Volume control in a shower

beelzerob

beelzerob

Senior Member
I'll have a speaker in our walk-in shower/steam shower. It seems like a good idea to have some kind of volume control in there too, because who's going to want to leave that comfy warmness to tweak volume?

Any suggestions on the best way to do this? Your typical mechanical volume control for a speaker isn't usually rated for a shower environment, right? I guess if I got the rheostat kind, then all that would poke through the tile would be the post for the know...but the post would have to be close to 1" long to reach past the concrete board and tile.

I could also use a 3 position switch, and use that to adjust the volume via CQC and whatever controllable amp is driving the sound. A little more round-about, but just as effective.

The real question is...is there something that works good for this that I don't have to worry about moisture? Maybe a moisture proof speaker with a built-in volume control? now that'd be great!
 
beelzerob said:
I'll have a speaker in our walk-in shower/steam shower. It seems like a good idea to have some kind of volume control in there too, because who's going to want to leave that comfy warmness to tweak volume?

Any suggestions on the best way to do this? Your typical mechanical volume control for a speaker isn't usually rated for a shower environment, right? I guess if I got the rheostat kind, then all that would poke through the tile would be the post for the know...but the post would have to be close to 1" long to reach past the concrete board and tile.

I could also use a 3 position switch, and use that to adjust the volume via CQC and whatever controllable amp is driving the sound. A little more round-about, but just as effective.

The real question is...is there something that works good for this that I don't have to worry about moisture? Maybe a moisture proof speaker with a built-in volume control? now that'd be great!
Click to expand...

We have always suggested the Xantech Waterpad (IR) for controlling audio from showers/spas.
 
ASIHome said:
We have always suggested the Xantech Waterpad (IR) for controlling audio from showers/spas.
Click to expand...

$450+ :blink:

Umm....any other suggestions?? ;)

I'd probably sooner go with this $80 waterproof rheostat volume control from the same place I got my steam generator...but I balked at that price too.

I'll have to consider all my options here...I'm thinking I may just end up with a volume control just outside the shower door. I guess I can handle reaching out the door, as long as I don't have to step out.
 
beelzerob said:
I could also use a 3 position switch, and use that to adjust the volume via CQC and whatever controllable amp is driving the sound. A little more round-about, but just as effective.
Click to expand...

I like this one- you should be able to get waterproof push button switches for just a couple of dollars- one for up, one for down...
 
mdesmarais said:
beelzerob said:
I could also use a 3 position switch, and use that to adjust the volume via CQC and whatever controllable amp is driving the sound. A little more round-about, but just as effective.
Click to expand...

I like this one- you should be able to get waterproof push button switches for just a couple of dollars- one for up, one for down...
Click to expand...

Hmmm...the outdoor box is an idea. The first thing I'm wondering is...is there a serious difference between waterproof and vaporproof? This is a steam shower too, so there will be some serious water vapor hanging around in there.

The other thing is she'd KILL me if I put a box like that in there. :blink: It'd have to somehow be embedded in the wall, so that only the rheostat and faceplate stick out.

I like the pushbutton idea still too. I did some searches, and lots of marine/boat stuff showed up, but they were along the lines of heavy-duty big toggle switches kind of thing. What I'd love is just a 3-position rocker switch...but water/vapor/moisture/nuclear proof.
 
Are you near a PC? I was considering something like this for near my bathtub. I have not done it yet, as I am not sure how to make it look nice enough to get my wife to buy into it.

Maybe in your case you can only expose a few buttons.
 
Sooo...I'd just put in a single gang box, then drill a hole in a metal gangbox cover and mount the switch in that? I think that could all be sealed pretty good.

Lighted buttons is a neat idea. I was only going to use them as a dry contact, though....they don't require line voltage to light, do they? I can't really tell... That'd be kind of neat "red" for down, "green" for up.

If I were to do this, I'd almost consider running a cat5 to the box and mounting 4 buttons. That way you could use 2 buttons for volume, 2 for source selection....or 2 for dimming the light...or whatever. Curious idea. I may have to get some of those lights and play with 'em.
 
