Dr Bob

Of course you are right but that then just opens up a whole new can of worms. How do councils process their waste? Most of what I see on the canals is zero sorting at source so all the waste must go on a picking line. In Cardiff where we lived before, all sorting was done kirbside and blackbags went directly to incineration with no manual intervention. Black bag waste can go in 2 directions - landfill or incineration. Putting the solids output for landfill in biodegradable bags is not an issue as it will compost in the landfill (anerobicly) which is good and benficial compared to everything else in there. Incineration which is becoming more prevelant in the UK (but much bigger in Europe) just burns the solids mix. By separating urine from poo though gives a benefit in reducing CO2 and ammonia emissions from the breakdown of urea. While the world seems happy to dispose of millions of nappies per day via incineration, the odd bag of poo/compost from me isnt going to make any difference and balanced by me not producing any CO2 from my urine, composting siginificant amounts of poo and not driving an ICE car. I think I am in credit?

Fazackerly. No bag liner. On the compoosting toilet which we have (Compoosting is the tradename), the solids bin is basically a plastic bucket with a big stirrer blade in the bottom. You put 3 or 4 big handfulls of compost in. Poo for 5 days (two of us) running the motor to power the stirrer to mix the poo with the compost for a minute each time. After 5 days we just lift the bucket out and tip it into the compost bin. Most of the solids come out. Bang the bottom of the upturned bucket and Bob's your uncle. There is a little bit of stuff left on the bottom of the bucket/stirrer but we just leave that there for the next cycle. After 4 weeks and 6 cycles the bucket doesnt seem to be getting any dirtier. Likely I will hose it down after the first 3 months or so but not sure it is needed. The stirrer mechanism is quite simple so wont get blocked, jammed up etc. For putting it in the bin, then stretch the bag over the top of the bucket, turn the bucket upside down, shake and then tie up the bag. It really isnt a drama. For the Natures head model, because they go 4-5 weeks per cycle, then 'tipping up the bucket' means taking the toilet out and manhandling the 5-8 times more volume into a much bigger bag - so that becomes more of a task. Because ours is just a small bucket it is so quick and easy. The cycle time is more like what peeps are used to with cassettes but it is so quick to do and none of this carrying 40Kgs of effluent hundreds of yards to the elsan point.

There was a post a few pages back that had links to some gov web sites. One said you could dispose of up to 7Kg. That must be per person as you do not have a clue what is in the bin before. I guess this is based on nappy or soiled adult incontinence pad disposal. The other gov web site gave no limit. The CRT say double bag it and put it in a bin - with no limit mentioned. It is standard practice to put human waste (and horrible nasty smelling stuff that might have been in a bin for 3-4 weeks) in bins. What comes out of one of these toilets is far less 'nasty'. Council waste processing picking lines are well used to dealing with human waste.

No. When moored for the winter we will compost. When out and about maybe not. If not composting we will: 1.Fill the number 2 container (5 days) 2. Empty into a biodegradable bag 3. Double bag with biodegradable bag (so a manual picking line will know to leave it alone) 4. Put in bin. The contents after 5 days is circa 5 litres so less than the 7Kg that has appeared on one of the links as being the legal limit of how much waste can be put in a bin. The contents is a mixture of dry (ish) poo and coir/compost. It looks a bit like horse manure but more crumbly and not as many 'big' bits. Its smells a bit 'earthy' ie soil type smell and not at all poo type smell. It is chalk and cheese compared to a soiled nappy. It is certainly nowhere near 'offensive' to handle the bucket/bag. You ask whether you should picture a bucket of poo (yuk). No. That is certainly not the case. Frank has a different toilet that has a 4 week cycle time so there will be some composting going on but he will have 5 times more volume to deal with than me so dumping it to a bin is then a different decision. For the 5 day cycle, the size of the bag to bin looks to be similar to a nappy and we put millions of them in the bin each day.

Ok, ta. Thanks for the info. I'll get the new router in place and then have a go at this.

It's the 4 pin one. No, not updated the firmware. Any input on how to do this?

