Let’s talk about everything you need in a tiny house. Building or buying a tiny house can seem daunting if you do not understand how it works. This post is for those that are self contained. If you are hooked up to power and water than you can set you tiny house up just like a regular house.
This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.
So, here is everything essential you need in a tiny house:
- Water storage
- Tankless water heater or small tanked water heater
- Water pump
- Holding tanks
- Minisplit, most common for A.C. and heat
- Propane (if needed)
- Solar (if needed)
Living in a tiny house can be a lot like living in a regular home but there are some differences. Most of the difference come into play when you are self contained or living off-grid.
My husband and I have been doing this for several years now and I would like to help you understand what makes tiny houses different from a house or RV.
Everything You Need in a Tiny House on Wheels
In this article we will be talking about a tiny house on wheels (THOW), and mostly talking about being off-grid, but you can set up any THOW like this as well. If you are building a tiny house that will have a permanent location and be plugged in than you can build it like a regular house.
Here is a list of some of the essentials needed in a THOW:
- Water storage
- Tankless water heater or small tanked water heater
- Water pump
- Holding tanks
- Minisplit, most common for A.C. and heat
- Propane (if needed)
- Solar (if needed)
These are common things that most people need more information about when building or buying a tiny house. However, a tiny house is a complete home. There are many more requirements for a tiny house like the trailer, siding, roofing, interior walls, etc.
This article is just going to focus on what id different for a normal house; So you know what the things you need to consider when building a THOW over a house. We have had lots of experience with all of these.
Water Storage for a THOW
Water storage is key in a tiny house if you cannot hook up to city water. This is something many people take lightly, but living without enough water can be very difficult, trust me! I have written more information on water storage here.
We have always hauled water. We keep a sufficient size fresh water tank and we have another tank that we use to haul water to our house and fill the tank in the house. Of course we can take the house and fill it up, like an RV, but it is difficult to move your house every week.
Many people only put 40 gallons of fresh water storage in their house, but we find that this only lasts us about 2 days! We recommend going with somewhere around 100 gallons, this will at least be more comfortable.
If you have a larger tank for hauling water that you can store water in, than a smaller tank in your house is not so bad. There are some major pitfalls to this so be careful! It is very difficult to drive a truck around with thousands of pounds of water on the back.
And it is extremely dangerous to drive with a half full tank. You also need to be cautious of it freezing. Please read more about what I wrote on water storage here, if you are not completely sure how to set up your system.
Tankless Water Heaters for a THOW
Most people go with tankless water heaters in their tiny houses. There are two options. You can go with a tankless water heater to a small tanked water heater. The tankless saves room and power, which is a huge bonus is a tiny house but they come cons as well.
You can check out more information on specific water heaters, and our recommended ones here.
Tankless Water Heater Pros:
A tankless water heater saves space, it can be hung right on the wall are barley takes any room. They are relatively the same in the total cost when buying and setting them up as it would be to get a tanked one.
Also, tankless water heaters are MUCH more energy efficient. This is the biggest benefit if you are living off-grid. Tanked water heaters constantly keep water warm, whereas tankless ones only heat water when you are using it.
They are very efficient with power and, unlike most tanked ones, many of them use propane to heat the water, instead of electric. Using propane for heat also saves on your power usage. However, almost all tanked water heaters use LOTS of power constantly.
Tankless Water Heater Cons:
There are a couple of downfalls for tankless water heaters. First of all, you need to buy propane. You can buy one’s that use electric to heat the water, but if you are living off-grid you will probably want to save the power and use propane.
We have found that it uses about a 20 pound tank of propane every 2 months. You can find places that refill your propane tanks, instead of always exchanging them, which is much cheaper. We spend about $11-15 on refiling a tank every couple of months.
The other cons to having a tankless water heater are more trivial. You have to wait for the water to heat up. Although, honestly, this happens very quickly. It takes less time than living in a big house and waiting for the hot water to run through the lines to your faucet.
If you had a tanked water heater in a tiny house than the water would be hot almost instantly, because the lines are so short. A tankless one takes some time to heat up but not that long. However, every time you turn the water off it will get cold again.
This can be a little more irritating. If you turn the water off to shave, then when you turn it on again, it will be warm then cold then hot. Since it is only producing hot water when the water is flowing, it stops heating as soon as you turn it off.
These cons are relatively minimal compared to the benefits that you get with them. That is why most tiny housers use tankless water heaters. If you are living off-gird than the easiest method is a tankless water heater.
Water Pumps for a THOW
Many people do not think about water pumps because city water has pressure. A standard house does not need to pump water, it comes from the city with a lot of pressure. However, if you are using water from a tank you will need a pump to provide the pressure.
Most people building a tiny house use a 3.1 gallon per minute water pump. You can get them in different voltages. A 12 volt water pump is very efficient and is a great option if you are living off-grid or wanting to save power.
