Composting Toilets

[James6666]

For the past year I have been looking at the issues surrounding boat toilets. The best solution found by many is the Composting toilet, however, the cost many people find too much, and some lacking features. Therefore I decieded to try and build my own solution, I was looking for any suggestions you may have.

Also I would be interested if you would buy the product for about £300 (compared with Airheads £800 cost) any ideas thoughts please post.

James

[Starcoaster]

I think the cheapest ready-made one is the Separett Weekend Economy at £450, the bottom one on this page: http://www.canalshoponline.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d74.html

 

I believe Doodlebug on the forum made his own, so maybe he can advise.

[Ex- Member]

I think the cheapest ready-made one is the Separett Weekend Economy at £450, the bottom one on this page: http://www.canalshoponline.co.uk/contents/en-uk/d74.html

 

I believe Doodlebug on the forum made his own, so maybe he can advise.

 

 

 

We have a composting loo, 9 years now, works fine but you have to learn to master it. It's a sun-mar, there are several variations of the same loo though. We're now full time live aboard semi retired so are on the boat a lot, we now need to empty every 6 to 8 weeks. Prior to that 3 monthly.

 

Yeah doodle has made one, I'm not sure how it's doing though. I don't think it would be easy but we'll see. Ours cost a grand but simple to fit, no poo tanks or pumpout fees. I think they're around £1200 now.

 

The separate system seems pretty good, but you will have to empty urine regularly, it only has a small urine compartment, a very good solution though IMHO

[peterboat]

I have a seperate villa it cost about 400 ish and works well but I can assure you that the vast majority on here wont even think about them even though they have never seen one let alone used one sorry look at the old threads

 

Peter

[mrsmelly]

They are fantastic......thats why most boats have one fitted honest.............

 

Tim

[Doodlebug]

Indeed we do have one.

 

It consists of a very large storage box to hold solids. It is boxed in with plywood, which has been tiled in white to make it look clean and nice. It has a normal white toilet seat on top. It separates liquids from solids by using a large mixing bowl from ikea, cut at an angle. It looks better than I have made it sound. It also has a flush by use of a windscreen pump and thin tubing.

 

Comments so far:

 

1) Some people commented and said you don't need an air fan to draw the air out. We tried it without and I agree, the smell isn't bad. Its weird though, and personally I find it a little acidic, so we installed a fan which works well. You get a slight smell when you open the lid but nothing much. My partner says she can smell it but it doesn't smell dirty like the cassette did.

 

2) Urine collection works well, and drains into a jerry can. Thats the thing that really does smell after a few days. Its due to the ammonia in the urine. We found that a small splash of odourless (from the chandlery) breaks it down naturally. It doesn't even need doing every time its emptied. Enough bacteria survives to sort the next lot out.

 

Its late so I won't go through everything at the moment but any questions do ask. Its not an ideal option, but neither are the other two. We both think it is much better than the cassette toilet. Its cleaner, less smelly, and doesn't involve dealing with waste every few days. Its cheaper than a pump out, and probably around the same level in terms of pleasantness (i've never had one).

 

Whatever you use you still come into contact with your waste twice.

[Ex- Member]

Indeed we do have one.

 

It consists of a very large storage box to hold solids. It is boxed in with plywood, which has been tiled in white to make it look clean and nice. It has a normal white toilet seat on top. It separates liquids from solids by using a large mixing bowl from ikea, cut at an angle. It looks better than I have made it sound. It also has a flush by use of a windscreen pump and thin tubing.

 

Comments so far:

 

1) Some people commented and said you don't need an air fan to draw the air out. We tried it without and I agree, the smell isn't bad. Its weird though, and personally I find it a little acidic, so we installed a fan which works well. You get a slight smell when you open the lid but nothing much. My partner says she can smell it but it doesn't smell dirty like the cassette did.

 

2) Urine collection works well, and drains into a jerry can. Thats the thing that really does smell after a few days. Its due to the ammonia in the urine. We found that a small splash of odourless (from the chandlery) breaks it down naturally. It doesn't even need doing every time its emptied. Enough bacteria survives to sort the next lot out.

 

Its late so I won't go through everything at the moment but any questions do ask. Its not an ideal option, but neither are the other two. We both think it is much better than the cassette toilet. Its cleaner, less smelly, and doesn't involve dealing with waste every few days. Its cheaper than a pump out, and probably around the same level in terms of pleasantness (i've never had one).

 

Whatever you use you still come into contact with your waste twice.

 

There's another option for urine smell we've found. We've been using toilet urine blocks in our urine overflow, they completely deodorise the awful smell from urine, one cube would last several empties if you don't occidentally tip it out when emptying.

