Outdoor shower & PEX

My two cents, the pex pipe won't be damaged by freezing, but any fittings subject to freezing might crack. As would shower valves, faucets, anything that has water left in it. One sure solution is to add a valve and air hose fitting after the shut off at the house and use an air compressor to blow it out. Or maybe a drain valve or plug at the lowest point at the shower.

What you're saying is the PEX lines will be fed from the home and the shutoff valves will be in the homes as well? Regardless, water can still remain in the lines, freeze and expand in winter and crack the lines. Also, PEX can deteriorate in the presence of ultraviolet rays when exposed to the sun. It is recommended to bury the lines.

I will bury them for sure... probably a foot deep with sand around it to protect it. I didn't realize an air hose fitting existed so I will def go that route. Shut off in the house, buried a foot down with sand around the lines, and a blow out valve in the house... that should do me up

Thank you!

I'd suggest burying them below frost line even with the air hose route suggested by T4. What if you forget to blow them out or can't for some odd reason?

Depends on whether or not you mind the pipes bursting when you forget to turn off the water or there's a real early freeze ;-)

You can get air hose couplers, male and female for a few bucks at Harbor Freight if there is one near you. Auto supply, HD, etc should have them too. That's what I did with my lawn sprinklers, put a male fitting and water valve on it. In the Fall I just roll the compressor over.

I've heard that PEX can sometimes take a freeze but on a long time installation, sooner or later it will crack. Not worth the risk.

If you "blow" the lines you don't NEED to go below frost line, but if you forget you may be digging next spring - - -

An early freeze won't hit a foot down - but forgetting is always a possibility.

You can blow out lines like that with a shop vac if you don't have a compressor.

You say "winter month"; does that mean month or months? Anyway, if you can design the run to the shower with a low point drain, you may be able to get away without a compressor, etc.

Outdoor months... like 6 of them lol I need to just not be lazy and dig the damn hole :)

Exercise supposedly helps fend off the Covid 19 thing.

The pex can certainly break if it has water in it when it freezes. BTDT.

I've heard that's not true. Aiui,

Being healthy may get one's through the sickness, but won't keep you from catching it.

Bruce, is the water pipe coming from, starting from a basement, or any place that is below ground? They make valves for copper pipe and probably for PEX that include a drain. When you're in the basement you turn off the water, next time you're outside, you turn on the shower, and next time you're in the basement, you open the little knob on the valve and the water comes out . Of course you have to have something to catch the water. Without knowing how far away the shower is, how high it is, and how big the pipe, I don't know how much that would be.