compost tiolets

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread

hello, moving to upstate new york and am interested in advice about composte tiolets especially one that are home built!!Can you really regulate the odor? What about winter? It will only be me in the cabin, are they worth the savings? Thank you!

-- ken steck (kenns1@hotmail.com), October 03, 2001

Answers

Hello Ken, Probably the least expensive compost toilet will be a homemade kind. One of the best homemade ones that I have seen and used was simply a five gallon bucket fitted inside a box or (as the one that I know of was fitted inside a tree stump). Drill an opening in the back of the box/stump and add a small fan, (the kind you have inside computers). Have the fan positioned so that it will pull the odor out and up into a pvc pipe that can then be ran out either through the roof or the wall. Put a regular seat on the box/stump and you now have one of the best/least expensive compost toilets around. Next, line the bottom with woodshavings(cedar is best) or just leaves. Each time you exercate, you just add more woodshavings or leaves. When you go to empty the toilet, just pull the bucket out and dump it. Some people will keep the used toilet paper separate and dump the waste into a compost area to break down and be used for their orntamental plants around their house. I would not us the composted waste in my vegetable garden unless it has composted for several years. Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), October 03, 2001.

We have a regular septic system with a tank and a leech field. Cost about 1000 if you have it installed professionaly, we just had a tank and drain field installed about 8 months and that was the cost. It could be done by the home owner, building the tank in place and digging all the lines, but since I am getting up in years no way. If the power is off or the water is frozen we just fill the tank with water and flush like real city people. Sorry but I am just not going to carry five gallen buckets of poop out several times a week or so. What would you do with the contents when the ground is frozen or when the dogs dig it up. Sorry there is too many other places to save money, and this is not the spot. At least thats my opinion, maybe you enjoy playing in======, to each his own. Would rather have a outhouse.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), October 03, 2001.

Check the archives. I posted one awhile ago with details about our experience with two SunMar composting toilets.

-- Katherine in KY (KyKatherine@Yahoo.com), October 03, 2001.

Dave you mention "regular septic system with a tank and a leech field. Cost about 1000..If the power is off or the water is frozen we just fill the tank with water and flush like real city people."*********I'm sorry but paying $1000 for the capability of burying human excrement in an anaerobic setting (yum yum - see no evil, smell no evil??) IS like real city people. Septic doesn't insure that potentially harmful bacteria are killed. Humanure Compost piles, properly contained, and fed (added to) the proper way are animal protected, pick up in the spring where they left off in early Winter, and kill the elements that you are storing under your lawn************ " Sorry but I am just not going to carry five gallen buckets of poop out several times a week or so." **********Dave it works out to about every 4 days per person, and we take it out with our household scraps, but don't get me wrong - I don't expect you to do it********"Sorry there is too many other places to save money, and this is not the spot."******** It's not just about money. It's about recyling something back to the earth, that belongs there.

Cheers

-- rick K (rick_122@hotmail.com), October 03, 2001.


Hi Ken, Ernest has a good option and explained it well, if there is any odor or other unpleasant side effect, you need more shavings, leaves or soil, you can even put red earthworms 'red wigglers'in the bucket and then dump it into a worm/compost bin to finish off.

-- Thumper (slrldr@yahoo.com), October 04, 2001.


Tiolets are so very cool man!! i collect them and have over 3000. My best one is an 18th century porcelain dutch bowl. i luv any fing bog related

-- tom goble (Owenps@freeserve.net), April 04, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