Bucket Shower

Bucket-Shower for Developing Countries/Places with no Running Water

Countries that are not as developed as the United States and others have access to very little running water, if any at all. This means that not everyone can take a shower or has the means to do so.

My solution to this was to design an apparatus that can be mounted to a 5-gallon bucket, or larger, that would be able to convert said bucket into a shower for these countries.

Bill of Materials

• PLA plastic filament
• 1 Shower Base
• 1 Shower Head
• 1 Shower Bolt
• 1 - 2" Shower Drain Plug
• ~5 feet of rope

Tools needed

• MOST Delta RepRap or similar RepRap 3-D printer
• Pliers or sharp tool to remove supports

Skills and knowledge needed

• N/A

Technical Specifications and Assembly Instructions

Printable Stl files & FreeCAD Files

All files available at Youmagine

Print Instructions

For all printed components

Material: PLA

Layer Height: 0.25mm

Shell Thickness: 0.8mm

Fill Density: 10%

Print Speed: 85 mm/s

Printing Temperature: 200 C

Supports necessary (Helps keep the bolt holes circular)

Total Printing Time: 15+ hours

Assembly time: >5min

Assembly Instructions

Using the.stl files above print out the following (from left to right)

1. 1 Base
2. 1 Shower Head
3. 1 Bolt

After printing each part of the assembly, take your bucket (assuming one is already owned) and cut a hole in the bottom that is no larger than the base plate. Once the hole is cut, insert the base through the hole, then slide the shower head into the base. Fasten the two parts together with the bolt. Finally, tie the rope to the drain plug and the bucket shower will be complete.

Common Problems and Solutions

• You may have to file out the bolt holes to make things fit as they should. (Please feel free to change the CAD file as needed)

Cost savings

Break Down of Costs

(Assuming $20/kg of PLA)

1. Shower Base (1x):$1.42
2. Shower Head (1x):$1.58
3. Shower Bolt (1x):$0.11

• Total Print cost: $3.11
• Drain plug plus rope: >$4.00

Total cost to Manufacture: >$7.00

Comparable Costs

Commercially Available Shower Head: $22.99 [1]

Prices for lengths of PCV Pipe and Fittings: >$7.00 [2], [3], [4]

Total Commercially Available Price: >$30.00

Savings: ~ $23.00 (~ 76% reduction in cost)

References