They can do composting if left long enough but this one I have is only a 5 day cycle for solids so composting happens outside. We have not had this issue yet but according to reviews I have read, the compost or coir in the solids bin will soak up that sort of liquid poo and there is no problem. I guess you would sprinkle a bit of compost/coir over the top of it if you were worried. Having seen how they operate, I can easily see them coping with liquid poo for a number of days. The advantage of our 5 day solids cycle is that it would be easy to pour out and refil for the next cycle. First hand experience of them gives you a lot more understanding of how they work.

No. I've used the hedge on a few occasions. Urine in the canal is not a good idea as it helps more weed grow.

That was answered a few pages back. Down to the design of the top and it uses a splash reducing device that works well - the type you see in urinals. I am not sure if the word composting should be used as not a lot of composting takes place in situ. I use the word Compoosting as that is the trade name of the toilet. The best description is 'dry' toilet and peeps can then compost if they feel that is right. The key is these toilets separate liquids from solids so the smell issue disappears. You get the smell when you mix wee and poo.

I've got a feeling that the 3 sim problems I have been getting over the years are down to the Rut950 so that is the main reason for not trusting it now. The new router is only £70. If it works on the 3 sim then i'll be glad to see the back of this one.

No. I was reluctant as there are a lot of custom settings to priorities certain connected devices. Given problems on other units, I will try this new one which has been proven by my son to be better. Its the poynting one https://www.onbuy.com/gb/poynting-4g-xpol-a0001-cross-polarised-4g-omni-lte-antenna~c8436~p6626085/?exta=bingsh&lid=28723362&stat=eyJpcCI6IjExMS4wNiIsImRwIjowLCJsaWQiOiIyODcyMzM2MiIsInMiOiI2IiwidCI6MTYxMjg1NDM4OSwiYm1jIjoiMS4wIn0=&exta=bingsh&msclkid=632b6c93eda01723e3a70cb142a576d4&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(GB: SAD) Electronics & Technology&utm_term=4574999168860281&utm_content=(GB: SAD) Electronics & Technology - 20 I think it fits more with the ecofan going round faster with the increase in fuel on the fire. Ah, that is not good news. They look rather expensive, the new model is £170. I'll try its little brother as it is working well for my son.

An update on my 4G router – the teltonika RUT 950. This router is being used by some on here for connection to the internet and I have been very positive in the past about this unit being good. My unit is now 4 years old and has worked well but I am now suffering significant problems. The main issue is that when the unit drops connection, it is not restoring the connection properly when turned off and on from the wall. After a power off, the unit connects to the EE system but at a very low signal strength (ie -90dB). It can stay at this signal strength for hours which then proves an issue when streaming. If however you reboot the unit from the software menu via computer, most of the time (but not all) the initial low signal last for minutes before 'connecting properly' and getting a strong signal (ie -57dB). The number of 'drop outs' is now also increasing and I am finding that I need to power off/reboot circa twice per day. I talked this through with my son who had the same unit for a remote piece of kit in work and he informs me he had the same problems last year and replaced the unit. He said he had heard of many similar issues. I've ordered a different router https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B016ZWXYXG?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title and will report back. Since having the RUT950, I've always suffered with getting good connections with my '3' sim despite often showing good signal strength. I wonder if this is a similar issue? Anywho, I wont be recommending this unit again. I suppose 4 years isnt bad, unless it was the routers problem that my '3' sim was never very useful.

That then is a problem. Hedgerows or grass. We tend not to be anywhere urban for more than a couple of days. Centre of Brum is about the only place we stop for longer but then the liquid can go down the elsan.

Big compost bin in the marina. When we are out and about in April onwards, then we will have a 50litre plastic box but I am more than likely just double bag it and bin it. Not emptying liquid into the cut. Not a good idea as it promotes weed growth. No, there is lots of woodland around so that is where I pour it. There are a handfull of peeps here who have these 'dry' toilets and are disposing of the solids/liquids in the same way.

