Composting Toilets?

[2manygunz]

May be building a small cabin on my folks acreage soon. Thinking of putting a composting toilet in it. How do these work? Do they require power, water? Can you use them everyday?

[saigo]

my parents have one in there lake cabin. I don't know a lot about it except that it seems to be a lot of work for my Dad. It uses water, and electric. The compost bin is below the floor (under the cabin) which is accessed through a trap door on the floor. The bin needs to be slightly heated in winter (light bulb)

We have always used the out house during the day, and toilet at night. He's had this one for 10 years or so. So there may be newer ones out now.

[JBonLOZ]

There are many models to choose from electric and non electric (solar/turbine) models contained and separate models. Your choice really depends upon the number of people using it and if you can heat the room/unit year round to aid in composting and the mitigation of potential odor.

If you have electricity available and is about $500 more expensive I think an incinerator toilet is probably a safer bet since there is no limitations on the number of people using it and the potential odor issue is mitigated.

[Sketco]

Originally Posted by 2manygunz

May be building a small cabin on my folks acreage soon. Thinking of putting a composting toilet in it. How do these work? Do they require power, water? Can you use them everyday?

They don't get much simpler than this. No power, no water.




And get the Humanure Handbook (free download)...packed with info you will need.


http://weblife.org/humanure/pdf/huma...rd_edition.pdf

[Jackalope]

We have a Biolet composting toilet that we've been using for at least 10 years. Ours uses electricity for the mixing arm, and there's also a heater to help evaporate urine. The biggest problem we've had is handling excess urine and that rarely occurs. There's a vent pipe that vents out odors and moisture.

I'm thinking of getting a Nature's Head composting toilet in the future, as that unit actively separates the urine, and it uses a 12 volt fan. Our house runs mostly on 12 volts so that model would work better for us.

We also have a good old fashioned outhouse, but the Mrs. refuses to use it, especially during the winter....what a wuss!

[Annie__]

There was one at a camp I spent time at. A local guy with a small farm used the compost.
It had no power or water. It was a basic wooden out-house 'room' structure lined with mesh to stop flies.
Inside were steps to a platform with a hole with a toilet seat fitted. Under the hole was a shipping barrel/drum. One one side of the seat was toilet paper, on the other was a container of sawdust with a scoop. After use, it would covered -generously- with sawdust. Once 3/4 full, the barrel would be removed, sealed and left for ~2 years.
Apparently, pee slows down the rate of decomposition, so this would have to be considered. In this case, people just 'went bush' for pees.
This was the most basic of set-ups, a walk away from camp and with a water container outside the outhouse for hand washing, but it worked well, and the guy with the farm said it composted fine and didn't resemble it's original ... nature.
Alternatives to sawdust can be wood shavings, shredded papers or even poor quality soil.
The material used to cover, diet, type of toilet paper and urine could all alter the composting time, so I would do some research before risking opening a barrel too early!
You can aid the process by use of that Enzyme stuff, which is used for cleaning drains and septics.

[MyPrepperLife]

Does anybody here have a Nature's Head composting toilet? If so, what are your likes and dislikes?

I'm thinking of getting one. It doesn't use water, and (according to the company's marketing literature) it doesn't smell. An added bonus is that it is very small.

The Nature's Head does require some electricity for its ventilation fan. The company's Web site says, "Mushroom vents, solar vents, and clamshell type vents are commonly used for venting to the exterior." I think I would use a solar vent.