 

Are you turning your waste solid matter, and adding either coarse sawdust and or some coarse compost. You need to do this to oxygenate the mass and keep the microbes happy. If you don't do this you'll end up with a solid mass of poo that will cease composting. We rotate a drum to turn & agitate the mass but I also made a special raking tool for this as well, as the one sun-mar supply is totally useless.

[Beaker]

There's another option for urine smell we've found. We've been using toilet urine blocks in our urine overflow, they completely deodorise the awful smell from urine, one cube would last several empties if you don't occidentally tip it out when emptying.

 

Are you turning your waste solid matter, and adding either coarse sawdust and or some coarse compost. You need to do this to oxygenate the mass and keep the microbes happy. If you don't do this you'll end up with a solid mass of poo that will cease composting. We rotate a drum to turn & agitate the mass but I also made a special raking tool for this as well, as the one sun-mar supply is totally useless.

 

Sounds like great fun!

[Doodlebug]

Sounds like great fun!

 

Don't you love the way people make sarcastic comments about composting toilets that just as much apply to their own system?

 

Emptying liquid sludge from a plastic container into a smelly hole every few days, mmm, tasty.

 

Paying 15 pounds to have your waste sucked out your boat, whilst running the ever constant risk of a blockage that has to be cleared by hand, carrying around your waste for weeks on end, especially if you have a dump through. Great idea.

 

Whatever way you look at it, they are all somewhat grim.

 

There's another option for urine smell we've found. We've been using toilet urine blocks in our urine overflow, they completely deodorise the awful smell from urine, one cube would last several empties if you don't occidentally tip it out when emptying.

 

Are you turning your waste solid matter, and adding either coarse sawdust and or some coarse compost. You need to do this to oxygenate the mass and keep the microbes happy. If you don't do this you'll end up with a solid mass of poo that will cease composting. We rotate a drum to turn & agitate the mass but I also made a special raking tool for this as well, as the one sun-mar supply is totally useless.

 

I was going to buy some of those blocks but was worried the bleaching agent would kill the bacteria.

 

Yes, I was turning it although I don't particularly like doing so. I obviously don't have a drum so its not so easy. If we had enough money for a real one with the drum I would be tempted to go down that route, but when money is tight you make do with what you have.

 

If your in the situation that you cant afford the real thing, building your own is deffo a viable alternative.

[Ex- Member]

 

Don't you love the way people make sarcastic comments about composting toilets that just as much apply to their own system?

 

Emptying liquid sludge from a plastic container into a smelly hole every few days, mmm, tasty.

 

Paying 15 pounds to have your waste sucked out your boat, whilst running the ever constant risk of a blockage that has to be cleared by hand, carrying around your waste for weeks on end, especially if you have a dump through. Great idea.

 

Whatever way you look at it, they are all somewhat grim.

 

I was going to buy some of those blocks but was worried the bleaching agent would kill the bacteria.

 

Yes, I was turning it although I don't particularly like doing so. I obviously don't have a drum so its not so easy. If we had enough money for a real one with the drum I would be tempted to go down that route, but when money is tight you make do with what you have.

 

If your in the situation that you cant afford the real thing, building your own is deffo a viable alternative.

 

Totally agree and good on you for doing so. You're going the correct route IMO by separating the urine.

 

Most of our urine mixes with solid waste (no separation) and evaporates naturally in the unit via a chimney and constant running fan 0.2a, what doesn't evaporate will drip in to our overflow which is where we put the blocks. but that's part of the toilets design and why a turning drum makes aerating the compost a simple 20 second task every couple of days. We don't need any kind of flush either so no wasted water.

[Hoose]

If its small enough James I'd be up for one. Would have a composter tomorrow if I could find the money

[Alastair]

One thing not mentioned so far is that most composting toilets are much much bigger than a cassette or pump system (ignoring the tank).

 

they work well if not overloaded.

[adam1uk]

One thing not mentioned so far is that most composting toilets are much much bigger than a cassette or pump system (ignoring the tank).

 

they work well if not overloaded.

 

You're behind the times. They used to be much bigger, but the latest models aren't. In fact, I doubt you'd even be able to tell the difference.

[LoneEcho]

I have thought about a separet villa (currently cassette), but reading the info on their website has put me off. Apparently once the container has been removed, you then have to let it stand with the lid loose for six months before it is ready for composting or burying. So if I have this right, I will have to store about 3 or 4 containers of waste for six months before they are even ready for composting. If I don't want to compost it, it is safe to bury apparently, so would have to find a suitable place to dig and bury it. Combine this with still having the liquid to deal with and I can't see the benefit (other than possibly environmental) of them.

[Ex- Member]

I have thought about a separet villa (currently cassette), but reading the info on their website has put me off. Apparently once the container has been removed, you then have to let it stand with the lid loose for six months before it is ready for composting or burying. So if I have this right, I will have to store about 3 or 4 containers of waste for six months before they are even ready for composting. If I don't want to compost it, it is safe to bury apparently, so would have to find a suitable place to dig and bury it. Combine this with still having the liquid to deal with and I can't see the benefit (other than possibly environmental) of them.

