[Greenbuilding] Urine-diverting toilets Re: Greenbuilding Digest, Vol 89, Issue 8

[Carol Steinfeld]

Reuben,
Complaints about odor vary.
We supplied our own tips with the toilets.
Every time Del Porto or I would visit an odor situation, we'd find drainage
(not enough slope) and/or air draw issues. (The best was publicly toured
historic house that had the air intake for the HVAC system in the basement
next to the big composting toilet composter.)

The Bullitt Foundation decided not to install a urine-diverting toilet
because they decided to vent the bathroom through the solids/feces pipe to
the composter. They knew this would draw odor from the urine line and the
other toilet. Of course, there was a workaround for this, but they weren't
motivated.)

We haven't had many folks complain about odor, so I think you're pulling a
draw on the urine line. Or one of the other factors I listed is at play
here such as not enough slope in your drainline.
Did you say where the urine goes?

Also, urine sludges up pipes after awhile---this is well known with
urinals---so it's worth blasting the hose periodically or replacing it.
I do this for the high-capacity urine-div composting toilet at my friend's
farm every year. Even I'm surprised by how much white sludge comes out of
it. Young kidneys.

Most folks use the hose that came with the EcoDry, which is the same hose
used for bilge tanks. It is not corrugated.

I'd guess about a third of owners use the urine-flush mechanism.

You can put a P-trap in the urine line. I'm not crazy about doing that with
no-flush urine-div toilets.

I also tell folks to pour old coffee, tea, sugary drinks, etc. down the
urine drain to give it an acid chaser.

The odor filter in the EcoFlush urine-diverting toilet is new. It's
something else to maintain. I can pull one out and photograph it.

(Sven was an investor who said things like "when the U.S. market
explodes"--even though urine diversion is still little known in Sweden. He
took over when the sales manager died of a brain tumor. The current
operators understand the nature of the market.)

Carol @ Ecovita
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