something different
- Thread starter IanC
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That doesn't appear to be a real product. As far as I can tell it is a computer-generated image that has floated around on Pinterest tinyhome posts by people who don't own tinyhomes. But it makes for a good piece of concept art. If that floor is intended to fold it would have to mate up with a drain or basin when in use.
anewbiewannabe
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Actually, with the flex piping available nowadays a "murphy bed" type shower pan like this would be quite possible with the drainage set up basically under the pan in the folded position. It wouldn't be much different than the pipe I ran for the water heater overflow drain in my house. I wish there was a photo of what it looks like folded up---while it appears to float in the picture, there would have to be support for the pan that rests on the floor. Something like it could be useful to someone who is going to have waste water tanks or a septic tank. I can see the design for it easily in my mind though it wouldn't be something I think I'd pursue as I don't plan to have tanks and if I do a tiny house at some point it will have a tub. 
VJG1977
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anewbiewannabe said:
One problem with this image is that the water would have to flow uphill from the drain.
anewbiewannabe
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What I really want to know is why anyone with tiled walls and floors like those would want to put in a shower like that?!?!?! LOL
I don't have enough connection today to get the full pictures to load no matter how I try, but I'm guessing that the bottom is enclosed so the full workings can't be seen. That the pan does have support is visible from just the part of the picture showing it folded up that I can see. I'm guessing the pan is about 3" deep which would mean the bottom under in is about the same depth.
Regardless, from what I can see it can be done without any kind of pump using the typical gravity drain. Yes, the pan slopes to the drain when it's open as it should, but the pipe underneath would slope to the floor drain just like the pipe of my tub slopes underneath the floor---I'm guessing that is not visible in the picture. The slope or grade on gutters is about the same but over a longer distance. Because this particular one closes all the way when not in use it would have to be dried/wiped down after use and before folding.
With the new fad of having dog bathing bays in laundry rooms, I'm guessing some version of this is already on the market for those folks who *must* have a dog wash bay in their laundry room but don't have the giant laundry rooms where they can dedicate the space full time. If I had a smallish dog and wanted one of these I'd install it so it rested on the washer or dryer when open and then it could be set up to share the washer's drain pipe.
If it were for a human shower the workings would be similar, though less complex, than the raised platform toilets found in many basements. The difference is that the "platform" part would fold up and out of the way with the actual floor drain placed close to the wall.
It's really not a bad idea for another way to have a shower in a small space though I'd hate to pay retail for one when it would be pretty simple to make. I'd leave off the upper fold-out sides/doors and just use the curtain if it were me. The only weak part or part that would require some thought would be where it folds---how to keep it waterproof.
Ahh, it finally loaded enough, right before I'm posting, for me to see it's not clear how the shower pan drain would connect to anything---now I understand why there are questions of the concept. It looks like there may be a pipe in the shadows in the lower left corner of the unit, which would appear as a design flaw to me since it is not low enough on the pan/support system to allow for the gravity drain that is would be possible if done differently.
I don't have enough connection today to get the full pictures to load no matter how I try, but I'm guessing that the bottom is enclosed so the full workings can't be seen. That the pan does have support is visible from just the part of the picture showing it folded up that I can see. I'm guessing the pan is about 3" deep which would mean the bottom under in is about the same depth.
Regardless, from what I can see it can be done without any kind of pump using the typical gravity drain. Yes, the pan slopes to the drain when it's open as it should, but the pipe underneath would slope to the floor drain just like the pipe of my tub slopes underneath the floor---I'm guessing that is not visible in the picture. The slope or grade on gutters is about the same but over a longer distance. Because this particular one closes all the way when not in use it would have to be dried/wiped down after use and before folding.
With the new fad of having dog bathing bays in laundry rooms, I'm guessing some version of this is already on the market for those folks who *must* have a dog wash bay in their laundry room but don't have the giant laundry rooms where they can dedicate the space full time. If I had a smallish dog and wanted one of these I'd install it so it rested on the washer or dryer when open and then it could be set up to share the washer's drain pipe.
If it were for a human shower the workings would be similar, though less complex, than the raised platform toilets found in many basements. The difference is that the "platform" part would fold up and out of the way with the actual floor drain placed close to the wall.
It's really not a bad idea for another way to have a shower in a small space though I'd hate to pay retail for one when it would be pretty simple to make. I'd leave off the upper fold-out sides/doors and just use the curtain if it were me. The only weak part or part that would require some thought would be where it folds---how to keep it waterproof.
Ahh, it finally loaded enough, right before I'm posting, for me to see it's not clear how the shower pan drain would connect to anything---now I understand why there are questions of the concept. It looks like there may be a pipe in the shadows in the lower left corner of the unit, which would appear as a design flaw to me since it is not low enough on the pan/support system to allow for the gravity drain that is would be possible if done differently.
IanC
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BradKW said:
All true, but having a shower pan that folds up against the wall isn't a bad idea. It wouldn't be hard to have a short hose of just a couple of inches line up with a drain hole in the floor. Then the actual shower fixture could be whatever you were planning on using anyway. The curtain could hang from 4 points on the ceiling - no need for a rail
