How to Install an Outdoor Shower
Installing an outdoor shower comes down to two pipes, the right valves and a firm base.
A hot and a cold supply come up under the base, each through a check valve, with an isolation valve you can close. The base and fittings are in the box, and the instructions come with the shower.
If you are not confident working on a water supply, have a plumber make the connection.
Six steps, in the order you do them
Plan the spot and the pipe run before you open the box.
Our outdoor showers are freestanding, so there is no wall to drill. The work is the ground underneath and the water connection.
- Choose the spot. Firm, level ground within reach of a hot and a cold supply, a little away from the house wall and any doorway.
- Prepare the ground. Gravel, a drained patio or a soakaway bed, because the base has no drain and the water runs off onto the ground.
- Run the pipework. Bring the hot and cold supplies to the spot. Each shower has two G1/2" inlets with a bottom water feed, so the pipes come up under the base.
- Assemble the shower. Fix the base and fittings from the box and follow the instructions that come with it.
- Switch on and check. Open the supply slowly, look at every joint for drips, then set the mixer to the temperature you like.
What is on the pipe run
Isolation valves
These let you shut the water off to the shower for work on it, and for winter. The manual shows where they go.
Check valves
One on each supply, so water cannot flow backwards. They stop hot and cold feeding into each other, and on a shower with a hose they help protect against water being drawn back through it.1
Hot and cold feeds
Two pipes, one hot and one cold, ending in G1/2" inlets under the base. The shower needs no electrical wiring.
The base
Included with every shower, with no drainage. The Fiji base is 200 mm across, so the shower stands on a small footprint of firm, level ground.
The rules that apply
The water connection has to follow the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.2 Each shower is sold on that basis, with check valves and isolation valves as detailed in its manual.
A plumber on the WaterSafe Register can make the connection and check your pressure at the same time.4 The chrome Suva works from 1.0 bar and the Fiji from 1.5 bar.
Before the first frost
Three jobs protect an outside water supply in winter: isolate it, drain it and insulate it.3 For your shower, close the isolation valve and drain the shower down as set out in the manual. Draining it stops water freezing inside the pipework and the mixer. The Fiji is made for simple winter preparation by draining the water from the system.
Ready to choose? See our outdoor showers: the chrome Suva, the matt black Fiji and the brushed brass Fiji.
Questions about installing an outdoor shower
Open a question to read the answer.
Do I need a plumber to install an outdoor shower?
The base and fittings are included, assembly is needed and the instructions come with the shower. The water connection has to follow the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations, with check valves and isolation valves as set out in the manual. If you are not confident working on a water supply, a plumber can make the connection.
What size are the water connections?
Both the chrome Suva and the Fiji have G1/2" inlets with a bottom water feed, so the hot and cold pipes come up under the base.
Does an outdoor shower need a drain?
No drain is needed. The included base has no drainage, so the water runs off onto the ground. Stand the shower on gravel, a drained patio or a soakaway bed, a little away from the house wall and any doorway, so water does not pool.
Does an outdoor shower need electrics?
No. Each one has a manual hot and cold mixer and connects to a hot and a cold water supply, so there is no electrical wiring.
What do I do with an outdoor shower in winter?
Isolate the water supply and drain the shower down before the first hard frost, as set out in the manual. Draining it stops water freezing inside the pipework and the mixer.
Sources
- Water Regs UK, What backflow protection is required for a shower?, accessed 27 October 2026.
- UK Government, The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, SI 1999/1148, 1999.
- WaterSafe Register, Wrap up outside taps and pipes against winter chills, accessed 27 October 2026.
- WaterSafe Register, Find a plumber, accessed 27 October 2026.
Paul Margerison
Managing Director & Founder, Outdoor Living
An outdoor shower is a simple thing to fit when the pipework and the ground are planned first. This guide is here to help you get that right the first time.