How to Install a Copper Outdoor Shower: Plumbing, Drainage and Winter Care

Outdoor shower installation comes down to three things: getting water to the shower, getting it away again, and draining the lines before winter. Most outdoor showers mount on an exterior wall with water lines on the other side, connect to standard 1/2-inch supply lines, and drain into gravel, a dry well or a drain your local code allows. Here's how to install an outdoor shower, step by step.

1. Choose the spot

• Close to existing plumbing. A wall shared with a kitchen, bathroom or laundry room is the easiest and usually the cheapest place, because the supply lines are already inside.
• Privacy. Look for a corner out of sight of neighbors, or plan a screen or enclosure.
• Sun. A spot that gets direct sun dries faster, which keeps mold and mildew down.
• Drainage. Pick ground where water can drain away from the house, not toward the foundation.
• Convenience. Near the pool, the beach path or the garden door, wherever people come in wet or muddy.

2. Pick the right shower

A wall-mounted shower fixes to an exterior wall, fence or post where water is available. Our wall-mounted copper shower measures 48 inches tall with a 15-inch reach and fits standard 1/2-inch plumbing. Where there is no wall, such as a pool deck or a patio, our floor-mounted shower stands on its own at 85 inches tall, with two handles for hot and cold and a copper handheld; it needs a solid base and supply lines run underground. If you only have one water line, the single-feed shower connects to it with one handle.

3. Outdoor shower plumbing: bring water to the shower

Cold water only

The simplest setup taps the line that feeds an outdoor faucet. It suits a rinse-off shower by the pool or the beach, and a single-feed shower is made for it.

Hot and cold water

To get hot water to an outdoor shower, extend the house's hot and cold supply lines through the wall to a two-handle shower, which lets you mix the temperature. A cheaper option is to add an outdoor hot-water faucet next to the existing cold one and run both to the shower, though the lines stay exposed. Where the house lines are far away, a small tankless water heater near the shower is another route.

Pipes and shut-offs

Use supply pipe rated for drinking water and hot water, such as copper, PEX or CPVC; plain PVC is meant for drains, not hot supply lines. Put a shut-off valve for the shower inside the house, where it stays warm, and add a drain valve at the low point so the lines can be emptied for winter. Most residential showers use 1/2-inch supply lines, and our copper showers connect to them directly.

4. Outdoor shower drainage

Where the water goes matters as much as where it comes from. The common options:

• Soak into the ground. For a rinse-off shower in well-drained soil, a bed of gravel under the shower can be enough.
• French drain. A perforated pipe in a gravel-filled trench carries water away from the house and lets it soak in along the way.
• Dry well. An underground pit or perforated barrel surrounded by gravel holds the water while it drains into the soil. It's often paired with a French drain or a shower pan.
• Shower pan. A pan under the floor collects the water and sends it through a hose to a sewer or septic line, a French drain, a dry well or porous ground away from the house.

Some local codes require a proper drain for gray water, or where runoff could reach the foundation, so check before you build. If the water soaks into your yard, use biodegradable soap. For the floor, decking boards with gaps, or stone or pavers set on gravel, all drain well; slope the floor away from the house.

5. Check permits

Rules vary by town, especially for new plumbing and drain connections. Check with your local building department before you start, so the work doesn't have to be redone.

6. Install the shower

With the water lines and drainage in place, the shower itself goes in quickly:

1. Shut off the water and bring the hot and cold lines, or the single line, out through the wall at the height the instructions call for.
2. Mount the valve body and connect it to the supply lines.
3. Attach the copper riser, the shower arm and the head, then fix the brackets to the wall, or the base to the floor.
4. Connect the handheld if your model has one.
5. Turn the water back on, check every joint for leaks, and seal around the wall openings.

Our wall-mounted and single-feed showers come with an installation video. If you're opening walls or tying into the house's hot water, it's worth having a plumber make the connections.

7. How to winterize an outdoor shower

Water left in an outdoor shower can freeze, split the pipes and the valve, and cause water damage. Where winters freeze:

1. Close the shut-off valve inside the house.
2. Open the shower's handles and the drain valve to let the lines empty.
3. Take the handheld and its hose indoors.
4. Leave the shower valves open over winter, so any water left inside has room to expand.

If you want to use the shower year-round, insulate the supply lines and wrap any exposed pipe with electric heat cable.

8. Care for copper outdoors

Outdoors, unlacquered copper darkens to a deep bronze, and over the years it can develop a green patina, called verdigris, like a copper roof. Both are natural and don't affect how the shower works. If you prefer the bright copper look, a copper cleaner or a mix of lemon and salt brings back the shine. For how copper and brass differ, see copper vs brass.

What does an outdoor shower cost?

As a rough guide, wall-mounted outdoor showers cost $100 to $500, freestanding models $500 to $2,000, and installation anywhere from about $500 to $8,000, depending on the plumbing, the drainage and any enclosure. Our copper outdoor showers start at about $395 and ship free to the US, and a copper handheld can be added to most setups.

FAQ

Can a shower go on an outside wall?

Yes. Outdoor showers are made to mount on exterior walls. In cold climates, keep the supply lines in the warm part of the wall where you can, and make sure they can be drained.

Are shower lines 1/2 or 3/4 inch?

Most residential showers use 1/2-inch supply lines, and our copper outdoor showers fit standard 1/2-inch plumbing.

Can you use PVC pipe for an outdoor shower?

Not for the hot water supply. Use copper, PEX or CPVC for supply lines. PVC is fine for drain lines.

Do I need hot water?

No. A cold-only shower is simpler and is all many people want after the pool or the beach. If you want warm showers, plan the hot line before you build.