Tutorial Tuesday: diaper sprayer

Hi, I'm Kelly's husband Lucas, and I'll be "guest tutorializing" this Tuesday.  I'll attempt to explain how you can install a "diaper sprayer" in the bathroom from parts found at your local home improvement/hardware store.  Bear in mind that I am operating from pure recollection, but I'll do my best.  I will admit that I found a couple of tutorials online and based mine on them.  At the end I will include links to them.  There you can find more detailed parts lists.  Perhaps more than a tutorial, this post will serve as inspiration that you can build one yourself.  I spent $23 on parts and about 30-45 minutes building it.  I've seen prepackaged sprayers going for $45, and you'll have to do just about as much installation as if you'd started with just parts.  I've also seen the diaper sprayers advertised as serving the dual purpose of diaper sprayer/bidet.  I'll just say that the water coming out of there is COLD.  If you choose to use this as a bidet, that's a decision you and your butt will need to make together.

First and foremost, when taking on this project be sure to turn the water off that supplies the toilet!

Stab at a parts list:

T-fitting

shut-off valve

filter connector splicer (a tube used in water supply to refrigerators)

a few of connectors

Below is a picture of the finished product.  You will see on the left, where the toilet water line begins, there is a T-fitting.  From here water supplies the toilet and also the diaper sprayer's business end, with a shutoff valve in between for when you aren't using the sprayer.   

Let's start!

Unscrew the toilet water supply line from the wall(the one that goes from the wall to your toilet) and replace it with the T-fitting.  Screw the toilet line back into the appropriate connection on the T-fitting.  There should only be one that it fits, provided you by the right "adapt-a-valve" T-fitting (I didn't in my first attempt).  On what we'll call the "stem" of the T-fitting, attach the filter connector splicer.


At the end of the filter connector splicer, attach the shutoff valve.  This is where you will use the connectors you bought.  The shut-off valve will prevent leakage when the sprayer is not being used.  You will also notice in the photo below some thread tape.  This tape you can find at your home improvement store and will also address potential leaks.  On the other side of your shut-off valve, connect the kitchen sprayer.

Turn the water supply back on, be sure that the valve is open, and spray away!  When you're done, turn the shut-off valve back off until next time.

As promised here are the two how-to's that I relied on to construct our diaper sprayer (the first is more like what I built, and I used his parts list):

http://gidgetgoeshome.com/2008/08/25/diy-tutorial-make-your-own-diaper-sprayer/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zpfj_SeG4ro

The  YouTube tutorial, in my opinion, makes this a little harder than it needs to be, but you be the judge.

When you are purchasing parts, be sure that you get the right sizes.  Before taking on this task, I didn't know that 1/4" doesn't always mean 1/4", because when you're looking at plumbing fittings, there are several different 1/4" definitions, and they are each slightly differently sized, and won't play together.  You friendly home improvement store associate can point you in the right direction.

And, don't forget to check out these other great tutorials!
Flower Headbands at monkey's on the bed
Going Green at Sailing the Hudson