compost toilets

[notebook]

Have been reading up on compost toilets and am beginning to think that this is the way to go. We have a pump out at the moment. I would like to hear what people think who already have one/have changed to one. We are live aboards so this is a major decision, especially cost wise, thanks.

[Grace and Favour]

Have been reading up on compost toilets and am beginning to think that this is the way to go. We have a pump out at the moment. I would like to hear what people think who already have one/have changed to one. We are live aboards so this is a major decision, especially cost wise, thanks.

You'll find quite a few interesting/informative threads on the subject of compost toilets on CWDF - have you tried the 'search' facility?

[peterboat]

Hi I have a seperate villa I have been using it for over 2 years it works great better than the pumpout in my old boat and the cassette I borrowed when I purchased this my new boat. Why simple no smell, nearly 4 months this last time before I emptied the solids, the wee is pumped into a 20 litre container which I poUr onto the grass. its fairly compact and its simple so less to go wrong. Their are plenty on here who have plenty to say about them but most have never even seen one never mind use it so their thoughts dont count as they cant possibly know what they are talking about can they

 

Peter

[MtB]

After you've shelled out £1000 for a supposedly composting bog, you're bound to claim it works aren't you?

 

To admit otherwise would be to admit you've been had.

 

 

MtB

[peterboat]

After you've shelled out £1000 for a supposedly composting bog, you're bound to claim it works aren't you?

 

To admit otherwise would be to admit you've been had.

 

 

MtB

500 Squids over 2 years ago works great. Just love watching you lot with cassettes lug liquid poo twice a week to sluice scared you will get covered when it glugs allover and it stinks and you claim they are the best mmmm who has been had

 

Peter

[Gejay]

I've got a 'Nature Head', only a couple of months use so far but perfectly happy with it.

[Delta9]

Dried out poop in a bucket is not compost.

[mattlad]

Dried out poop in a bucket is not compost.

It's a dessicating toilet. It (the dessicant) can subsequently be composted.

[MHS]

500 Squids over 2 years ago works great. Just love watching you lot with cassettes lug liquid poo twice a week to sluice scared you will get covered when it glugs allover and it stinks and you claim they are the best mmmm who has been had

 

Peter

I think you have to empty the urine from your composting toilet. Or do you distill it to make hooch?

Dried out poop in a bucket is not compost.

 

Technically it probably is.

[blackrose]

500 Squids over 2 years ago works great. Just love watching you lot with cassettes lug liquid poo twice a week to sluice scared you will get covered when it glugs allover and it stinks and you claim they are the best mmmm who has been had

 

Peter

Have you ever owned or even seen a cassette toilet? It doesn't sound like it so your views on cassette toilets don't count as you can't possibly know what you're talking about.

 

I live aboard and empty my cassette about once every two weeks because like you I make alternative arrangements for the liquid waste. Of course a cassette full of shit will stink when you empty it, but I think a composting toilet will also stink at some point during the process.

Edited June 28, 2014 by blackrose

[Bod]

Hi I have a seperate villa I have been using it for over 2 years it works great better than the pumpout in my old boat and the cassette I borrowed when I purchased this my new boat. Why simple no smell, nearly 4 months this last time before I emptied the solids, the wee is pumped into a 20 litre container which I poUr onto the grass. its fairly compact and its simple so less to go wrong. Their are plenty on here who have plenty to say about them but most have never even seen one never mind use it so their thoughts dont count as they cant possibly know what they are talking about can they

 

Peter

 

What do you do with the bucket of "solids"?

Are you liveaboard, or leisure user?

 

Bod

[Pussfella]

I honestly think that the Separett composting toilet is the way to go on a boat.

The problem in the past has been mixing urine and poo together which overwhelms the process this has been alleviated on this model.

All you guys with cassettes and pump outs could do yourselves a favour by seriously looking at this model. In my opinion.

PF

[craftycarper]

I think if your happy with what you got then don,t worry about anyone else, with a cost of around 500/1000 quid it's not something I would just buy to give it a go then stick in the garage if i did,nt like it and if it,s really about saving the planet just shit in the hedge like 99.9 percent of other mammal species do

[MtB]

I think you have to empty the urine from your composting toilet. Or do you distill it to make hooch?

Technically it probably is.

 

Drying out water out of the poop (which is what so-called composting toilets do) is not the same and does not make it into compost.

 

Composting is the process of breaking down organic matter (leaves, food waste etc) into humus for use as fertiliser. It takes months to happen and a large part of the process involves fungus and worms etc that living in the matter and assisting the process.

 

Maybe if you add your poop to the compost heap it would be amalgamated into the compost but I maintain that a bucket of poop with a fan drying it out is not composting!

 

MtB

[craftycarper]

 

but I maintain that a bucket of poop with a fan drying it out is not composting!

 

MtB. It sounds like the worst idea for an air fresher ever

[Pussfella]

Drying out water out of the poop (which is what so-called composting toilets do) is not the same and does not make it into compost.

 

Composting is the process of breaking down organic matter (leaves, food waste etc) into humus for use as fertiliser. It takes months to happen and a large part of the process involves fungus and worms etc that living in the matter and assisting the process.

