Site the Shower

• 1). Select a site for your outdoor solar shower where the afternoon sunlight is unobstructed.
  
  
• 2). Check to make sure that your shower site is within a hose length's distance from an exterior water faucet.
  
  
• 3). Locate your solar shower near an existing building both for privacy and to facilitate ease of setup.
  
  

Set It Up

• 1). Lay your garden hose on the roof of the building by your shower, beginning at the edge of the roof closest to the spigot and ending at the edge of the roof closest to your shower area. Give the hose an up-and-down wave shape and secure it to the roof with plastic scraps and wood screws. Caulk exposed screw heads to seal possible pinhole leaks in the roof.
  
  
• 2). Screw the brass shut-off coupler to the hose end, testing to make sure it is reachable from the ground level. Add the short hose length to the other end of the shut-off valve.
  
  
• 3). Build a 4-foot-square shower base. Use pressure-treated studs for the base frame. Add two evenly spaced stud pieces within the frame from side to side to add weight and stability. Cover the top with 1-by-4-inch slats, leaving roughly 1/2-inch spaces between each piece to allow water to drain through. Apply urethane to the base for water resistance.
  
  
• 4). Using four pressure-treated, 7-foot-high studs as the four corners of the stall, attach the posts using hex bolts and nuts through the sides of the shower base.
  
  
• 5). Tie the posts together at the top using four lengths of pressure-treated two-by-fours. Nail the two-by-fours to the posts.
  
  
• 6). Create a roof by applying a 6-by-6-foot piece of fiberglass or metal roofing over your framework. Or, to let the sun through, nail widely spaced 1-by-4-inch slats across the top framework. Apply similar materials around three sides of the shower stall for privacy, leaving the fourth wall open or curtained for access.
  
  
• 7). Screw your utility hook into one top framing stud.
  
  
• 8). Suspend your watering can by the handle from the utility hook, with the sprinkler head directly above the center front of the shower stall.
  
  
• 9). Place the end of the short hose into the can, securing it to the framing stud and the watering can with plastic strapping. Secure the strapping to the can using a plastic zip tie, if necessary.
  
  

Add Water

• 1). Prior to showering, fill the rooftop solar heating hose with water from the spigot, making sure the shut-off valve at the opposite end is closed.
  
  
• 2). Allow 2 to 5 hours for the filled hose to heat in the sun, depending on your location and weather.
  
  
• 3). To shower, turn the water faucet on low and reach up to open the shut-off valve. Test the water to make sure it is not overly hot. Stand beneath it and let the combination of gravity and a slight push from the faucet send a warm cascade of solar-warmed water down on your head. Ahhh.
  
  
• 4). When you begin to feel the cold water from the faucet come through, turn off the shut-off valve, turn off the faucet and allow the new water to warm for the next person in line.