improving our "tippy tap"

Please move to the right place - if it's not plumbing!

We've used this tippy tap, ahands-free washing set-up, but it's annoying because the water inevitably dribbles onto our shoes. Besides that, though, we love a way to wash our hands with very little water use. Has anyone else done this with more success?



I believe that we got the instructions from this website.
Build a Tippy Tap

I haven't seen this before. I really like it!

Our low water hand washing is done with a garden hose. I attached one end to a three gallon bucket, which is kept about seven feet off the floor. The other end hangs over the the edge of our sink (a big steel mixing bowl) and has a ball valve. You only need the tiniest trickle to wash hands because of the elevated bucket providing some water pressure. I usually use less than a cup of water.
You've got to turn the valve off and on, so it's not hands free, though :(

Looking at other tippy tap examples online, it seems like playing around with the length of the rope and placement of the stick will keep water from pouring directly on your feet. If it's just splashing, maybe putting the recommended gravel underneath would help.

I'm glad I saw this. Will set one up for our outside washing next summer.

You could use a pulley secured below the jug which allows the pedal to be placed out of harm's way.

Phil Stevens wrote:You could use a pulley secured below the jug which allows the pedal to be placed out of harm's way.

I'm having a hard time visualizing this.

Jan White wrote:Looking at other tippy tap examples online, it seems like playing around with the length of the rope and placement of the stick will keep water from pouring directly on your feet. If it's just splashing, maybe putting the recommended gravel underneath would help.

This is probably the approach I need. Maybe a different water storage too. This jug is the second, and is an improvement - I put the drip hole as far right as I could, and I made sure not to put the second "breathing" hole to far forward.

If it was me, I would use some lumber and make a frame to hold a bigger container, say a 2-1/2 gallon bottle of water with a bigger spout. I would have the frame pivot on its own axis, but have it returned to the upright position via springs. This would put the water dumping in the same spot every time and not bouncing around on a rope that changes from the different weights of the jug depending how much water is in it.

Down below I would put a funnel with a catch jug so that the water is not just wasted on the ground, but rather used to water plants, or other uses beyond personal hygiene.

Obviously I do not know what you have for resources, but I could build this all with scrap lumber and jugs I have kicking around, and not have to spend a penny on it. Time wide, I could have it built in a day as well, so it is not a big project. In the end your Tippy-Tap would save even more amounts of water because it is not splashing on your feet, or in the woods.

Travis Johnson wrote:If it was me, I would use some lumber and make a frame to hold a bigger container, say a 2-1/2 gallon bottle of water with a bigger spout. I would have the frame pivot on its own axis, but have it returned to the upright position via springs. This would put the water dumping in the same spot every time and not bouncing around on a rope that changes from the different weights of the jug depending how much water is in it.

Down below I would put a funnel with a catch jug so that the water is not just wasted on the ground, but rather used to water plants, or other uses beyond personal hygiene.

Obviously I do not know what you have for resources, but I could build this all with scrap lumber and jugs I have kicking around, and not have to spend a penny on it. Time wide, I could have it built in a day as well, so it is not a big project. In the end your Tippy-Tap would save even more amounts of water because it is not splashing on your feet, or in the woods.

I'm not exactly sure I can visualize what you mean, Travis, but it sounds good. This idea could be especially appropriate for our second campsite, which is less accessible and doesn't have any water source nearby.

Here is a video of a portable tippy tap design.  Pardon the plug for the GoFundMe...it's the only vid I have right now. The splashing on the feet is kinda nice on a hot day in the desert, where I am.  All scrap lumber.  Really only need a total of 16' of 2*4 and a skinny broom handle for the foot lever and bottle holder.  Bleach bottles work great, as do minute maid OJ.  

Have fun.

Tippy Tap: https://youtu.be/8UkxLnP_8hU