If it is all low voltage, you shouldn't need a full box. I wouldn't use a metal cover- then you need to worry about rust. I'd use plastic of some kind. These switches are all pretty small- I'd think a 2"x2" square would probably do the trick if you wanted 4 buttons, even smaller for two. Also not really clear from the picture exactly how the panel seal is accomplished- getting a couple to play with would probably be the best way to be sure.

Yeah, they don't really give much info about the lamp or how it is connected, although they do say LED, which implies low voltage.
 
I guess that'd be 2 wires for light power and 2 for the dry contact then...so I'd have to run 2 cat5 for 4 switches. Not a big deal, I've got plenty of cat5, and the shower is right next to my spare conduit for pulling more wire (strange I didn't think of wiring the shower when I wired the whole house :blink: ....).

The good news, though, is if I can power the light with low voltage, then I can also USE the lights for passing information. Maybe hold a button down and then I set it to blinking which means it can be used to set something....whatever. I don't want to go too crazy here....

I was thinking stainless steel for a coverplate...they make those, don't they? Then I wouldn't have to worry about rust.
 
What about a wireless solution? Granted, you already have wires going there for lights and the speaker but part of me likes the idea of limiting the number of electrical paths in an environment like a shower.

Since CQC was mentioned before, it seems there is no problem having a computer in the loop. What about something like an x10 palmpad sending signals to the PC and then the PC controlling things? Whatever you might think about x10, I think the palmpads are a great (if not pretty) interface into a lot of different things. You get plenty of buttons to control lots of stuff (audio source as well as volume, for example). I know you used to be able to buy waterproof enclosures for them but I haven't seen those for a while. Maybe a plastic bag for testing and then some sort of plastic shrink-wrap for normal use.

I use a palmpad to control my a/v switch. One column of buttons controls destination, the other source. By pressing two buttons, I can select any one of 8 inputs going to any of 8 outputs (actually, by shifting the range of the x10 codes, I can switch from 16 inputs (could do 16 outputs, too, but I only have 8 in the hardware)). The signal from the palmpad goes to a W800RF32A, into my PC running Homeseer, and then out over ethernet to the av switch. Appropriate scripting in HS handles all of this.

The palmpad going to an MR26A, W800RF32A, or something similar would give you a fair amount of versatility - and reduce the number of electrical connections in the shower area.
 
So far, I've tried as much as possible to avoid all forms of wireless (except wifi, of course) just for reliabilities sake...and because running wire is (or at least was) so easy.

If this were high-voltage lines, I'd definitely agree it'd be worth re-thinking...but low voltage lines don't bother me at all. The other thing that would put me off of it is that with wireless, I'd have to be able to access the battery compartment without too much trouble, which means breaking whatever waterproof seal there is. If I put buttons in a gangbox with a cover, I can silicone that whole thing and never have to move it again.

These are good suggestions, though....if there was some kind of small, waterproof, fully enclosed kind of device (I know I've seen waterproof/tub-friendly TV remotes) then maybe that'd be worth considering...however, that would also mean having to have something other than IR, or else I'd have to introduce another device to the shower.

As far as a nearby PC, the nearest will most likely be 2 floors below (so probably close to 20+ ft), as directly below the shower is where the wiring room is, and there's for sure to be a PC down there running at all times.
 
Hmm... speaking of which.... Geez, it's a little overkill...makes me want to consider mounting a TV in there too, but I know already that'll get the WAF-axe.

A nice, waterproof 4-button RF remote...now THAT'S what I need.
 
With a good receiver and antenna, the x10 palmpads are very reliable and have good range. I don't know about other people, but the batteries (4 x AAA) seem to last a very long time for me. I can't remember changing them in any of my palmpads (I know I have, but it's been long enough ago that I don't remember).

It is not uncommon for people to dismember their palm pads and use the guts in other things. You will find some palmpad hacks here on cocoontech.

You can pull the guts out and put them in a waterproof enclosure (or put the whole thing in the enclosure) with a few waterproof switches. Just wire the switches in parallel with the ones on the palmpad board.
 
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