Is there such a thing as a water draining pump?
April 15, 2021 5:26 PM Subscribe
Specifically to drain soapy water from a tub?
The shower in our RV doesn't work so when we travel for several days in a row, we take simple showers which consist of literally standing in an a plastic kiddie pool while pouring water over our heads and lathering up.
The problem is that the soapy water that ends up in the pool becomes impossible to drain out. Even though there is only about an inch of water it's impossible to pick up the pool and dump the water out. So we just grab a small bucket- gather in water- dump out the water- and keep repeating until it's possible to just pick up the whole pool. Very tedious.
The kiddie pool DOES have a drain that we can open which is on the side of the pool, but since the pool sits on the floor we can't use it. We were thinking of getting a small platform to stand the entire pool on. That way we can just put a bucket underneath the side drain , open the drain and let gravity do the work, but if there's a way to leave the pool on the floor and still have the water drain out that would be ideal. Not sure if the laws of physics allow that though. Which is why I'm asking here.
The shower in our RV doesn't work so when we travel for several days in a row, we take simple showers which consist of literally standing in an a plastic kiddie pool while pouring water over our heads and lathering up.
The problem is that the soapy water that ends up in the pool becomes impossible to drain out. Even though there is only about an inch of water it's impossible to pick up the pool and dump the water out. So we just grab a small bucket- gather in water- dump out the water- and keep repeating until it's possible to just pick up the whole pool. Very tedious.
The kiddie pool DOES have a drain that we can open which is on the side of the pool, but since the pool sits on the floor we can't use it. We were thinking of getting a small platform to stand the entire pool on. That way we can just put a bucket underneath the side drain , open the drain and let gravity do the work, but if there's a way to leave the pool on the floor and still have the water drain out that would be ideal. Not sure if the laws of physics allow that though. Which is why I'm asking here.
The electrical version of what you’re looking for is called a utility pump. It’s just a thing that sucks liquid in through its bottom surface, and pushes it out into an attached length of garden hose. One brand calls them “floor suckers.”
posted by jon1270 at 5:40 PM on April 15, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 5:40 PM on April 15, 2021 [3 favorites]
May I ask why you don’t do the whole operation in the rv shower? Even if the shower is broken, you can use the drain. Without the kiddie pool.
posted by Tandem Affinity at 5:41 PM on April 15, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by Tandem Affinity at 5:41 PM on April 15, 2021 [4 favorites]
I'd just get a 12v submersible pump (like for an aquarium) and some tubing.
Has worked for me when the yard has slightly flooded.
posted by pompomtom at 6:03 PM on April 15, 2021
Has worked for me when the yard has slightly flooded.
posted by pompomtom at 6:03 PM on April 15, 2021
A bilge pump is easy and inexpensive, and saying bilge makes you sound like a pirate.
posted by theora55 at 6:57 PM on April 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 6:57 PM on April 15, 2021 [1 favorite]
Google "jiggle siphon". Cheap, durable.
posted by Muted Flugelhorn at 7:31 PM on April 15, 2021
posted by Muted Flugelhorn at 7:31 PM on April 15, 2021
For a siphon, you could just use some old garden hose or some flexible plastic tubing from the hardware store--whatever length you need. This video shows one trick for getting the siphon flowing without sucking on it (you can skip forward to the 1:00 mark). That's the result of a very quick search, but I realized I could probably watch videos about siphons all day.
posted by polecat at 8:22 PM on April 15, 2021
posted by polecat at 8:22 PM on April 15, 2021
Another option would be to use a rigid tub instead of the floppy pool (and, maybe, less water - pouring it over your head isn't too efficient unless you're washing hair)
posted by trig at 12:55 AM on April 16, 2021
posted by trig at 12:55 AM on April 16, 2021
The kiddie pool DOES have a drain that we can open which is on the side of the pool, but since the pool sits on the floor we can't use it.
In your shoes I'd be inventing ways to get some kind of hose hooked up to that side drain and run it out through the door of the RV. And if that turned out not to empty the pool quickly or thoroughly enough, the next thing I'd try would be hooking that same hose up to a cheap 12V bilge pump.
posted by flabdablet at 6:01 AM on April 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
In your shoes I'd be inventing ways to get some kind of hose hooked up to that side drain and run it out through the door of the RV. And if that turned out not to empty the pool quickly or thoroughly enough, the next thing I'd try would be hooking that same hose up to a cheap 12V bilge pump.
posted by flabdablet at 6:01 AM on April 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
We were thinking of getting a small platform to stand the entire pool on.
My Burning Man camp did just this for a while. We had a 4x4 wooden platform with a drain with a pantyhose screen to catch hairs and other solid debris in a corner. We'd put it up on cinderblocks and just let gravity take care of draining it.
We've also done the kiddie pool with a knock-off shopvac to suck the water out.
while pouring water over our heads
Does your RV have an external water pump? Many do. If not, you can also get a ~$30 portable shower head/pump that'll make the experience a lot nicer.
posted by Candleman at 6:53 AM on April 16, 2021
My Burning Man camp did just this for a while. We had a 4x4 wooden platform with a drain with a pantyhose screen to catch hairs and other solid debris in a corner. We'd put it up on cinderblocks and just let gravity take care of draining it.
We've also done the kiddie pool with a knock-off shopvac to suck the water out.
while pouring water over our heads
Does your RV have an external water pump? Many do. If not, you can also get a ~$30 portable shower head/pump that'll make the experience a lot nicer.
posted by Candleman at 6:53 AM on April 16, 2021
Amazon has battery operated bilge pumps too, if you’re not near an outlet and don’t want to do it by hand.
posted by slateyness at 12:29 PM on April 16, 2021
posted by slateyness at 12:29 PM on April 16, 2021
I can recommend this one as good/serves its purpose but can’t rave about it.
Atwood pump. </a
posted by slateyness at 12:33 PM on April 16, 2021
Atwood pump. </a
posted by slateyness at 12:33 PM on April 16, 2021
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posted by Thella at 5:30 PM on April 15, 2021 [5 favorites]