How to capture shower water?

Other than keeping buckets in the shower, does anyone have ideas on capturing shower water?I do like the outdoor shower concept. However, my teenage son won't go for the idea!As you know teenagers love to take long (wasteful) showers. We have come to an agreement. He is now turning the water off while he soaps up.

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  • there is a way. If your shower is on an outer wall you will have to raise the shower pan...a false floor and repipe to the outside...then direct to nearby trees/plants in a surge pot.

    Don
    • I've been wondering about raising my shower up so I can use the water for my yard, but it's not on an outside wall. Perhaps this complexity can be overcome?

      If there is some kind of class or good book that shows plans for raising an indoor shower and using the water for the yard, I'd be most interested to know about it. I have the interest in using greywater, but the idea does feel a bit overwhelming.
  • We have had one of these shower heads for over 6 years now.
    http://yhst-52620512546495.stores.yahoo.net/bs401-jet-sp.html
    Purchased from a Home Expo event at the PHX Fairgrounds. What I like is it keeps the water pressure up and the valve helps to keep the water temperature consistent when you shut it off to suds up. Even though the pressure is GREATLY amplified (Love the pressure!), the GPM is still the 2.0 that is required by code. Might help your teenager son to keep up the act of shutting off the water when sudsing up.

    Or, you can use a shower cut off valve like this to retro fit your current shower head.
    http://greatgreengadgets.com/gadgets/2006/07/14/shower-cut-off-valv...

    And, other than a bucket to catch the overflow, other alternatives would require pluming renovations or Nick's suggestion on the siphon. Works well if you have a bath tub to catch the water in.
    • Thanks for the ideas.

      I have a tankless water heater and I love it. Water gets hots within seconds.
      I am not sure if they are still allowing tax credits or not. Last year I was able to take a $300 tax credit for the tankless water heater.
  • 1st, congrats on getting him to turn it off when he soaps (as long as it doesn't take just as long to get the temp back to normal). Now, unless you want to... A) renovate your plumbing to go outside or B) put in a siphon and have the water accumulate at your feet (which I curently do), then I have no ideas beside the "bucket". I currently have a nice big bowl that catches the "warm-up" water pretty well and its up on a seat so I dont trip over it and kill myself. Now as for option B, check out this system that I use and saw in Brad Lancaster's book. This pic is from a different site, and a lot less asthetic than mine and others...but the same idea. (I'll try to remember to take a picture of mine when I get home and post it). Works pretty easily.
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