 

Maybe if you add your poop to the compost heap it would be amalgamated into the compost but I maintain that a bucket of poop with a fan drying it out is not composting!

 

 

But does it matter what the process is so long as it works?

PF

MtB

[Woodstock]

I always thought the name "composting toilet" was inaccurate given they seem to dry out the waste and make it safer by reducing the bacterial count that way- but they are referred to in the link below

 

http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/selfcontainedcompostingtoilet/

 

True composting takes a time and is affected by a number of conditions.

 

I am keen to consider these as an option on future boats but some of the literature could be clearer-

 

In practical terms -How long does it take to dry the waste, what sort of volume of waste does it store and how often do you have to empty them

 

Thanks

[Ex- Member]

After you've shelled out £1000 for a supposedly composting bog, you're bound to claim it works aren't you?

 

To admit otherwise would be to admit you've been had.

 

 

MtB

 

Well we shelled out a grand 10 years ago, if it didn't work then why would we still have it?

 

The newer separate type loos are much cheaper, if you take into account the fitting of a tank and all the other associated parts for a pump out, I would suggest a compost loo is actually cheaper. Added to that no pump out costs for the future then it really does make sense.

 

We still only have to empty around every 8 weeks even now being full time live aboard, what we empty weighs around 3 kilos and doesn,t smell either. So for 8 weeks human waste to end up filling just half a bucket and quick free and easy to dispose of, in comparison to the pump out costs and the hassle that goes with it, a compo loo is a no brainer.

 

Dessification/or drying out is part of the composting process. Microbes eating your waste is composting.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Julynian

[Woodstock]

On the separating ones- Am I right in thinking there isn't any treatment to the liquid- It is separated and stored in a separate container. If so- Is that not the same as emptying a cassette regularly

 

Apologies if its a silly question- I am interested in undertsanding how they work

[MtB]

 

Well we shelled out a grand 10 years ago, if it didn't work then why would we still have it?

 

Because you didn't buy to to get 'compost'.

 

I don't quibble about them as a method of disposing of human waste (other than the fact that they store wee untreated), it's their claim to process it into 'compost' that I maintain is complete bollux.

 

How do you dispose of your 'compost'?

 

 

MtB

[Ex- Member]

On the separating ones- Am I right in thinking there isn't any treatment to the liquid- It is separated and stored in a separate container. If so- Is that not the same as emptying a cassette regularly

 

Apologies if its a silly question- I am interested in undertsanding how they work

 

We have a sun-mar which is a composting loo with a finishing tray, it handles the urine as well as the solid waste.

 

Separating urine speeds up the composting process or dessification process as some like to call it, Either way it reduces the amount of solid waste by up to 90% The separated urine can be emptied at an elsan or regular loo, but this can be done in a sealed container with pouring spout it's much easier than emptying a porto unit containing solids. You can though empty urine on to vegetation, I suspect some goes straight in the canal.

[Ex- Member]

 

Because you didn't buy to to get 'compost'.

 

I don't quibble about them as a method of disposing of human waste (other than the fact that they store wee untreated), it's their claim to process it into 'compost' that I maintain is complete bollux.

 

How do you dispose of your 'compost'?

 

 

MtB

 

Ours never claimed to make compost, it claims to enable composting to break down human waste. Our model clearly states that you can finish of composting elsewhere. Composting is described as a process not an end product. I don't see anywhere where the newer units claim this either using solely the toilet.

 

If microbe activity is present then that's composting, Dessification is a natural occurrence of composting as the microbial activity warms up the compost heap drying out moisture, but this can be speeded up using fans or heaters to speed up the whole process. Composting in the wild might take months, but under controlled conditions as in a composting toilet can be dramatically speeded up.

 

Either way though as someone has commonsensicaly pointed out, It works very well what ever process name you chose to call it.

 

How do you dispose of your 'compost'?

 

 

We bury ours in the ground usually a hedge row, we could empty in an elsan but it tends to clump together and is quite dry so might be difficult flushing away.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Julynian

[peterboat]

Have you ever owned or even seen a cassette toilet? It doesn't sound like it so your views on cassette toilets don't count as you can't possibly know what you're talking about.

 

I live aboard and empty my cassette about once every two weeks because like you I make alternative arrangements for the liquid waste. Of course a cassette full of shit will stink when you empty it, but I think a composting toilet will also stink at some point during the process.

If you read my post wee pumped into 20 litre container then poured onto waste land the grass is very green there also I used one for the journey back after buying the boat and a few weeks after until the seperate was installed not my cup of tea the pumpout was better on previous boat. So I have sampled all 3 types and composting is best for me.

 

What do you do with the bucket of "solids"?

Are you liveaboard, or leisure user?

 

Bod

A friend puts it in his composting bin

 

Peter

[Pussfella]

Why all the worry about urine?

It's sterile out of the body.

I can't see a problem with disposal directly into the canal.

There's far more pollution from friendly farmers..

PF

[Delta9]

I wonder if it's legal to go around burying your dried out poop. Is it any different to emptying your cassette in the hedge row? (if you don't use blue)