 

The point you're missing though is frequency, the newer composting toilets dry the solid waste out. Over 90% of poo is water, so as you deposit it over the weeks it greatly reduces in mass as it dries, so you end up removing a small tray or container of waste for 3 months worth of poo.

 

We can bury ours or throw it in the elsan. If we want to fully compost it we would need a compost heap or access to one.

 

We have a different system to the separate units, we're now full time live aboard and empty a "finishing tray" of semi composted dried poo about the size of a top drawer in a bedside cabinet every 6 to 8 weeks. We've only had to empty our urine overflow once since being on the water and that wasn't even half full.

 

You can also use heat to speed up composting, we have a lot of excess energy in the summer so might add a small heating element for next summer.

One thing not mentioned so far is that most composting toilets are much much bigger than a cassette or pump system (ignoring the tank).

 

they work well if not overloaded.

 

Not as big as a loo and bloody great poo tank though!

[Caprifool]

Yes, the solids need composting afterwards when using a Separette villa. But that can be done in the bin. Put a shovel of dirt in the bottom of the bin and on top before closing the lid. No need for compost starters and such.

 

Still very happy with ours in the house.

[James6666]

Thanks for all the replies, as I say I'm looking to build a perfect solution. Some ideas I had were:

Using urine to keep solids warm

Filtering urine to create a pump flush (helping also to increasing the amount of times the urine tank will have to be emptied

A efficent seperation e.g. a spring hinged flap for solids with a hole conecting to a tube for urine

 

Hopefully small enough to fit in a Viking

James

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

I had a Viking 20 wb. (Somerset Lady).

Good luck !.

[pelicanafloat]

 

We have a composting loo, 9 years now, works fine but you have to learn to master it. It's a sun-mar, there are several variations of the same loo though. We're now full time live aboard semi retired so are on the boat a lot, we now need to empty every 6 to 8 weeks. Prior to that 3 monthly.

 

Yeah doodle has made one, I'm not sure how it's doing though. I don't think it would be easy but we'll see. Ours cost a grand but simple to fit, no poo tanks or pumpout fees. I think they're around £1200 now.

 

The separate system seems pretty good, but you will have to empty urine regularly, it only has a small urine compartment, a very good solution though IMHO

 

Always wanted a compost toilet but the price off putting. But now .... I reckon the costs worth considering. Only problem, since pondering the compost route, pump out is behaving in a most amenable manner ... shall carry on with the pondering

[peterboat]

Very strange this time around the thread has had far less negative comments? I say to everyone if you have not tried one keep your gob shut!! On our various trips most crew from the other boats have used my seperate villa all are amazed it doesnt smell and its neat design I would not go back to pumpout or cassette just to much hassle

 

Peter

[RLWP]

I'm just going to open my gob to point out it is Separett, not seperate

 

Richard

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Very strange this time around the thread has had far less negative comments? I say to everyone if you have not tried one keep your gob shut!! On our various trips most crew from the other boats have used my seperate villa all are amazed it doesnt smell and its neat design I would not go back to pumpout or cassette just to much hassle

 

Peter

 

I agree, and good on you.

I couldn't afford a full composting toilet,& not being based on the inland waterways so much now there is no real need for me to pursue that facility any more. So i just went the Enzyme way, (Homezyme) ,& for description purposes, the end result is a type of completely lump,solid,paper & smell free LIQUID (not sludge or slurry) fertilizer. making conventional emptying a. Much better experience. Infact @ Chatham & Littlehampton marinas they both commented on the pleasant (Yeah I know,pleasant) Marzipan smell !.

& all I had to do is heat & air my existing holding tank !.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[peterboat]

I'm just going to open my gob to point out it is Separett, not seperate

 

Richard

Very true in my defence I had a bit of a hangover

 

Peter

[smileypete]

For a separating composting loo on a budget there's a couple of kits you can buy for £60 or £90 online, plus a bit of postage I s'post:

 

http://littlehouse.co/shop/separett-privy-500/

http://littlehouse.co/shop/separett-privy-501/

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Ex- Member]

For a separating composting loo on a budget there's a couple of kits you can buy for £60 or £90 online, plus a bit of postage I s'post:

 

http://littlehouse.co/shop/separett-privy-500/

http://littlehouse.co/shop/separett-privy-501/

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

 

Nice find, quite handy as that's the most difficult bit to get right, you can easily build a composting bin around that with basic diy skills. I've always thought that the Black header tanks used in house attics for central heating systems would make an excellent liner for the main composting bin. Their cheap tough and vary in size and can easily be encased in ply or other woods.