Toilet questions

[magnetman]

1 minute ago, cheesegas said:

I have a compost toilet which is great. No smell at all, no splashback and reduced emptying frequency. Got fed up with arriving at pump out stations only for them to eat my card and not work, or take two cards to fully empty the tank...and the smell of the pump out toilet was noticeable. 

 

The downside is that you need to carry your poop around until it breaks down, there's a number of methods but I use a hotbox composter on the back deck, with a large cruiser stern it's ok but still gets in the way.

 

When you say "reduced emptying frequency" do you mind me asking where it goes when you do empty it? 

[Jon57]

Just now, magnetman said:

 

When you say "reduced emptying frequency" do you mind me asking where it goes when you do empty it? 

On the fire with the ladle.🤭

[Mike Hurley]

22 hours ago, Goliath said:

or shit straight into a paper bag and no need to ladle 👍

job done (so to speak) 

As an ex lorry driver i understand perfectly.

[magnetman]

6 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

On the fire with the ladle.🤭

 

Indeed however one must ensure that the fire box is hot. Over 593 degrees C ideally. Below this temperature the moisture content will be an issue. 

Edited December 30, 2022 by magnetman

[robtheplod]

Having a pump out toilet and hearing all the noises and looking at all the pipes i'm constantly thinking its going to go wrong one day and I'm not going to have a clue how to fix it. I like to simplicity of compost/cassette if im honest....

[Jon57]

2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

Indeed however one must ensure that the fire box is hot. Over 593 degrees C ideally. Below this temperature the moisture content will be an issue. 

3 minutes in the microwave full power should be Ok. 4 to 5 minutes if only a 750watt max microwave. 👍

[cheesegas]

9 minutes ago, magnetman said:

When you say "reduced emptying frequency" do you mind me asking where it goes when you do empty it? 

The toilet gets emptied into the hotbox on the back deck for composting. After about a year, the compost can be drawn off the bottom, it smells like musty earth. Last time we emptied the composter, we were out in the countryside so I dug a big hole in a patch of forest and emptied the compost into it. People also use it on plants too. 
 

Forgot the other drawback - need to use minimal toilet paper, and it’s got to be the expensive non bleached type which isn’t that nice on ones butt. 

[RichM]

3 minutes ago, robtheplod said:

Having a pump out toilet and hearing all the noises and looking at all the pipes i'm constantly thinking its going to go wrong one day and I'm not going to have a clue how to fix it. I like to simplicity of compost/cassette if im honest....

 

Cassette's not great either. They leak, they're heavy and one typical 17 litre cassette is unlikely to last the week for one person living aboard. And if you've had guests aboard, it becomes a little more unpleasant just knowing you're handling someone else's..... you get the idea.

 

Well that was my experience anyway.

 

 

[Jon57]

Just now, cheesegas said:

The toilet gets emptied into the hotbox on the back deck for composting. After about a year, the compost can be drawn off the bottom, it smells like musty earth. Last time we emptied the composter, we were out in the countryside so I dug a big hole in a patch of forest and emptied the compost into it. People also use it on plants too. 
 

Forgot the other drawback - need to use minimal toilet paper, and it’s got to be the expensive non bleached type which isn’t that nice on ones butt. 

Seems a lot or arse to me. Cassette every time. Carry a spare. Keep it simple. 

[magnetman]

10 minutes ago, cheesegas said:

The toilet gets emptied into the hotbox on the back deck for composting. After about a year, the compost can be drawn off the bottom, it smells like musty earth. Last time we emptied the composter, we were out in the countryside so I dug a big hole in a patch of forest and emptied the compost into it. People also use it on plants too. 
 

Forgot the other drawback - need to use minimal toilet paper, and it’s got to be the expensive non bleached type which isn’t that nice on ones butt. 

So there really is very little output. That's great. I gave up using loo roll years ago after having children. Baby wipes are amazing. Goes in the domestic waste or fire in winter. One a day sometimes two. Clean as a whistle. 

 

About 1p each usually. A pack of 64 lasts a month. Very small package easy to store sealed and moisture does not affect it when stored. Brilliant product except that some idiots flush them.  Bin or fire is the answer. 

Edited December 30, 2022 by magnetman

[cheesegas]

8 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

Seems a lot or arse to me. Cassette every time. Carry a spare. Keep it simple. 

With two people on a boat full time, it fills up fast unless it’s one of those massive cassettes with wheels on the end that’s borderline impossible to lift out the boat when full. And then having to find an Elsan point when the one you planned to stop at mid cruise is blocked… It’s one less thing to think about when cc’ing. Can see it being easier if you’re in a marina and only cruise occasionally though. 
 

Had a second hand one with a standard size cassettes to use for two weeks whilst I got rid of the pump out and rebuilt the bathroom, horrible thing. Noticeable smell too, despite having new seals. 

[booke23]

9 minutes ago, cheesegas said:

With two people on a boat full time, it fills up fast unless it’s one of those massive cassettes with wheels on the end that’s borderline impossible to lift out the boat when full. And then having to find an Elsan point when the one you planned to stop at mid cruise is blocked… It’s one less thing to think about when cc’ing. Can see it being easier if you’re in a marina and only cruise occasionally though. 

 

How quick does the putrid urine bottle fill up on the compost toilet with two people on board?

Edited December 30, 2022 by booke23

[dmr]

We have a pumpout on the boat but use of a proper composting bog on the land. I am impressed with the compost bog. The poo appears to dry out and settle down to an earth like structure very quickly, though I do suspect that a local rat might be helping. The wee goes into a willow bed and does not smell.

A slight limitation, not mentioned here?, is that the compost should not usually be used in a food growing bed.

