After getting fed up with poopy cloth diapers (even with my awesome flushable liners I use), I decided it was time to look into a diaper sprayer, which is basically a kitchen sink sprayer on a hose which attaches to the toilet’s water line. I wasn’t interested in buying one for $40 from the diaper companies, so we started looking online on how to make one ourselves. Unfortunately I only found a couple of tutorials, with no pictures!
So, Moondoggie will be offering his first guest post here on Gidget Goes Home with a step-by-step tutorial on making your own for about half the cost. These parts came out to around $20 at Home Depot and it took maybe 20 minutes to assemble. So without further adieu, here’s Moondoggie.
So Gidget told me one day that she was sick of sticking her hands in the toilet to get Chiquita’s poop off those cloth diapers. Before we started using cloth diapers, I would have never guessed that a kitchen sprayer next to the toilet would be so useful (when I told the guy at Home Depot what I was doing, he actually asked if I was making a bidet).
Anyways, here’s a list of the parts I bought for this diaper sprayer. We looked at several versions on the web that used barbed connections and hose clamps. You will find that all the connections in this design are threaded and (probably) less likely to leak.
-Kitchen Sink Spray Hose & Head Assembly
-Filter Connector Splicer (I think this is actually designed for a refrigerator water filter; it may also be called an “Ice Maker Supply Line”)
-Ander-Lign Compression Connector (1/4″ OD x 1/4″ MIP w/insert)
-“Adapt-a-Valve” T-fitting (3/8″ x 3/8″ x 1/4″)
-1/4″ Shut-off valve (update: picture now below!)
1) The first thing you need to do is turn off the water that feeds into the toilet supply line.
2) Next, unscrew the toilet supply line from the valve. At this point, I should tell you to make sure that you toilet supply line is flexible. The rest of the procedure won’t be possible if you have a rigid toilet supply line. You can replace your supply line if necessary (or just check all the other toilets in your house until you find a flexible one – that’s what we had to do). It is helpful to have a small dish to catch any excess water that may be left in the toilet supply line.
3) Install the Filter Connector Splicer (fancy name for PVC tube with threaded ends) onto the 1/4″ branch of the T-fitting.
4) Attach the toilet supply line to the upper leg of the T-fitting. For those that haven’t done much plumbing work (which includes me; I am only going off what I have picked up since doing this project), the connection on your toilet supply line is most likely 3/8″ compression threads and that’s what I have assumed as I wrote these instructions.
5) Now you can install the T-fitting onto the valve.
6) To prevent the head of the sprayer from being under constant pressure, install a shut-off valve on the end of the sprayer line. Install the Compression Connector in the other end of the shut-off valve (you will notice that the 1/4″ pipe threads go into the valve and the 1/4″ compression threads will be free for now). This valve goes in between the Compression Connector and the end of the sprayer line shown in this photo (see next step for updated photo).
7) Install the PVC tube onto the 1/4″ compression thread side of the Compression Connector.
8 ) As a general note, I was instructed by the guy at Home Depot (obviously not an Olympian) not to tighten the compression fittings too much. Doing so may shred the washers and leave you with a leaky system. Also, I realized as I was putting the instructions together that it’s possible to install the parts in a different order and still have everything hook up correctly.
9) Once all the connections are properly tightened, turn the water back on to the valve. You will need to play with the pressure to get the right flow out of the sprayer. Also, you may experience some odd behavior from your toilet bowl and tank(running water sounds). I have found that it is just taking the tank longer to fill up (I am not a toilet expert so there may be more to that explanation that I am not equipped to offer).
That’s it. You can now use it to get that poop off without sticking your whole hand in the toilet. And if you are really brave you can start a water fight with your kids (not recommended for bathrooms with carpet).
Disclaimer: The following instructions are for inspirational purposes only, and are not from a plumber, but rather a simple DIY family. Feel free to try out and share this tutorial!
