Cost to fit a shower

[bigfatmatt]

I’m looking at buying a liveaboard, there’s a couple that look great but don’t have a shower.

 

Anyone paid to have a shower fitted recently (or done it themselves?) and know what to expect in terms of price?

 

Looking for a basic set up.

[Alan de Enfield]

It will depend on what you already have.

Are you going to be on a mooring with an electricity supply, always on the move,moorimg  on the canal without facilities or a mix ?

 

What method of heating hot water do the boats have ? Some methods are better than others.

Instantaneous sytems are not ideal

[bigfatmatt]

12 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

It will depend on what you already have.

Are you going to be on a mooring with an electricity supply, always on the move,moorimg  on the canal without facilities or a mix ?

 

What method of heating hot water do the boats have ? Some methods are better than others.

Instantaneous sytems are not ideal

 

I’ll pay for a residential mooring all year for the postal address (I’m a Ltd director, need a bank account, a GP etc) but plan to be CCing most of the year (I’ll make use of the marina in winter I expect).

 

I’ll be fitting plenty of solar (probably 1kW+) and Lithium batteries so assume electricity wont be a major issue (I’m better at electronics than plumbing).

Edited April 7, 2023 by bigfatmatt

[Tracy D'arth]

Where are you? Very relevant.

[bigfatmatt]

2 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Where are you? Very relevant.

 

Leics area (Midlands) but if it’s better to do it in X or Y expect I could get there using gym/leisure centre showers.

Edited April 7, 2023 by bigfatmatt

[Richard10002]

24 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Instantaneous sytems are not ideal

 

What makes you say that? My instantaneous is ideal.

[Tracy D'arth]

Be at least 100 miles from London.

 

More details please.  Over a bath or new shower base?  Or total wet room? Is the area already waterproof, tiled, lined?

 

One thing I would always have on a boat with pumped water  is a thermostatic mixer valve for safety reasons.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, bigfatmatt said:

I’ll be fitting plenty of solar (probably 1kW+) and Lithium batteries so assume electricity wont be a major issue (I’m better at electronics than plumbing).

Most liveaboard newbies underestimate the need to replace all the electricity they use by some combination of solar, the main boat engine and a separate generator. Lithium batteries may help, but don't assume "electricity wont be a major issue".

[bigfatmatt]

19 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Most liveaboard newbies underestimate the need to replace all the electricity they use by some combination of solar, the main boat engine and a separate generator. Lithium batteries may help, but don't assume "electricity wont be a major issue".

Yeah, that’s fair. In terms of electronics I expect to run an iPad (7W draw when full, 19W when charging), a fridge, phone charger and shower. I have a Honda generator already for camping trips so I’m quite used to managing limited power.

 

59 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Be at least 100 miles from London.

 

More details please.  Over a bath or new shower base?  Or total wet room? Is the area already waterproof, tiled, lined?

 

One thing I would always have on a boat with pumped water  is a thermostatic mixer valve for safety reasons.

I’m about 100mi north of London.

 

I’ll give an example boat: https://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/shop/water-lily/

 

Pic 9/18, room has a tiled floor but otherwise doesn’t look at all set up to be a wet room.

 

Some of the others have more of a traditional bathroom without a shower base but with space for one.

Edited April 7, 2023 by bigfatmatt

[MtB]

22 minutes ago, bigfatmatt said:

Pic 9/18, room has a tiled floor but otherwise doesn’t look at all set up to be a wet room.

 

If you mean the cupboard containing the Porta Potti, that is nowhere near big enough for a shower so substantial remodelling of the interior to make a space will be needed before even starting to construct the shower enclosure. On the upside the water heater is already present and suitable. 

 

If paying others to do the whole project I'd suggest budgeting about £10k all inclusive. 

 

 

[bigfatmatt]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

If you mean the cupboard containing the Porta Potti, that is nowhere near big enough for a shower so substantial remodelling of the interior to make a space will be needed before even starting to construct the shower enclosure. On the upside the water heater is already present and suitable. 

 

If paying others to do the whole project I'd suggest budgeting about £10k all inclusive. 

 

 

 

Cheers, that’s about the ballpark I was expecting given the boat is about £10k cheaper than others in her size and fit-out class and doesn’t seem to be selling.

[matty40s]

1 hour ago, Richard10002 said:

 

What makes you say that? My instantaneous is ideal.

There will be a pdf coming....

[MtB]

Just now, matty40s said:

There will be a pdf coming....

 

Or a 1,000 line copy N paste....

 

 

3 minutes ago, bigfatmatt said:

 

Cheers, that’s about the ballpark I was expecting given the boat is about £10k cheaper than others in her size and fit-out class and doesn’t seem to be selling.

 

Prolly best to buy one with a shower already present really. The amount of your time it will soak up even just managing the project and making long strings of decisions will make you wish you'd just bought one with a shower in the first place! 

