Composting Toilets

[jgelt]

We have moved out to the country. We are in an old farm house on 28 acres.

Our septic system is old and even if we can tweak more life out of the leach field, the tank is an old metal tank way too small for our family. We have already sent our bathing and washing machine water off to a separate gray water system, so we are nearing the end of gimmicks.

Anyway while researching I came across composting toilets. I understand the theory of operation. I know the costs.

This would be for continuous use for a family of four. We have one bathroom. We are on a well system and sewers aren't coming here during my lifetime.

Here's the benefits I can see.

1. It'd be about half the cost of a new septic system.
2. No reoccurring fees for pumping out the tank.
3. Reduced pump use.




I've researched the Internet. The sites are heavily geared towards telling me how great they are for the environment and very little on practicality.

If you have one or know some one first hand who uses one, I'd be really interested in your feedback.

1. What type do you have?
2. Do you like it?
3. How long have you used it?
4. What is their lifespan?
5. Do they break easily?
6. What kind of maintenance is required?
7. Is it in your house or is it in an outhouse?
8. Do they smell?
9. How often do you have to dump humus?
10. Some sites mention adding compost or peat moss with each use. Is this stuff expensive? Is there a way to make your own?


Thanks.

[LeatherneckPA]

jgelt, I highly recommend that you download a free copy of The Humanure Handbook (http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/humanure.html) for detailed reading on the subject. Apparently Jenkins believes so strongly in what he has accomplished with his system and it's benefits to the environment that he now makes his book available online for free. Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!

[bookwormom]

I second the motion. We have a humanure sawdust toilet in the house, we have used it for five years, no it does not smell, you empty it when it is full and you get good compost as a bonus.

[dkemple1]

I have often thought about a compost toilet for my river property, but I do not have any electricity. I have water but no power. It is too cost prohibitive to have power installed. It is too shady for solar. Doesn't composting toilets need to have electricity to help with the composting (Fans, Heat etc.)? I am looking for a good resource for my future cabin. I am thinking about having LP lights and Hot water. I don't know if LP alone would be sufficient for composting.

[bookwormom]

??? electricity?Not with my composting toilet. check out Jenkins Humanure book. you will love it. So simple, so efficient.

[12vman]

Don't pay the big bucks for any of the composting toilets on the market. They are junk, IMO..

I owned an Envirolet and it's not user friendly at all! If you have more than 1 daily user, you will have moisture issues, believe me.

A urine diverting system is your best shot. Separating the liquids from the solids reduces the odor issue significantly.

If you have the ability to construct a box with a vent to the outside, consider this (http://www.ecovita.net/privy.html) as an option. It will save you a bunch of money and it can be designed by you as for your needs and ease of maintenance.

They also have these (http://www.ecovita.net/urinal.html) for the "pointers" of the group.. * ;D

[suijurisfreeman]

??? electricity?Not with my composting toilet. *check out Jenkins Humanure book. you will love it. So simple, so efficient.

It doesn't get any simpler than a 5 gallon plastic bucket, saw dust! ;D

[Backwoods_Bob]

We had a Sunmar NE.

It was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made.

Look at it this way - Ever see an add for those miricale composting drums? you know, "Rich black compost in only 30 days!"

Well, unless your the kinda fellow that really can get rich black compost outta a contraption like that, stay away from composting toilets.

basically, the Sunmar was a rotating compost chamber with a seat on top and a trap for urine in the botom.

It smelled fantastically, overflowed stale urine on the floor and bred hords of flies in our own waste.
.
.
.
Not something you want in your home, trust me.

We struggled with it for about two years before giving up and ripping it out.

Now, if your looking at one of those big composting chambers in the basement with a seperate toilet above, and it will be installed in a heated area, Your Mileage May Differ.

But beware. They are expensive, and ain't as goood as they say they are.

Take 12vmans advice and build one yourself, or do like we did.

Dig an outhouse. *;)

[tomato204]

There are fungi you can buy spores from that really speed up the decomposition of waste, just add them to your sawdust toilet or outhouse.

[12vman]

The best place to get bacteria that breaks down waste is right outside your door. Collect some dirt and let it dry. Add a small amount (1/8 cup) to the privy when it gets about half way full.

If you have an active compost pile, take a small amount of that and do the same thing. ;)

[jgelt]

Sorry for not replying right away. Life came up. Thanks for all the good information. I got a lucky break. While in the process of figuring out what to do, we were expecting guests.

Crapping in the woods was not an option, so we got our tank pumped.

The pumpers said, despite what the previous owner had said, the tank had a few more good years in it.

But this is all good info and now I can prepare properly, thanks again.

[subfarm]

Ditto on The Humanure Handbook.

We have used that system 12 years, up to 8 in the family, a 4-gal bucket in a wooden box with standard toilet seat for a lid . No stink, no flies, no cost, plus compost.

You do need to fence your dogs out of the place you dump the bucket, and your chickens, too, if you do not want them spreading it as fast as you dump it.

[LobsterPond]

We put in a SUN Mar AD/DC double bin and I can say - when dealing with the authorities- it saved us $10,000 (minus the $3,000 for the unit).

For the most part - I love it but we've had 3 problems with it-
- Fruit flies when it's warm.
- It leaked since we used a low water flush toilet with it so we put in a small excess fluid pump.
- Building a methane digesting system would have only been- the cost of some 55gal drums (free when you can find them), gas filters and vents (the toilet is the same).. . roughly $89 for the filters, a fan and pipes.

So, for our farm I bought all the materials to upgrade a failing septic with a methane gas digesting system, though small, it will produce enough methane (once the digesting starts) to cook a meal daily . . according to theory. Plus, no flies, no leaks and we still will use the waste as fertilizer once it's digested.