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I just wanted to add that this is also useful for people not using cloth diapers. I am a Soldier who has traveled extensively in South West Asia and other parts of the muslim world and I have seen these for use where toilet paper isn’t an option. I wanted to add them in my own home as the new “water saving” toilets don’t end up with a clean bowl and you have to flush two or three times. This works better than flushing twice, using the toilet brush, then flushing again. I have seen ones of these in South West Asia that had a little “eye” on the top of the sprayer for hanging on a hook about where the toilet paper role usually is in the west. Anyone aware of a supplier for this in the U.S.?
Back in the 60′s my Dad added a hot water mixing valve to the toilet so my Mom wouldn’t freeze her hands off wringing off diapers.
how much did this cost you?
Mary, we made this a few years ago, but I think it cost around $20-30, which at the time was about $10-20 less than the ones you could buy.
Just bought all the stuff tonight at Home Depot, and it came to just over $34. Slightly cheaper than the pre-made ones, and probably better quality! Thanks for your tutorial! So helpful!!!
Also make sure the shut off valve is female male so that once the connector is attached it will be female female
I think this is the best DIY design so far I’ve seen of a sprayer on the internet. I like the fact that it doesn’t require cutting any hoses. One thing I might add is that you need to install a backflow preventer to prevent fecal matter from getting into your water supply. This will raise the price of this project slightly but it’s certainly better than drinking poop! The cheapest one I found is a 3/8 in non-continuous pressure backflow preventer which would mean you would install it right after the shutoff valve you installed and right below the spray nozzle:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/T-S-BRASS-B-0970-Atmospheric-Back-Flow-Preventer-3-8-/120790496075#vi-content
Sorry I meant after the added shutoff valve and before the hose to the sprayer. Also as of right now, the backflow prevent costs $19.50, so not too shabby.
In addition, the part numbers are as such:
T&S BRASS B-0970 – non-continuous pressure backflow preventer
T&S BRASS B-0970-FE continuous pressure backflow preventer
The continuous pressure one has two female ends so you’d need a male to male adapter to attach the sprayer hose and is a little more expensive ($38.42) and could be attached right to the main shutoff valve:
http://www.culinarydepotinc.com/p-52884-t-s-brass-b-0970-fe-atmospheric-back-flow-preventer.aspx?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CSE&utm_term=B-0970-FE&utm_campaign=T%20&%20S%20Brass&gdftrk=gdfV23516_a_7c1516_a_7c7146_a_7cB_d_0970_d_FE
Why do you need this? How does adding a sprayer make it possible for such a backflow? There must already be some sort of thing preventing such a backflow on the toilet or you’d be drinking contaminated water already, right?
You need this because fecal matter can get from the toilet bowl into the sprayer, since you are spraying fecal matter directly, and it can potentially splatter, or be accidentally dropped in the toilet. A pressure differential caused by using other fixtures while using this sprayer can cause backsiphonage into the potable water system. Yes, the toilet has backflow protection of a sort, but this is adding a separate water outlet and so has nothing to do with the means by which the toilet supply is protected from the contents of the bowl.
I also found another backflow preventer that’s used for a hand held bidet (which is essentially what the author is making): http://www.sanicare.com/Hand-Held-Bidet-T-Fitting-Metal-or-Plastic-p/metal-t-fitting.htm ($24.95)
Matt that is absurd, from what they did there is no way for fecal matter to enter the clean water supply. They only adapted the clean water line which feeds the back tank of the toilet. They didn’t touch any of the plumbing that takes water from the toilet to the sewer/septic.
There’s no reason to be so harsh, Marissa. Matt’s concern is that fecal matter could get on the sprayer head during use and works its way into the head and thus into the water. It’s the same reason they have backflow preventers on garden hoses – to prevent dirt getting into the hose and thus into the water supply. Many plumbing codes require backflow preventers in various places to prevent this sort of thing.
I do agree, however, that the likelihood of it happening is very small.
The likelihood is actually not as small as it may appear – the fact that a male peeing may miss and contaminate the nozzle that way is very likely, or what if it is dropped into the toilet during diaper cleaning?
I am very interested in assembling my own diaper sprayer because of the reviews that the mass produced ones leak. Thanks for this tutorial!