 

 

[bigfatmatt]

Yep, that was what I expected. Figured it was worth asking.

 

I’m pretty good with electronics and mechanical stuff but I know bugger all about plumbing or setting up a wet room.

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, bigfatmatt said:

I’m looking at buying a liveaboard, there’s a couple that look great but don’t have a shower.

That doesn't sound right. Almost every fitted out narrowboat these days has a shower. The ones that don't tend to be the smaller older boats which are really only suitable for a few days boating at a time. Such boats are really too small and have too few facilities for liveaboard use.

Fitting a shower to a boat without one will end up being a bigger and more expensive task than you think, and you would probably be better going for a boat with one already fitted.

[bigfatmatt]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

That doesn't sound right. Almost every fitted out narrowboat these days has a shower. The ones that don't tend to be the smaller older boats which are really only suitable for a few days boating at a time. Such boats are really too small and have too few facilities for liveaboard use.

Fitting a shower to a boat without one will end up being a bigger and more expensive task than you think, and you would probably be better going for a boat with one already fitted.

 

I’m looking at 30-35’ boats, really just looking for a place to cook, get some work done, and sleep (I spend most of my spare time out and about with the dogs) while travelling the network.

 

I wouldn’t be against getting something a bit bigger but in my budget, they all look very project-y.

[MtB]

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

That doesn't sound right. Almost every fitted out narrowboat these days has a shower. The ones that don't tend to be the smaller older boats which are really only suitable for a few days boating at a time. Such boats are really too small and have too few facilities for liveaboard use.

Fitting a shower to a boat without one will end up being a bigger and more expensive task than you think, and you would probably be better going for a boat with one already fitted.

 

 

Long ago after a near-unbelievable amount of time spent planning and designing, we crammed a full sized shower and separate bedroom into Starcoaster's 30ft Springer.

 

Matty fitted it which I think took him about three times longer than he expected...

 

[matty40s]

I have to say that if your forum name is a reflection, you will struggle to use a shower in that cupboard, you may also struggle to use the portapotti in the other cupboard.

I say this, as I am also a matt, not very skinny, and struggled to use the facilities on a very similar boat.

Fitting a shower in that space with the piping and drainage already there as stated would NOT cost £10k, as you are obviously looking at budget boats and would accept a budget job.

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

 

Long ago after a near-unbelievable amount of time spent planning and designing, we crammed a full sized shower and separate bedroom into Starcoaster's 30ft Springer.

 

Matty fitted it which I think took him about three times longer than he expected...

 

There were conflicting ideas coming from several directions which confused matters!!😁

[bigfatmatt]

2 minutes ago, matty40s said:

I have to say that if your forum name is a reflection, you will struggle to use a shower in that cupboard, you may also struggle to use the portapotti in the other cupboard.

 

This is definitely a concern for me, I am on the wider side and would prefer the ability to turn around while showering.

 

How much do you reckon it’d cost to knock out both cupboards and set up a walk through shower room?

Edited April 7, 2023 by bigfatmatt

[ditchcrawler]

53 minutes ago, bigfatmatt said:

 

 

I’ll give an example boat: https://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/shop/water-lily/

 

 

Would you get 1Kw of solar on that roof?

[matty40s]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Would you get 1Kw of solar on that roof?

No

4 minutes ago, bigfatmatt said:

 

How much do you reckon it’d cost to knock out both cupboards and set up a walk through shower room?

 

[bigfatmatt]

16 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

Would you get 1Kw of solar on that roof?

 

Yeah, 3x Victron 330W poly panels should fit on there. They’re 6’6 x 3’6.

 

Not much else would fit up there with them so I’d need to build some boxes I expect.

 

14 minutes ago, matty40s said:

 

 

 

I’ve found my new life goal.

Edited April 7, 2023 by bigfatmatt

[David Mack]

20 minutes ago, bigfatmatt said:

Yeah, 3x Victron 330W poly panels should fit on there. They’re 6’6 x 3’6.

Really? If you are talking specifically about Water Lilly I don't see how you could fit three panels between the front and rear roof hatches, and the water heater and stove flues. And is that a big opening  roof hatch over the kitchen area? 

[bigfatmatt]

3 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Really? If you are talking specifically about Water Lilly I don't see how you could fit three panels between the front and rear roof hatches, and the water heater and stove flues. And is that a big opening  roof hatch over the kitchen area? 

 

Good point, I’d have to measure if I was serious about buying. Assuming the usable area is about 6-8 sqm there is a way to fit 1kW of solar on there in some configuration of panels, but that might be a wrong assumption.

 

Generally speaking, 1kW of solar is 6 sqm.

Edited April 7, 2023 by bigfatmatt

[MtB]

52 minutes ago, bigfatmatt said:

Generally speaking, 1kW of solar is 6 sqm.

 

At the equator at midday perhaps.....

 

Back here in the real world a shade less I would suggest.