections are, from right to left:


  • 1. PVC L to a garden hose (GH) female. This is the water input and should be fed with a white garden hose to keep the Sun from heating the “cold” water. Put a garden hose shut-off valve at the end of the garden hose to act as a master ON / OFF. That way, when you get the HOT and COLD settings just right for a warm shower, you can turn the shower on and off while keeping those settings.
  • 2. PVC T to a GH male output. Since the Thunderstorm Rain Shower “steals” the garden hose bib, this is where a garden hose can connect, instead. If not needed, cover the male GH connector with a GH cap (with a washer inside) as shown to the right.
  • 3. PVC T to a GH male output to send water to the the solar coils input. The solar coils can be 100, 200 or 300 feet of black garden hose laid out in coils so they are in the Sun.
  • 4. a PVC water valve which is the COLD of an ordinary shower
  • 5. a PVC T to a PVC valve to a GH female which connects to the solar coils output. This is the HOT of an ordinary shower.
  • 6. a PVC T to an L that starts the water going up towards the down-pointing shower head
  • 7. a PVC valve that turns the down-pointing shower on and off
  • 8. a PVC L to a PVC 45º (not pictured in the above drawing—shown on post-it notes) that connects to a 1/2 inch pipe thread adaptor that connects to the down-pointing shower head
  • 9. a PVC valve that allows water to flow up to the up-pointing shower head. The valve connects to a long piece of 1/2 in tubing that ends in a PVC to 1/2 inch pipe thread adaptor that connects to the up-pointing shower head


NOTES

  • 1. In scorching hot weather the up spray shoots water high into the air. As the droplets rise and fall back down, they evaporate which chills the water. The result? A thunderstorm-like cold rain shower (without the thunder or lightning) any time you want one. On a really hot day, this is a great treat.

  • 2. Be careful with the solar hot water! The water in the black garden hose will be VERY hot. Open the HOT valve slowly but only if the cold water valve is open all the way. If you open the hot water valve  fully and still want the shower a little hotter,  SLOWLY close the cold water valve until you get the temperature you want.

    Men: for shaving outside, close the upper shower valve and use a gentle spray from the lower nozzle by turning down the lower shower valve a little. This will keep the hot water from being used up. Get the water good and hot as described, above. Soak your face for a minute and continue using the hot water as you shave. Even a 100 foot black garden hose will provide plenty of hot water for a leisurely shave.

  • 3. The assembly can be mounted to a long T post using two metal hose clamps. Clamp the assembly at the bottom for support and near the top to hold the up-pointing shower pipe. Set the height of the shower assembly so that you can just barely reach the up-pointing shower head while standing on the ground.

  • 4. Thermodynamics has an effect on water stored on the ground at night. Each night, the ground heat radiates back into space. The water in the hot water coils is VERY hot during the day, but in the morning it is ice cold. It’s an amazing phenomenon that is hard to accept. So: no hot showers until the Sun is on the solar coils for an hour or more.

  • 5. Both shower heads need to have their (absurd) restrictor discs knocked out with a tap from a screw driver. If you don’t remove them, you will have a trickle—not a shower.





  • 6. The breeze will cause the shower to fall in different locations depending on the direction the wind is going. Adjust the aim of the high shower head by watching where the “rain” is falling. If the shower point moves around, just follow it.

    On breezy, hot days, just use the lower shower to get wet. The breeze will cool you as it evaporates the water off your skin.

  • 7. When the 100º plus weather makes me too hot, I walk up to the shower, turn a valve, and enjoy a nice cold rain shower. In one or two minutes, when I feel chilled down, I turn off the shower, go back to the porch, put on a robe and go back into the house.

  • 8. The wildlife really likes the rain and the puddles that come from using it. Hummingbirds are particularly fond of dive bombing the high shower spray


Enjoy!

Sherman



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