Instructions for Making ''Continuous'' Supply Soap Dispenser

14 years ago

We recently put in new granite and added a countertop soap dispenser. At the end of the day, the bottle that came with the soap dispenser wouldn't fit with all of the other things in the way. Our solution was to use an ordinary large bottle of Dawn dish liquid connected to the soap dispenser. We found that a Softsoap hand soap pump fit the dawn bottle and was the easiest way to get a properly sized check valve that worked with viscous dish liquid.

Anyway, here is a link to step-by-step instructions with pictures. Hope they are of some use to someone.

Jo Ann

P.S. I know that there is a commercial product out there that performs this function, but I have never owned one or even seen one, so this is not a copy of that product.

P.P.S. This is the 1st time I've used Google Docs, so I hope the link works.

Here is a link that might be useful: Instructions for Making a

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Comments (8)

patsyklein
14 years ago
drjoann,

What a great invention! Where did you get the tubing and the connection? Also, great job using GoogleDocs!
drjoann
Original Author
14 years ago
DH was the implementer. He did the photos & draft instructions. I know he got the barb at Ace HW and the tubing from there and/or Home Depot & Lowes. All very, very cheap. I think the most expensive item was the Softsoap pump and you might have one of those hanging around the house, anyway.

I didn't mind spending $10 for the commercial product, but I rebelled at the $7-8 for shipping. I knew, in theory, how it should work. We started out with tubing & a check valve for aquaria, but we just weren't sure that a check valve mean for water would work well for viscous dish washing liquid. DH really came through with the goods. What a guy!!!!

Glad you like it. We've been using it for a month with no issues. We are deliberately not using it for a week to see if that has any effect. At worst, we might have to reprime it when we come back from a vacation.
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cininohio
14 years ago
Wow, that is great! When my DH gets done with the grout, sealing, backsplash, paint, pulls, lights and switches I am putting him on this! haha. No, seriously, I am saving to my favorites. What a great invention! Thanks.
lisa_wi
14 years ago
Not to burst your bubble (literally :) but my DH bought a piece of tubing and that's it. One end attaches to the the soap pump in place of the "straw" that would normally suck the soap from the small container and the other end goes into a big bottle of handsoap that has a flip top lid with a hole slightly larger than the tubing. We've got that setup on 3 different sinks in our house and its been working great for 2+ years.
drjoann
Original Author
14 years ago
lisa_wi - that is interesting. Can someone with a "Never MT" explain if that is just a tube with various caps or is it more than that? Isn't the extra check valve useful so that the liquid doesn't drain back into the large container and require more frequent priming, especially if it hasn't been used for a while?

Not doubting you, just wondering why "Never MT" would be able to charge $10 + shipping if it were just a piece of tubing.

Thanks - Jo Ann
drjoann
Original Author
14 years ago
lisa_wi

Can you tell me what the ID is on the tubing that your DH used? If the tubing is narrow enough, then I am assuming that capillary action is sufficient to keep the liquid soap filling the tubing with no air gaps and a check valve is not needed. Do you ever end up with a situation where there are little air gaps in the tubing?

Also, do you know the OD of the "straw" that was replaced by the tubing?

Thanks - Jo Ann
lisa_wi
14 years ago
Jo Ann - the OD of the straw looks to be about 1/4". The soap dispensers are all Kohler. The ID of the new tubing is about 1/8". It looks to be basically the same as the original straw. I don't recall ever having problems with air gaps or if we did it isn't annoying enough for me to remember.

Lisa
Lily T
7 years ago
Dr Joann, your idea of using a soap bottle's pump as check valve is genius! It solves the soap falling back by gravity problem. However, I'm confused why you used 3/8" to 3/8" barb in the middle (I read your GoogleDoc several times). If both ends of the barb are the same size, why do you need the barb for? Isn't the bottom end 3/8" and the top end is 5/16" though? Just curious.