The tiny house movement continues to grow as people look for a way to simplify their lives. Homes are now more expensive than ever and mortgages have gone through the roof.
The increase in cost has left homeowners with a decision to make; how much space do they really need?
Tiny houses are becoming increasingly popular, but with such little space, getting water to these tiny houses can present a problem.
How does a tiny house get water?
These are the 6 best options to get water to your tiny house:
- Direct Water Hookup
- Using a Well
- No Plumbing
- Water Tank
- RV Hookup
- Hybrid (Tank + RV Hookup)
Below we will discuss each of these methods in greater detail.
However, as always, you will want to check your local laws to see what is permissible in your area. Laws and regulation will vary from city to city and from county to county.
If you can not hook up directly to your town or cities water line, then getting water to your tiny house will be very simple; however, this may not always be the case and so it is best to have several options and to choose which works best for your circumstance.
Direct Water Hookup
This method is straightforward and is the easiest option if you are NOT living “off the grid.”
If the land that you purchased has water at the curb, then you can easily connect a water line from this water source to your tiny house.
However, if the land that you are building the tiny house on does not have water at the curb, then you will have to find the nearest water source and run a line from your tiny house to this water source.
This can be tricky because the water source may not even be on your property and so you would have to go through your local city or county to get approval to run these water lines.
Adding to the complexity would be the time and money needed to get approval and permits to run the water lines, not to mention the fact that the nearest water lines may be several miles away.
If you have water at your curb, then this method is the cheapest and easiest; however, if you do not, getting a direct water hookup can be difficult and expensive and honestly not worth the hassle.
Using a Well
If your land has water underground, then a well could be a great option for you to get water to your tiny house. To access this water you would have to hire a professional who could come out and drill a well on your property.
The price for drilling the well will depend on the area that you live in as well as how far down the water source is.
Before using a well, you will want to check with your local city or county to make sure that a well is allowed in your area. If it is allowed, a well is another great option to run water directly to your home without the use of water tanks.
No Plumbing
The most traditional setup for tiny houses is to not have any plumbing in them at all. This is done to save space as that is the whole purpose of a tiny house; using as little space as possible.
What this means is that you won’t have any water in the house and that you will need to carry water into the house manually in buckets whenever you need water.
Different amounts of water can be carried into different parts of the house where water is needed. For example, you may keep some water in the kitchen or the toilet area of the home for when it is needed.
Water can be taken into the home with the use of buckets, bottles, or jugs, whichever best suits your needs.
To minimize fetching distance, the tiny house has to be located close to the water source. This water source can even be a lake or a river, as long as you purify the water before use.
If you do not have a close water source to fetch water,, another option is to buy water and store it.
The main benefit of the no plumbing system is that it saves a lot of space. Space is very important in a tiny house. A tiny house with no plumbing is also more likely to cost less than others.
All you have to do is decide if all the trips to fetch water are worth it to you.
Water Tank
Using a water tank is another great option to store water for your tiny house. The tank is typically kept outside the home and filled regularly. Water is then pulled from the tank and used inside the home.
Making use of a water tank is a great option if you intend to live off the grid and avoid relying on the basic amenities provided by the government. Getting water from the water tank to your home may require energy to move the water.
An energy source such as solar panels can be used to replace a traditional energy source, especially if living off the grid is what you intend to do.
One thing to consider when using a tank is that if the water in the tank gets exhausted, then the supply to the home will be cut off. For this reason, make sure to have a backup plan should this ever occur.
Tanks can be kept inside the home, but given the size of your tiny house compared to the size of the water tank this is not a common solution. In the United States, the average person uses between 80-100 gallons of water per day!
Now if you are living in a tiny house with your family then that number will be even higher! As you can imagine, in order to supply such high amounts of water you will need a decent sized tank which makes it even less plausible to store the tank inside your tiny home.
For this reason, it is more common for water tanks to be stored underground or somewhere outside of the home given their size.
However, one thing to consider when storing a water tank outside is freezing cold weather. If the weather outside gets cold enough then the water inside your tank can freeze and make the water unusable until the water melts.
If you do live in an area where freezing cold weather is common then make sure you have a quality tank that protects against cold weather or a backup plan for when your water inside your tank does freeze over.
RV Hookup
To determine if an RV Hookup will be the best option for you, you must first ask yourself how long will the tiny house remain in that location. If it is going to remain in that spot for some time, then it will be better to connect it directly to a specific water source such as the sources listed above.
If you plan on travelling with your tiny house, then using an RV hookup to get water may be the better option for you. This water distribution system is quite easy to set up and there are several high quality RV hoses to choose from.
Unfortunately, it is NOT recommended that you use your garden hose as an RV hookup because garden hoses are not designed for drinking water.
Using an RV hookup is the easiest way to get water into your tiny home. If you choose to use an RV Hookup, then you should plan to travel to regions where you can easily connect to a potable water source. Many campgrounds and RV parking stations have such water sources.
In colder climates, the water in the hose may freeze up and so you must take that into consideration.
To prevent the hose from freezing , homeowners can use heat tape and wrap it around the hose or purchase a hose that is protected against freezing temperatures.
Depending on how cold it gets, you may decide to bury the hose in the ground to help insulate it, but this would only work in areas where deep freezing does not occur.
If you plan on traveling with your tiny house then using an RV hookup to get water is a great option for you.
Hybrid (Tank + RV Hookup)
Why stick with one option when you actually can go for both? Another option for getting water to your tiny house is using both a water tank and an RV hookup.
This is an ideal option for those who want to travel and still have easy access to water when they are not on the go.
This choice leaves you with several options, but you will have to use a smaller tank in order to be able to travel with the tank in your home.
Using a hybrid system is flexible and can survive any living situation. Although this option may be more expensive given the installation and maintenance costs, it helps meet a variety of needs, especially for those who like to travel.
How to decide on the best water source for you?
Even tiny houses need a regular supply of water. Now, that you know all the options you must now decide which option is best for you.. However, your decision should be based on an assessment of each water source.
All the advantages and disadvantages of each water source have been listed above. In deciding on your choice, you’ll have to consider some factors which include;
Frequency of travel
One neat thing about living in a tiny house is that they can be built to travel with. It is possible that you will be traveling with your tiny house and moving around to different locations.
How often will you be traveling? How long would you spend at your destination? These are all questions that you need to ask when deciding which water source works best for you.
Budget
How much do you have at your disposal to spend on the whole project? If you have a large budget, and do not plan on traveling much, then drilling a well or hooking up to your cities water line may be the way to go.
However, for a smaller budget, a tank or RV hookup may make more sense and you can just get your water from the different locations that you visit.
Water Usage
How much water does your family use? Will you be able to get a tank to comfortably accommodate the daily needs of your family? If you don’t want to be restricted by the tank size, then you may want to consider a more plentiful water supply.
Location of the home and temperature of the region.
Water freezes when the temperature gets too cold. An external tank may not do you much good if you stay in a region with below zero temperatures. The whole tank may freeze up and you’ll have no water to use.
For this reason, if you will be living in a colder climate, consider buying a tank that will be protected against freezing temperatures.
Conclusion
Using a water source that works for you is very important to a comfortable stay in your tiny house. Water is needed throughout the house and so choosing the correct water source is crucial. Enjoy your tiny house!