I had a couple questions:
Does this have adjustable pressure?
Is the shut-off valve meant to be opened/closed with every use? (maybe that’s a dumb question)
I do open/close it every time I use it. The shut-off valve does adjust the pressure a bit- open all the way for full-strength.
Nicole, You stated you used flushable liners for your cloth diapers. Where did you find these?
Hi Jamie, I don’t use them anymore but when I did, I bought them online- diapers.com or maybe amazon even. I think Bummis makes them.
Marissa – I think Matt’s comment is completely appropriate. People come over, see a sprayer on the toilet, and might think it’s a bidet. Also, splash back is possible from cleaning diapers too. If the sprayer gets contaminated, that can channel back into the fresh water supply.
As Marissa said, that backflow preventer suggested by Matt is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. There is absolutely no need for that, as this DIY, or the retail version, is only taking tap water from the cold water piping in your home.
I’ll add that I assembled a diaper sprayer at my home a while back using “found parts” from my basement (I do occasional plumbing repairs around the house and I knew I had a kitchen sink sprayer) and, while it was a blessing to have this system, it did leak because it was really cobbled together and I never bothered looking for the appropriate T fitting. That was my laziness. Two weeks ago I found someone selling an unused “Mini-Shower” unit for $25 on Craigslist and jumped on it. They indeed are regularly $45. While I’m all about DIY, I must say that this is VERY well-made. Though I was first skeptical when I saw 1/4″ clear poly tubing instead of a kitchen-sink quality hose, the valve body is solid brass, chrome plated, with an integrated shut-off valve. There is a holder for the (plastic/chrome finish) sprayer that easily mounts on a wall next to the toilet, and the tubing/hose is around 4 ft, and can, of course, be trimmed if you’d like.
The only caveat, as on the system above, is that your water feed line to the toilet must be a flex hose — not rigid. Only tool needed – a 6″ adjustable wrench (plus a screwdriver to mount the sprayer holder.) Time – 5 minutes. You must be certain that the tubing is properly “seated” at its two connection points to have a non-leaking assembly. You have the peace of mind with the shut-off valve, AND, the entire assembly is hard-mounted to your 1/2″ plumbing, so that it can literally be a 1-hand operation to grab the sprayer, turn the valve to the “ON” position while holding the diaper in your other hand. Finally, the pressure issue is a non-issue with the Mini-Shower. Just open the lever valve all the way and the pressure is perfect.
While it may seem absurd to you, and you may be so confident of your own assessment of your knowledge acquired by the old “gut feeling” test, it is in fact a hazard, and would not be allowed to pass any plumbing inspection in any first world country. Just because there is a retail version available that does the same thing does not indicate that it has been approved by any adopted code authorities for that function. A hazard exists – to state confidently otherwise is to admit to having absolutely no idea.
I like this idea but as a plumber by trade I would like to add that the vacuum breaker on a hose bib is a complete waste. It was made a code because there is a one in a billion chance that if you had your hose on with a chemical sprayer attached under pressure (not in use, just under pressure); if someone were to turn on the kitchen faucet to get a drink, the chemical/poison would travel through the hose, through the pipe and out the faucet into your glass. You would win the lottery several times in a roll before the above happened.
Cool will be talking the hubby into this!
Thank you for this tutorial. It was easy to follow and non-plumber friendly. Unfortunately, my local Lowe’s didn’t have all the exact parts your tutorial called for so I had to purchase extra parts here and there. It ultimately made the project cost about $46, but that might also be that I live in Alaska and most things are more expensive up here anyway. But it was worth making it myself — I feel like a champ!
A couple of notes about this project:
First, I made sure to flush the toilet after turning off the water line so that water didn’t leak out as much. Also, I used pipe thread seal tape at every connection because there were little leaks, but that might be that I had to use more connections since I didn’t have all the exact parts you called for.
Thanks again!
Thanj you for sharing my husband after several trips to home depot was abke to use tbis and put together my sprayer for my diapers. It cost us under $20, a great savings compaired to mail order.
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