Another common option is to get a 120 VAC water pump. These use AC or alternating current instead of DC or direct current. It is less efficient but more common in houses. DC is what’s used in RVs.
It is worth noting that you can also get a 24 or 48 volt water pump, however those are much less common. They are hard to find and more expensive. Check out our recommended water pump options here.
Holding Tanks for a THOW
I have written an entire article about holding tanks here. So I will just cover the basics in this article. If you plan to move your house around or travel, or live in it at all when it is not hooked up to a sewage system, you will need holding tanks.
As I mentioned before, we recommend having 100 gallons of fresh water storage. If this is the case, than you will need a 100 gallons of used water storage. So make sure you have enough space for 200 gallons of storage.
This will be broken down into 30% for black water and 70% for grey water. So you will need a 30 gallon tank for your black water and a 70 gallon tank for your grey water. Unless you have a composting toilet. Than you would want a 100 gallon grey water tank.
Even if you have a compositing toilet and do not need a black water tank you will still need 100 gallons of used water storage so that you cannot over flow your grey tank. If you are staying somewhere permanent than you can set up a french drain for your grey water instead.
Minisplits for a THOW
Minisplits are one of the most commonly used AC systems in tiny houses. Given that a tiny house is so small it is pointless to have something bigger and you cannot run ducting through the walls of a THOW.
We have had experience with several AC units and minisplits, look at out recommend products here.
Minisplits were originally built to have AC in one room of a large building. This allows complete control over the temperature for that room without affecting the rest of the building. This is ideal for conferences.
Given the size of a tiny house, minisplits work perfectly. The only downfall is that they do consume a lot of power. Often times they will use all of our solar power or dip into our batter bank as well.
Of course almost every form of AC uses a lot of power. There are many days that we leave the widows open and just use the fan on our minisplit. It will be warm in the house still, but if there is enough airflow it is not bad and this uses almost no power.
A note on windows in tiny houses. I would just like to mention window placement in your tiny house. Having windows that are right across from each other can cool down the house a lot. Especially over the bed! If you are low on power and it is a hot day, this will be a life saver when you go to sleep!
Propane Usage in a THOW
Many tiny houses use propane for things like their cook top and tankless water heater. Using propane saves electric power. Propane is relatively inexpensive and great for heating. We use about one 20 pound tank every two months.
If you are using propane in your tiny house you will need storage for it and to run gas lines in your house. Your propane storage needs to be kept outside. And you need a cut off switch for each appliance that uses it.
It is also a good idea to have two tanks with a dual tank regulator. This will automatically switch tanks when one runs out of propane. Then you will have time to refill the other one. I have had the last half of my shower cold several times, not highly recommended!
Solar for a THOW
This is a very complex topic that I have a lot more to write about it. Here we will just cover some of the basics that are in THOWs. Not all tiny houses have solar. You can plug into a grid or use a generator. However, we have found that solar is the typically the best option.
After you buy the right solar equipment, you will not have an electricity bill any more. It will end up paying for itself. Plus it gives you the freedom to move about and travel, without worrying about hooking up somewhere.
My husband has done extensive research on solar, checkout everything we recommend here.
For your solar system you will need deep cycle AGM batteries or lithium, an inverter charger, charge controller, combinder box, appropriate size fuses and breakers, and solar panels. This is a lot!
Check out what we have used and what we recommend so you do not have to do all the research and testing yourself.
Where to Put Your Utilities in a THOW
Most THOWs have an utility closet where they keep all of these items. There are a few important factors to keep in mind. These are often only accessible from the outside and they are not well insulated. These can freeze and ruin much of your equipment.
It is best to keep this somewhere closer to the inside where there will be a more regular temperature. Also having better accessibility can be beneficial. We have had to go outside to turn off our inverter when the batteries got to low before.
Also, keep in mind your climate. If you are going to be somewhere cold at all, you need to think about your water lines. If you run your water lines under your house they can freeze much easier.
To keep your water lines warm enough, the house has to say quite toasty in very cold climates. Keep in mind that they are under your house, not well insulated and there is direct airflow under your house on wheels.
With your utilities make sure you have easy access to all of your cut-off valves in case of emergencies. Also, you should keep your water safely protected from your electrical and solar, if not completely separate.
Related Questions
What materials are needed to build a tiny house? Tiny houses are built a lot like regular homes. You can use standard 2 x 4s and 2 x 6s for framing, standard windows, doors, etc. It is not typical to use vinyl siding or shingles. THOWs usually have metal roofs and for siding either use wood or lap siding or board and batten.
What type of toilets are in tiny houses? You can have a regular flush toilet, composting toilet or incinerator toilet in a tiny house. Tiny houses do not usually use RV toilets. If you have a permanent location for your tiny house than most people use a regular flush toilet. And those who live off-grid or travel a lot usually have a composting toilet. I have written an article about toilets in tiny houses here.
