Outdoor shower w/ cedar enclosure?

[RoadRunrTX]

Interested in everyone's experience with putting in a simple outdoor shower adjacent to my 8'x15' 5' deep 104F heated spa/pool

This will be moderate budget (TX). A number of issues still need to be defined

Where:
Thinking either against a cedar privacy fence behind the pool or incorporating a cedar shower enclosure with a privacy screen for the pool equipment pad. Cedar fence is prob 10' behind the equipment pad ( and on a 6' utility easement). No issue if some utility needs to tear out my shower in the future (I will be building simple + relatively cheap). For context just rebuilt that fence after last hurricane...Everything in Texas is somewhat temporary

What:
Shower w/ privacy enclosure, storage for clean towels, places to hang wet bathing suits, sit and change

Unclear if the shower will be cold only or hot and cold.

I have a high capacity (4k BTU) Hayward natural gas heater on the equipment pad. Can I route shower water thru the Hayward heater to get hot water without digging and permitting a 75' hot water supply line from the house? Other options? Would like to be able to enjoy long, natural gas heated showers....esp in Winter

I have a pool deck/yard drain at the edge of the equipment pad (roof gutter drains into it). Plan to install standard yard catch basin in shower and route it 5' to the yard drain. Floor of shower will be excess travertine pool coping set in sand 16"x24" pieces

Recos for storing clean towels. No roof on the shower enclosure and plenty of creepy crawlies in Houston. I've had to "remove" 3 water moccasins from the yard w/ a machete this year. Lots of spiders and other things that bother my wife and daughter. Is there a cheap/effective/ attractive/waterproof way to store towels that spiders, snakes and others won't get into?

Thx!!

 

[1poolman1]

A pool heater does not heat the water high enough in one pass to give you what you want. Domestic water lines don't supply enough flow to cause a pool heater to fire. You might get a tankless water heater, but you don't want to run pool water through it.

 

[JJ_Tex]

I started a shower + foot wash project and did the piping, connected to a hose bib (pics attached). Its great for washing off after swimming or mowing. I would love to do another phase and do a cedar surround, and possibly a water heater.

A couple of thoughts on your questions:

• During the swim season, my hose bib is warm enough to use the shower without any heater. I'm on the fence for a water heater. It would be nice in the fall and spring, but I still have to winterize the shower in the winter (disconnect the hose bib and open up the valves to drain the water). In Houston, I would be more inclined to get a heater since you would not have to worry as much about freezing as we do.
• If I were to get a heater, I would get one like this that runs on propane and batteries so completely "off the grid" for ease of hookup. I would just mount it out of sight on the other side of the enclosure, or you could even build a surround to hide it and the propane tank if it would be visible. EZ Tankless CampChamp 1.8 GPM Residential Portable LPG Propane Gas Tankless Water Heater System EZCampChamp - The Home Depot
• For towel storage, I would build shelving into your enclosure and use sterilite or another type of sealed container to keep everything critter free and water tight. Ideally I would build an enclosure big enough for the shower + another "room" for changing/storage probably separated by a half wall.

 

[JJ_Tex]

Also, not pictured is a drain that hooks into the landscape and deck drains. It works well for me and diverts the water to the side yard, the same as the gutters and natural drainage of the yard.

 

[RoadRunrTX]

Thx. Useful feedback. Especilly like the simple approach of sealed tub for towels. Just take out a stack when people are swimming...