Tiny House Showers Sinks TubsKevinOphoff2023-11-11T14:47:28-07:00

Tiny House Showers, Sinks, and Tubs

Just because a bathroom must be tiny doesn’t mean it can’t be beautiful. So many options exist for bathroom fixtures that even tiny house builders can work artistic magic. You can create an soothing oasis with beautiful showers, sinks and tubs.

The bathroom of a tiny house will usually be small, needs to be functional, and relatively inexpensive. Pinterest® is a great source for ideas. There are unending combinations of creative concepts, so we will concentrate on the essential elements of a bathroom: tiny house showers, tubs, and sinks.

The potty is usually incorporated unless you’ll be using an outhouse. See my page on Composting Toilets.
You will want a shower, a tub, or both.
A sink will be part of your bathroom unless you use the kitchen sink.
Sometimes the laundry is sequestered in the bathroom as well.

Tiny House Bathroom Design

Andrew Morrison has a good chapter on tiny house bathroom design in his book Idiot’s Guides: Tiny House Designing, Building, & Living. Andrew and his wife Gabriella are often accredited with being the instigators of the tiny house movement in the US. Click on this link to download the tiny-house-bathroom design chapter for free.

Tiny house showers and tubs

We use our two person hot-tub on the deck for a luxurious soak. But inside, a shower is all we need. Our 4′ x 3′ shower is considered huge by some standards, but it’s the size we needed to feel comfortable. You never want to feel like you sacrificed comfort for the tiny life.

The key feature is the adjustable shower head. We use this Egretshower Handheld Showerhead & Rain Shower Combo Spa. It has a powerful spray even with low water pressure and anti-clogging nozzles. I didn’t have to drill the tile to mount it. The hand-held nozzle pops loose to rinse those hard to reach areas.

When the grandkids visit we use an inflatable pool in the shower to bathe them. They think it’s fun.

Adding water pressure to your shower

This shower head comes highly recommended. Patented Oxygenics technology amplifies existing water pressure and widens coverage while minimizing water use.

SmartPause valve helps preserve tank levels by quickly limiting water flow during soaping while keeping water temperatures consistent. Reduces shower time with a special spray pattern that make washing and rinsing faster, especially for those with long hair.

Low Flow Shower head Laws

All shower heads currently sold in the US are restricted to 2.5 gpm measured using a water system that has 80 PSI. Your water system may be a lot less than that. If you unscrew the shower nozzle a restricter can usually be seen. I drilled the hole in mine larger to increase the flow. On one shower head the entire plastic restrister just came right out. This dramatically increased the shower head performance.

Sometime the water lines get block with algae. If you see a black organic substance on the nozzle see this page for Caring For Your Freshwater System

Shower Surrounds

A glass or plexiglass shower surround keeps the small space looking as spacious as possible while allowing light into the shower area. Spend some time and money to make this area a beautiful sanctuary.

Tile is one of the heavier building materials you will use in your tiny home. Here are ways to save weight on tiny home tile.

Fight to save every inch, every pound, and every watt of power so you can spend your savings lavishly where it counts, like the shower.

Tiny House Bathroom Tubs

Think long and hard about setting aside space for a bathroom tub. Your entire floor plan will need to adjust to accommodate it. Your freshwater holding tank and water heater will need to be very robust as well.

The time-tested cast iron tub in your parents house weighed over 300 lbs. A modern acrylic tub will weigh about 90 lbs. The acrylic tub shown in this picture is 28″ wide and 61″ long. It only weighs 60 lbs. Click picture to see details.

Outdoor Hot Tub

As an alternative, we have a two person hot tub on the back deck. It holds 200 gallons of water, which it keeps hot and filtered for about $10.00 a month in electricity. This tiny hot tub plugs into a standard 110v AC outlet. I did run a dedicated circuit for it, because it draws about 10 amps when heating.

As you can see from the picture, the one drawback is getting to it in the winter. That can be a frigid experience.

Here’s a page about wood fired hot tubs.

Inflatable Tub Alternative

One alternative to squeezing a real bathtub into a tiny house bathroom is an inflatable tub. Perfect for a one-person soak!

This inflatable bathtub is easy to install, easy to drain, easy to inflate, and after folding, it will fit into a drawer to save space. The tub has cup holders, high backrest, and a beautiful appearance. It includes an air pump, and takes 5 to 10 minutes to fully inflate.

Click on image to see details and other types of inflatable bathtubs.

As with any tub, you’ll need 15 to 25 gallons of hot water, so consider that before purchasing. See my page on Tiny House Water Heaters.

Bathroom Sinks

How do you use your bathroom sink now? Spit toothpaste, shave, wash your face? How you use your sink determines its importance and size in your bathroom.

Putting on your makeup, for instance, isn’t about the sink as much as it’s about the mirror above the sink.

You’ll want a good size, well-lighted mirror, but your sink can probably be pretty small. Counter space is a far bigger need. That’s why I prefer a “vessel” sink.

Vessel sinks can make a major art statement, as well as offer just a smidge more counter space. Vessel sinks come in a myriad of shapes and styles. Just keep it small and watch the weight.

Design BEFORE You Buy: The Supporting Infrastructure for Tiny House Showers, Tubs, and Sinks Must Be Taken into Consideration

Where will the water heater go? What kind will it be? Will you need a fresh water tank? What will you do with the waste water? You’re the one who has to design the infrastructure behind the fixtures BEFORE you choose.

The Utility Closet

A utility closet of sorts is frequently built over the trailer hitch. This keeps the bathroom neat and gives good access to utilities for service.

If you put the water heater in a utility closet, make sure the closet is properly insulated so the pipes don’t freeze in cold weather. Keep this supporting infrastructure as close to the bathroom as possible. I do not recommend mounting the water heater on an external wall.

Venting moisture is usually done primarily with the bathroom fan. I would consider an HVR (Heat Recovery Ventilator).