Ok, its been a month since we installed the Compoosting toilet so probably time to update those who are interested in how its going. First up then are some comments on how it compares to what we had in place. Some of you may have noticed the comment from 'Foxes Afloat' on their opinion of the Compoosting toilet – ie 'best thing we have bought for the boat'. I think I agree! If you remember the main driver for replacing the 6 month old macerator/pump out system on our new boat (new – not 2nd hand) was that the tank size and the amount the toilet was flushing meant pump outs every 2 weeks. This new toilet has been a revelation. Gone are any worries about where or when to pump out. Is the pump out going to be frozen up? Will the ice be too thick to move? …..and in the summer, will the pump out in the boat yard ahead be working? This toilet is independent of 3rd parties or bad weather. It is so simple There is no smell. None. We are using the carbon filter rather than an external vent and it works. We empty the liquid bottle every 2 days and the solids bucket every 5 days. It takes seconds to lift them out and dispose of the contents (solids in a compost bin – but also very easy to double bag it in degradable bags and put in the rubbish). There is no nasty poo smell at all. A bonus is that there is no smell in the bathroom when following someone in who has just done a number 2. None of this “leave it a few minutes before you use the bathroom”! There are no toilet smells around the boat. No smell of 'blue'. No smells when you empty it. Another unexpected bonus is the cleaning of the toilet. First of all, no toilet brush needed. The macerator toilet we had often needed two flushes and a bit of brushing to clean the 'residue' after a dump. Poor design of the toilet? Not needed here. The surface of the loo is gel coat over GRP so it wipes down very easily. We use a spray bottle with citric acid in to spray the liquid 'area' to keep it fresh. Mrs Bob today commented on how easy it is to keep clean compared to normal toilets. Maybe this is because I am more careful about spraying urine around when I use it – but there are no difficult to clean bits like where the seat attaches to the unit as on normal toilets. There is no rim around the bowl where the flush water comes out and gets a build up of scale. Our 6 month old one was looking quite naff with the hard water we have locally. No opportunity for brown scale to form at the bottom of the bowl. We are using around 100 litres of water less a week! A fill up lasts longer. Power usage for the fan is not an issue. Not sure of the numbers but seem to remember the fan uses less than 1 Ahr per day which is likely a lot less than the electrickerty gubbins that is used to do the flush plus 2 circuits and meters to display how full the holding tank was. Finally the boat is consistent in the way it heels over. With the holding tank situated to one side, when empty the boat would heel to the starboard side and when full to the port side. You could tell how full the tank was by the way the boat heeled. That was very annoying. Problem solved. In reviewing how the unit is working, it is worth making some comments about how the Compoosting Toilet performs versus other composting toilets. We did quite a bit of research before buying and are very happy we went for this particular model. The Compoosting toilet is made in Warwickshire by a local guy (and his wife) to fill a hole in the market (he now has a manufacturing unit at Hillmorton locks). It is a very simple design made using a bespoke carcass with readily available stuff attached – motor, fan, pvc piping, toilet seat etc etc. It is very well made and it works. The nearest other model we looked at was the 'natures head' toilet but this one seems to have a number of advantages. The liquid bottle looks better designed and pours out 'evenly'. The liquid / solids separation works very well compared to some comments on the natures head in the reviews. The compoosting toilet needs the solids emptying every 5-6 days (for us) and this produces around 5 litres of waste. It doesnt smell. It can be composted or double bagged and binned. The natures head can be use for 30-40 days but then requires the whole toilet to be removed and tipped into a bag or compost bin. Every 5 days is just so simple. The Compoost toilet has a liquid warning light for the urine bottle. It works very well. Men can stand up to wee - rather than sit down. The compoost toilet is made from GRP and is very solid. It looks like it should last for years. I think the Natures head is made from rotomoulded Polyethylene which is nowhere near as resilient as GRP and will not be a 'cleanable' as GRP gel coat. Trust me. I have worked with GRP and Polyethylene for the last 50 years. Overall then I am very happy with this purchase. Whilst I am sure the nay-sayers will continue with their attack on the use of 'compost' or 'dry' toilets, it would be good if we could get some discussion going on comparison of some of these toilets so that any prospective buyers can get more information to make their decision. There is not really that much discussion out there on pros and cons of each model. One final parting observation is that by keeping poo and wee separate, is that the two materials are not the offensive, smelly, orrible sewerage that offends everyone. It really was an eye opener for the two of us.

Now that looks fun!