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Wow, I didn't realize it had been over a week since I last posted. I'm sure it felt like longer than that for some of you, though.

So I've finally been able to get around to starting on the plumbing. I had to order some tanks, order some fittings, pick up this, get that... and all the while, I didn't really have a clear picture in my head of what I was going to do. I'll admit, for a few days there I was hesitating. Some of these things, such as the water tank or the shower walls, are expensive, and I don't want to cut holes in anything only to later realize that the plan would be better suited with those holes cut elsewhere! It wasn't until I started cutting holes, though, that the plan started coming together, so I'm hoping it'll all work out.

So, first, let's go back to where we left off last.

Here's the rough kitchen counter, slightly revised. As I said before, I wasn't happy with the length, so I cut it down some. I'm more satisfied with it as it is now. Also, while I was at it, I raised the cabinets up off the ground a few inches to allow for some foot room. Actually, I was allowing for foot room before, but then the entire cabinets were pushed back. Now just the bottom 3 inches are, which effectively means I have a little more depth to my cabinets (except at the bottom.) Also in this picture you can see the kitchen faucet, the hot water heater, and the water tank.

Here's a better shot of the water heater and the tank. Neither one of them is hooked up yet, but in this picture you can see the line for the hot water stretching its way over with the shut-off valve already attached. While we're under the counter...

...we can take a look at the bottom of the sink. All that funky jazz coming down from the top is for the kitchen faucet. It's got one of those fancy detachable heads that stretches out. I figured it might come in handy, given the limited size of the place. It also came with a free soap dispenser! Either way, two of those lines coming down are going to hook up to those t-joints off to the right. I think I'm going to skip putting individual shut-off valves on the kitchen sink and shower. Both of them connect so close to the tank as it is, I'll just have a general shut-off valve for the whole system right there. The place is pretty small and tight; I doubt I'll be giving up my by making that decision.

While we're looking at plumbing, here's what's going on behind the shower wall. The shower is actually all hooked up. Theoretically, if I start pumping water through that line, the shower will work. Of course, the sinks aren't ready, so if I start pumping water through the line now, water will pour out the connections for the sinks, so that's probably not a wise idea. Speaking of unwise ideas - electricians, feel free to cry about the switch being right next to the water hookup for the shower. At least it's only 12 volts going through there...

Here's what the inside of the shower now looks like. I still have to fasten the shower walls to the studs, but the handle is in place and the shower head is poking through. I'm considering attaching plex to the ceiling above the shower to keep steam in. Doing that will help protect the walls and will keep the shower warm without needing the hot water running all the time.

And here's the bathroom faucet. The sink's still just balancing there - I need to cut part of the wall down and put a stud in behind it for it to fasten to. The faucet is on, though, so if I cut off the caps to the water lines and connected a flexible line up, the sink would be ready!

So, the plumbing is coming along. Of course, none of the drain work is really done, so if I DO get the water flowing, it'll all just pool on the floor. Step at a time, step at a time! Tomorrow I'm either going to work on those drains or finish hooking the tank up, I'm not sure which. Once both tasks are done, though, I can start running water through the system and find out where ALL my leaks are! Joy.

In theory, 12V certainly can deliver a fatal blast of 100 milliamps....

That being said, I don't think you're in too much danger.

I'll be careful around it nonetheless.

deep cycle battery...


2012-03-28 03:30 am (UTC)

The deep cycle battery that he is using can certainly deliver more than enough current, but if the box is properly sealed, the likelihood of getting enough water in there to short out the connection would likely blow the fuse long before there was ever a risk of electrocution.

Re: deep cycle battery...


2012-04-03 07:14 pm (UTC)

Yeah, and the water needs the pump to be running to keep flowing, so if fuses start blowing and the battery starts shorting out, I'm pretty sure the whole system will go dead. Also, this was a few years ago, so I'm really not worried. ;)

first time on your site, thanks


2009-12-13 01:48 am (UTC)

Making sawdust takes up a fair portion of my time. A tiny house is still a few years into the future for me but I thought I would offer you a storage idea you may have, or have not, come across. The inset toe space on most custom and commercial-grade base cabinets is often overlooked as potential storage space. A 48Lx3hx20d, the average hidden toe area under sink-base sized cabinets is a huge amount of cubic inches going unused as storage space. Put in another shallow drawer or two, a simple catch front or magnetic hinge and bracket to make a blind (hidden?) front. Usually the space holds plumbing, ductwork, and wires, but there is still a huge amount of cu/in for storage. Thanks again for the great building tips. Gus G.

Re: first time on your site, thanks


2009-12-13 06:46 am (UTC)

Great idea, Gus! I actually ended up putting my water pump and a series of water connections down in that space. The placement of the hoses effectively blocks off a good chunk of it, although I might be able to squeeze a drawer in down toward one end. Now you've got me wondering what I'm going to put down there!

Re: first time on your site, thanks


2009-12-24 03:26 pm (UTC)


Hot water


2010-01-19 10:35 pm (UTC)

hey there, been reading this whole thing and printing it off believe it or not page by page. I am beginning an almost identical build myself come 12 months from now. I am moving in my rv for the warm months to bank the cash to build mine. I have a question regarding two things... what power source is being used for hot water tank and fridge? Are they fueled by propane or shore power? Next.. using speaker wires for electrical. You mentioned earlier dc power can run through this. I know very little at this point about electrical stuff so wondering... dc... are you using led lights then? All power coming out of your battery is dc? Would definately love a wiring schematic at some point. Thanks again for the blog as it is an invaluable tool to me and I am sure many others.


Re: Hot water


2010-01-19 11:21 pm (UTC)

me again. I see on the next page that hot water tank is handled by propane. Ignore that. lol. What do you plan to do about condensation in the house, especially in winter? That shower really needs a fan to the outside.

I really have no plans to address condensation, since it doesn't seem like it'll be a big threat to me. If condensation becomes an issue, I guess I'll deal with it when it happens. As for a shower fan, well... I have other plans for the shower that'll eliminate the need for a fan. I'm still working out the details, though, so I don't want to post anything quite yet. It's going to have to be one of the next projects, though... it's one of the few big things I have left to do inside.

Hey, Scott! Thanks for stopping by. Printing it off page by page? Wow... now you're making me want to go back through and correct typos and stuff!

The power for the fridge is DC. I originally wanted one that could run off of DC or gas, but when it came time to get one, the "DC only" one was what was available to me. I didn't want to wait and risk stalling the project, so I got it.

As for the lights, you are correct - they are all LED lights except for the ceiling fan, which runs off of AC. All of the power coming out of the battery is 12 volts DC, although I do have wiring in place that'll enable me to install an AC inverter in the future. Right now, though, all of my AC power is coming from an extension cord that runs to the garage.

Basically, the lights, the water pump, the fridge, the fan for the heater, and the cigarette lighter wells (that I use to plug in my cell phone) are all DC.

The TV, the regular outlets, and the ceiling fan are all AC.

The little fireplace, the stove, and the water heater are all propane.

The DC battery can charge through the solar panels or through a trickle charger that plugs into an AC outlet. The AC power can come from either an extension cord to the garage or, eventually, through an inverter from the DC battery. Basically, the idea is to have both AC and DC systems interconnected so that as long as I have access to either one, I can run both.

As for a wiring schematic, well... I kinda made it up as I went along. I actually had to replace a fuse today and didn't remember which one it was. I guess I should have written it all down so that I'D be able to utilize it, eh? If I get around to it, I'll see if I can post it.

Best of luck to you on your build!

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