How To Do An Outside Shower
How to Do an Outside Shower at Home — Without the Plumbing Project Everyone Warns You About
You don't need to re-plumb the house or pour a concrete base to have an outdoor shower. Here's how to set one up the easy way — and the one thing that decides whether you'll actually use it.
Almost everyone wants an outdoor shower. Almost no one thinks they can have one.
Rinse off after the sea or the pool. Hose the kids down before they trail sand through the house. Wash the dog, the bike, your muddy legs after a trail run — without any of it ending up in the bathroom. An outdoor shower is one of those things that quietly makes a home feel ten times nicer.
But the moment most people look into it, they hit the same wall: visions of digging up the garden, laying drainage, hiring a plumber, pouring a base. It sounds like a summer-long project with a four-figure bill. So they park the idea.
Here's the good news, after I went down this exact rabbit hole myself: a usable outdoor shower is far simpler than the internet makes it look. You need surprisingly little — and the bit that actually matters is the one most people get wrong.
→ Skip ahead — show me the simple setupWhy an Outdoor Shower Sounds Harder Than It Is
When people picture an outdoor shower, they picture a spa: tiled walls, a built-in base, hidden plumbing. That's a renovation. It's also completely unnecessary for what most of us actually want, which is somewhere outside to rinse things — and ourselves — with warm water.
Strip it back and an outdoor shower only really needs two things:
- A water supply — ideally warm, fed from a tap or wall you already have.
- Somewhere for the water to go — which, for a rinse-off shower, is usually just the ground.
That's it. Everything else — the screen, the decking, the nice tap — is optional styling you can add later. Sort those two things and you have a working outdoor shower this weekend.
The Bit Everyone Gets Wrong: Warm Water
Here's where most DIY outdoor showers fail. People run a hose to a shower head, try it once, get blasted with freezing mains water — and never use it again. A cold outdoor shower gets used twice a year.
Outdoor taps run off the cold mains, sitting at roughly 8–12°C in the UK. That's a gasp-inducing temperature to stand under, and miserable for kids and pets.
The myth is that warm water means a plumber and a hot feed run out to the garden. It doesn't. There are two simple ways to get a genuinely warm outdoor shower — and a third for when there's no power at all.
The Easy Ways to Get a Warm Outdoor Shower
- A proper fitted outdoor shower. A sleek wall unit that gives temperature-controlled warm water — up to 55°C — straight from an outdoor wall point.
- 30-minute DIY fit. It connects under any sink (kitchen, utility, garage) to your existing hot and cold feed. No digging, no concrete, no big job — a plumber would do it in half an hour if you'd rather.
- Strong, fast flow with a swivel shower head — comfortable for showering off, powerful enough for the dog, the bike and the car.
- Neat and permanent. Always there, always warm, blends into the wall.
- Zero installation. Cold hose into one side, plug into a socket, set your temperature — warm water in seconds. Nothing fixed to the wall.
- Move it anywhere. Garden, patio, side return, campsite — anywhere with a cold supply and a plug.
- Cheap to run at around 30p an hour, with a gentle, comfortable flow.
- Perfect for renters or anyone who doesn't want to commit to a fixed fitting.
No power nearby? Going off-grid? The 5L Portable Washer needs no electricity at all — fill it with warm water and it stays warm for 2–3 hours. Ideal for camping, festivals, the beach, the allotment or a garden with no outdoor socket.
Which Setup Should You Choose?
| Home Wall Shower | Plug-In Mini | 5L Portable | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup | 30-min DIY fit under a sink | Plug into a socket | Fill & go |
| Power needed | None (uses your hot feed) | Standard socket | None at all |
| Warm water | Up to 55°C, high pressure | Comfortable warm, gentle | Pre-filled, stays warm 2–3 hrs |
| Best for | A permanent home outdoor shower | Renters & no-install | Camping & off-grid |
| From | £134 | £124 | See price |
What an Outdoor Shower Is Actually Great For
Once it's there, you'll wonder how you managed without it:
- Rinsing off after the sea or pool
- Sandy, muddy kids before they go in
- The dog after a wet walk
- Post-run, post-gym, post-garden cool-down
- Hot tub & swim-spa rinse-off
- Surfers, swimmers & wetsuits
- Bikes, boots & the car
- Hosing down before you step inside
How to Set Up an Outdoor Shower — Step by Step
- Pick the spotSomewhere near an outdoor wall or tap, with a bit of privacy if you'll be showering yourself. Against the house wall is easiest for a fitted unit.
- Sort simple drainageFor a rinse-off shower you rarely need a drain — a bed of gravel or a small soakaway lets clean water away into the ground. Near a patio, angle it toward an existing drain or a planted border.
- Choose your warm-water sourcePermanent? The Home Wall Shower (30-min fit). No install? The Plug-In Mini. Off-grid? The 5L Portable. This is the step that makes the shower worth having.
- Connect and set the temperatureFit or plug in your unit, attach the shower head, and dial in a comfortable warm. Warm in seconds — no waiting, no kettle.
- Add the nice-to-haves laterA privacy screen, decking duckboard or a hook for towels can come whenever. The working shower is done on day one.
What Other Owners Say
Verified reviews from PetJet customers
"Easy to set up, and with the temperature set warm the water is perfect for rinsing off outside — the flow is excellent."
Verified review · Trustpilot
"Finally have a proper warm outdoor shower without a huge plumbing bill. Worth the wait — really pleased with it."
Verified review · Trustpilot
"Genuine life saver. Warm water outside for the kids, the dog and the bikes — no more mess through the house."
Natasha H. · verified owner
Outdoor Showers — Quick Questions
Do you need plumbing for an outdoor shower?
Not for a simple one. A plug-in unit needs only a cold hose and a socket. A fitted warm shower connects under any sink in about 30 minutes — a small job, not a re-plumb.
How does an outdoor shower drain?
For a rinse-off shower, water can soak away into a bed of gravel or a small soakaway — no formal drain needed. For heavier use, angle it toward an existing drain or a planted border.
Can you have a warm or hot outdoor shower?
Yes — and it's the difference between one you use daily and one you never touch. You can get warm water from a plug-in unit or a fitted wall unit (up to 55°C) without a full plumbing job.
Do I need planning permission for an outdoor shower?
A simple outdoor shower usually doesn't need planning permission in the UK, but it's always worth checking with your local council — especially for listed buildings or conservation areas.
Can I use an outdoor shower in winter?
Yes, with warm water. A plug-in or portable unit can be brought indoors and stored, while a fitted unit should have its outdoor pipework drained or insulated against frost.
⚠️ A Quick Note on Availability
PetJet is a small British team, and outdoor-shower season is their busiest stretch — warm spells and the muddy months both send these flying out the door.
If they're in stock when you read this, it's worth sorting now. When a batch sells out:
- There can be a wait for the next run
- Current bundle pricing isn't guaranteed to return
- They're sold direct — not on Amazon or in shops
Two Ways This Goes
The outdoor shower stays a "one day" project. Another summer of sand through the house and freezing hose rinses.
Same mess, same faff, same idea you never quite get round to.
Fit the Home Wall in half an hour, or just plug in the Mini. Warm water, outside, ready whenever.
Rinse off after the beach, hose the kids and the dog down, wash the bike — all before anyone comes inside.