Outside showers are a great feature to have at the shore. They give you a convenient place to rinse off after the beach and, just as importantly, help keep sand out of your house and out of your indoor tub and shower drains.

PLUMBING TECH provides outside shower plumbing installation, repair and seasonal service in Ocean City, NJ.Whether you need a completely new outside shower, have a leaking valve or broken pipe, or need your shower winterized for the season, I can take care of the plumbing.

If your home doesn't currently have an outside shower, I can install the plumbing for one by connecting new hot and cold water lines to your home's existing plumbing system.

Outside showers are especially useful in Ocean City, where a trip to the beach can mean bringing plenty of sand home with you. Rinsing off outside helps keep that sand where it belongs instead of carrying it into the house and potentially into your indoor plumbing drains.

I make all types of outside shower repairs, big or small.

Some of the most common repairs occur in the spring when an outside shower is turned back on after the winter. Water left inside a pipe or valve can freeze, expand and cause the plumbing to split or break.

Other repairs may include leaking or dripping valves, damaged piping, worn valve components and showerheads that continue to drip even when the water is turned off.

Many Ocean City outside showers use traditional valves that turn several times from left to right, often referred to as stop-and-waste valves.

These valves use washers that can eventually wear out. When that happens, the valve may no longer shut the water off completely, which can cause water to drip from the showerhead.

I can repair or replace these valves, or in many situations replace them with quarter-turn ball valves. Ball valves are washerless, which eliminates the traditional rubber washer that eventually wears out.

Some outside showers also use a mixing valve, similar to the type of valve found in an indoor tub or shower. I can service and replace these as well.

Not every outside shower needs a conventional plumbing drain.

Many outside showers simply allow the water to drain naturally into the ground. Others use a French drain, typically consisting of an excavated area filled with stone that allows the shower water to disperse into the surrounding ground. When properly constructed, this type of drainage generally requires very little maintenance.

Occasionally, I'll encounter an outside shower that's connected directly to the home's sewer system. I'm generally less enthusiastic about this arrangement because sand can enter the drain and eventually contribute to a blockage.

For a shore property, keeping the drainage system simple can often be an advantage.

Proper winterization is one of the most important things you can do to protect an outside shower.

As the summer season ends and freezing weather approaches, the water supply to the shower needs to be properly shut off and the exterior piping drained. Most outside showers have shutoff valves located inside the house or underneath the house that allow the exterior plumbing to be isolated.

Winterization needs to be done correctly. Water left trapped in an exterior pipe or valve can freeze, expand and break the plumbing.

I don't provide whole-house winterization, but I do winterize outside showers.

I also provide spring turn-on service for outside showers.

When warmer weather returns, I can turn the water supply back on and check the outside shower for leaks or other problems.

If the shower wasn't properly winterized and a pipe or valve was damaged over the winter, I can make the necessary repairs.

Most outside shower plumbing I work with is copper, and copper is my preferred material for outside shower piping.

Even with our shore environment, properly installed copper piping holds up surprisingly well. With proper winterization and occasional maintenance, an outside shower plumbing system can provide many years of service.

In addition to outside showers, I also repair, replace and install outside hose bibs.

If you already have a hose connection at the back of your house but would like another one at the front—or somewhere else that's more convenient—I can usually run the necessary water piping and install a new hose bib where you need it.

I can also replace a traditional hose bib with a frost-free hose bib. Unlike a standard exterior faucet that normally needs to be shut off and drained before freezing weather, a properly installed frost-free hose bib can remain in service throughout the year. This can be especially convenient if you occasionally need exterior water during the off-season.

There is one very important rule with a frost-free hose bib: the garden hose must be completely disconnected before freezing weather. Leaving a hose attached can prevent the faucet from draining properly, trapping water inside where it can freeze and damage the hose bib.

I can also repair or replace leaking, dripping or damaged exterior faucets and their associated piping.

One of the biggest advantages of an outside shower in Ocean City isn't just convenience—it's keeping beach sand out of your house.

Sand that gets rinsed off in an indoor tub or shower also goes into the drain. Over time, that sand can settle in the piping and contribute to drainage problems.

An outside shower gives you a place to rinse off after the beach before heading inside.

Outside showers are a natural part of owning a home at the shore, and they're one of the residential plumbing services I regularly handle.

Whether you need a new outside shower, a small repair, replacement valves, freeze-damaged piping, winterization or spring turn-on service, give me a call.

PLUMBING TECH
Ocean City, NJ
Call: (609) 391-1965