 

I think compost bogs would be great on boats if only there was a good way of dumping the stuff while out boating. CRT are looking to provide less facilities rather than more so I doubt they will help. A big box of almost dry poo should be a lot cheaper to maintain than an Elsan or pumpout, but there are a small but significant number of boaters who would abuse it. I suspect a pile of poo plus engine oil/bilge water would be a right liability.

Also I suspect many boaters (hire boaters and shared ownership boats?) might not be too happy with what is a essentially a "bucket of shit" system so still need pumpout facilities.

From my observations a human does not actually produce a huge volume of poo once it is dried out, does anybody have any real figures? but again our friendly rat might be helping here.

 

I did talk to a boater who put her part composted poo in plastic bags in a roof box and one night somebody stole the lot.

[magnetman]

If there are no outdoor arrangements Gentlemen are requested to use the pyrex jug and put the contents down the washbasin while washing their hands after the event. It's only diluted water. Nothing all that scary and you can always have a mild bleach mixture for a light rinse after if it helps. 

11 minutes ago, dmr said:

 

 

I did talk to a boater who put her part composted poo in plastic bags in a roof box and one night somebody stole the lot.

What a good idea. Put it in the coal bags. 

Edited December 30, 2022 by magnetman
Is this why I have few visitors?

[cheesegas]

2 hours ago, booke23 said:

 

How quick does the putrid urine bottle fill up on the compost toilet with two people on board?

We have four 12 litre suitcase size urine tanks, easy to empty in an Elsan or go for a walk in a field - not near a footpath - if in the countryside. Generally fill about 2 tanks a week. 

 

Putrid? Smells a bit if not cleaned with denture tablets for a month or two as this weird white stuff builds up on the inside, but not a patch on how horrible a cassette is. I’d rather carry a sealed pee bottle rather than a cassette full of turds, pee and chemicals. 

[dmr]

2 hours ago, magnetman said:

If there are no outdoor arrangements Gentlemen are requested to use the pyrex jug and put the contents down the washbasin while washing their hands after the event. It's only diluted water. Nothing all that scary and you can always have a mild bleach mixture for a light rinse after if it helps. 

 

 

And the ladies too, but a slightly wider jug might be needed 😀

[magnetman]

Well equipped ladies will have a shewee so the issue of pyrex jug size should not be too much of a problem. 

[Jon57]

2 hours ago, cheesegas said:

We have four 12 litre suitcase size urine tanks, easy to empty in an Elsan or go for a walk in a field - not near a footpath - if in the countryside. Generally fill about 2 tanks a week. 

 

Putrid? Smells a bit if not cleaned with denture tablets for a month or two as this weird white stuff builds up on the inside, but not a patch on how horrible a cassette is. I’d rather carry a sealed pee bottle rather than a cassette full of turds, pee and chemicals. 

Don’t pee in the cassette. Don’t use paper. Don’t use blue  (bio washing liquid). No smell. Empty cassette in Elsan . Simple. No problems.

[magnetman]

4 minutes ago, Jon57 said:

Don’t pee in the cassette. Don’t use paper. Don’t use blue  (bio washing liquid). No smell. Empty cassette in Elsan . Simple. No problems.

 

I think it may be fair to assume that a lot of people don't practice separation of liquids before using the facilities.

 

It could be a physiological thing or a lack of knowledge around the science of waste product rejection. In some cases it may be to do with timing. 

 

 

[Jon57]

9 minutes ago, magnetman said:

 

I think it may be fair to assume that a lot of people don't practice separation of liquids before using the facilities.

 

It could be a physiological thing or a lack of knowledge around the science of waste product rejection. In some cases it may be to do with timing. 

 

 

Some people don't know how to  handle shit. They probably had a silver ladle in their mouth 🤣🤣

[Feeby100]

11 hours ago, Jon57 said:

Don’t pee in the cassette. Don’t use paper. Don’t use blue  (bio washing liquid). No smell. Empty cassette in Elsan . Simple. No problems.

How do you wipe your arse then with your handHow do you wipe your arse then with your hand

[blackrose]

16 hours ago, dmr said:

A slight limitation, not mentioned here?, is that the compost should not usually be used in a food growing bed.

 

 

Doesn't that indicate that what you're producing isn't actually compost? My admittedly layman's understanding is that the composting process should render any pathogens in faeces harmless. If it doesn't do that is it producing proper compost? Or perhaps it's a lower grade, non food growing compost?

 

[dmr]

9 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Doesn't that indicate that what you're producing isn't actually compost? My admittedly layman's understanding is that the composting process should render any pathogens in faeces harmless. If it doesn't do that is it producing proper compost? Or perhaps it's a lower grade, non food growing compost?

 

I believe that human poo can potentially contain bad pathogens, I assume the same applies to dog poo.

 

If the composting is done correctly then it should be ok, but this would require suitable experience and/or temperature monitoring, so the stuff produced by boaters might not strictly be safe.

There are still lots of non food uses.

 

Note that I am quoting an expert friend here rather than my own knowledge.

This is a huge subject, for example there is published info on how much contamination (heavy metals etc) is acceptable in the soil for various growing purposes, its quite worrying.

[Jon57]

33 minutes ago, Feeby100 said:

How do you wipe your arse then with your handHow do you wipe your arse then with your hand

Dock leaf.🤪

[Alan de Enfield]

1 hour ago, Feeby100 said:

How do you wipe your arse then with your handHow do you wipe your arse then with your hand

 

 

Things to know when working in different countries :

 

Thats why in Arab countries you do not eat food or shake hands, or touch people with your left hand - the left hand is used for 'cleaning up' after bathroom visits, and water to wash your hand may be in short supply.

Even waving at someone with your left hand is considered a huge insult.

 

Your left hand is your 'dirty hand'.