[Greenbuilding] Composting Toilet

John Salmen terrain at shaw.ca
Tue Jul 11 18:14:35 CDT 2017


Amazing how time flies. Your ‘septic’ system has outlive most in the country.

 

That was the basic design used in a lot of home on the gulf islands here at the time that are still functioning well as they didn’t need much emptying (they mostly had venting problems) – essentially it will always be a mouldering compost. I added a liquid drain and pump and a series of racks in designs that allowed material to be aerated – be re-saturated and eventually tumble to the next rack.  I also found it useful to have a dual chamber that ensured one pile would sit without any fresh material being added. But that all came as extra cost.

 

They were fun and complex to design.

 

From: Greenbuilding [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Norbert Senf
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 4:03 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Composting Toilet

 

Not simple, either, and bulky but we built a Clivus-type mouldering toilet, designed at McGill University, 36 years ago.
http://blacksheepinn.com/includes/images/gallery/eco_conservation/composting.toilets.12.jpg

We use it in a 2 person household and are very happy with it. It requires electricity to ventilate to evaporate off the liquid.

We empty it every 2 or 3 years and get maybe 20 buckets of compost. Because it is power vented, there is no smell.

 

On Tue, Jul 11, 2017 at 6:19 PM, John Salmen <terrain at shaw.ca> wrote:

Your not going to like this suggestion – all I can say is they are cheap, the technology works extremely well for composting - and as a reference I had a very motivated vegan client in Portland (ad Dr. no less) who used these in all of the bathrooms of his turn of the century house.

 

http://www.appropedia.org/How_to_make_and_use_a_sawdust_toilet

 

this plan is decent and works surprisingly well – no bins to empty – but I would spend a little mental energy on drilling out and attaching some venting (computer fan works well).

 

I designed and built quite a few toilet systems decades ago. Not an easy thing if you are trying to make everything work. It is difficult to make a vented, liquid tight system – which is why commercial composting toilets are basically useless. If they deal with liquid they use heat – baked poop. I did design a very nice toilet for a client that circulated liquid as a spray that both denitrifies and allows for some evaporation (it was a handpump – similar to a flush handle and children especially enjoyed that feature). This was a permanent installation that is still in use 20 years later but was expensive. The venting was complex but was essentially a well designed chimney. It was a flip system (2 containers – each lasted one year allowing the previous years collection to be emptied after a year – a dry compost at that point).

 

Ironically I think the bucket system is the best. Like a large dog poop bag – but with better followup.

 

For the 5 gal. bucket toilet - Swap the buckets out as soon as you want to – buy as many buckets as you need. Seal with lids (leaving the vent hole open) and date the buckets – leave them for 1 year or so and then use as a tree fertilizer – can give them a shake every now and then but mouldering is effective.

 

J john

 

From: Greenbuilding [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Lynelle Hamilton
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 2:41 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: [Greenbuilding] Composting Toilet

 

Hi All, 

Has anyone had any experience with self-contained composting toilets? I am putting one in my temporary living space, while I build. I may leave the unit in the structure afterward. I'd prefer one that does not require specialized venting parts (some do) and that does not require a drain to send liquids to the outside, but will consider one if the unit is clearly a better choice.  I've looked at Sun-Mar, Excel and one from Sutherland Ontario, but have no idea which models perform well. It's for one person. Cost, of course, is a factor!

Many thanks!

Lynelle

 

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-- 

Norbert Senf
Masonry Stove Builders
25 Brouse Road, RR 5
Shawville Québec J0X 2Y0
819.647.5092
www.heatkit.com

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