Compost Head Owners: Would you do it again?

[jkleins]

I mention an alternative only because as you reduce the failure points of “traditional” systems you can get a system that is as “simple” as composting. While no one really says much about it carrying a bag of “dirt” out of a boat to a disposal point on land it is not entirely without a failure point, as anyone who has ever lost a bag of garbage can attest. Carrying a bottle of pee from below and dumping it over the side has risks that may be small but are not zero particularly when you have to do it daily. It is also illegal to throw urine overboard so if you are not worried too much of the legality of the situation having the head pump directly overboard can also do away with many failure points of a “standard” system. I am actually considering a compost system for an RV so am very interested in the discussion.

Also consider PVC rigid pipe instead of hose to even further simplify the “traditional” system as you never need to replace it.

Jim

[gwbull]

Nature’s Head experience: absolutely would do it again. Only caution: FOLLOW ALL INSTALLATION AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS. if you can manage that, there will be no ICK factor, no smell other than garden earth aroma, no thru-hull use, no fouled or plugged up hoses to clean or replace, no problems with pollution or overboard pumping legalities (which differ depending on where you are), no battery usage or wiring corrosion (systems require a vent fan to exterior of vessel — suggest the solar type, but the electrical ones are negligible in power consumption), and no guest confusion or mistakes about how to make it flush. DO NOT ALLOW ANY URINE TO ENTER THE SOLID WASTE RESERVOIR. We managed without any trouble.

[lordgeoff]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

I have a single-head boat that my wife and I plan to take on an open-ended cruise from PNW to Florida. Have done a ton of Internet research but hoping for direct feedback (good and bad) from owners in constant use.

1. Liveaboards - how is it working for full-time use? As your only head?
2. Tropics/Warm weather - still a good choice?
3. When cruising outside US, any issues in replenishing coir/peet?
4. What do you like most about it? Least?
5. Compared to a higher-grade marine toilet (Raritan Elegance, etc.), would you still chose your Compost Head?

Thanks in advance -

Peter

....would you put a composting toilet inside your apartment?
Why would you do it on a boat?

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

....would you put a composting toilet inside your apartment?
Why would you do it on a boat?

Wow! Judgmental logic.

There are many reasons, but I do agree that wet sewage that is the responsibility of someone else to deal with works for me.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

....would you put a composting toilet inside your apartment?
Why would you do it on a boat?

Would you put a toilet connected by hoses to a tank containing a mixture of feces and urine in your apartment ? Doesn’t sound that much better to me.

[lordgeoff]

Originally Posted by captlloyd

Would you put a toilet connected by hoses to a tank containing a mixture of feces and urine in your apartment ? Doesn’t sound that much better to me.

Er....no. Can’t say that I know anyone with either a compost or holding tank in their apartment.
Remember holding tanks on a yacht are strictly part of Plan B only....😂

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

Er....no. Can’t say that I know anyone with either a compost or holding tank in their apartment.
Remember holding tanks on a yacht are strictly part of Plan B only....😂

Just challenging you skewed hypothetical logic.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

....would you put a composting toilet inside your apartment?
Why would you do it on a boat?

you don't obviously have any experience with either a composting head on a boat not a composting toilet in a tiny house .

Your comments are absolutely not germane to this particular thread and the questions that have been asked by the op.

[cj88]

I haven't seen this aspect discussed yet. I am aware that some dry toilets can have the urine diverted to a larger capacity holding tank for later disposal instead of the more common smaller capacity removable container. Does anyone have any experience with this?

[mfeene01]

We have had an Airhead since 2007. Will never have a "marine" toilet again.

Simple & odor free ( unless I mess it up ).

[Minggat]

The C Head is just dang simple to empty. It’s put together with parts that are easily available too. The urine catcher is is a one gallon milk or water jug. Sandy (C Head company owner) is in Florida. So mine came with a water jug from Publix grocery chain.

As I said before, the other manufacturers seem to be designed around insulating the buyers from their worst fears of stored poop.

As I read through this thread, some people spend keystrokes to express that they love their Airheads, as long as they get things just right.

I don’t mean to slam Airhead, but with each “Oops” I read others contribute here, I am glad for my choice.

Again, as I said before, 5 years, and I have not installed the vent fan. And no vent hose will ever be a part of my system. The fan helps with dehydration. Nothing to do with odors.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by lordgeoff

....would you put a composting toilet inside your apartment?
Why would you do it on a boat?

And here’s that uninformed opinion that I mentioned earlier. Thanks for proving me right .

Minggat, the fundamental difference between C-Head and the other two (Air & Nature’s) is bin capacity. The latter two use holding bins that are roughly twice the volume of C-heads.

This means C-heads must be emptied far more often than Air/Nature’s. The rate of main-bin emptying for C-head seems to run one to two weeks. This is in contrast with Nature’s (and I believe Air) where dumping rates run three to six weeks (I average four weeks with my Nature’s). The urine bins on Nature’s/Air are also about 2 gallons, so again, are dumped about 1/2 as often as C-head’s 1-gallon tank.

I like C-head’s use of non-proprietary holding tanks. They’re much cheaper, and I think they are aesthetically more pleasing than the other two. But from a full-timer’s perspective, they are less functional.

[Minggat]

Hi Mike Riley,

As a full timer myself, I consider the ease of the C Head a non issue as compared to the lesser frequency of the other units. So I respectfully disagree.

But my point is that some quickly dismiss these heads in favor wet sewage units, and the marketing strategy past that is the inconveniences that I see built into the Airhead to insulate the users from stored solids like a flush toilet would.

I spoke at length to one Airhead owner about his experience. He was very happy for very long durations at a time, but really really dreaded the eventual chore of emptying it. And two other boats I know gave up and converted back to wet sewage units.

[Chotu]

Warning: kind of gross...

As I sit on this public wet toilet, I'm reminded of one of the most incredible advantages of a dry toilet.

It absolutely never can splash the water back up to your butt. Ha ha ha

I've hated/dreaded this my whole life using wet toilets. Especially public ones.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Minggat

Hi Mike Riley,

As a full timer myself, I consider the ease of the C Head a non issue as compared to the lesser frequency of the other units. So I respectfully disagree.

To each his own. I was just expressing my own view as someone who doesn’t spend much time at the dock. I much appreciate the longer cycles of Nature’s Head. This has the added benefit of flexibility in the timing of the dumps. I can easily create a two week window for dumping (even more if I have to).

Originally Posted by Minggat

But my point is that some quickly dismiss these heads in favor wet sewage units, and the marketing strategy past that is the inconveniences that I see built into the Airhead to insulate the users from stored solids like a flush toilet would.

Yes, I agree (except for the inconvenience part of Air Head ). Lets face it, most of us come from rich western nations where ‘flush and forget’ is the norm. And squeamishness around feces seems to be an evolutionary trait of ours, probably due to the dangers from pathogens and disease that can be carried in our poop. That’s why people gravitate to the holding tank models, or even better, the direct discharge options.

This is why I understand that these heads are not for everyone. As I say, you have to become more intimate with your outflows when using these heads. Not everyone can (or wants to) do that. But I see this as part of the continuum of things we cruisers need to become more intimate with. We have to understand water usage, power input & output, we have to be able to become plumbers and electricians and engine mechanics and fibreglass workers and...

It’s true that those with far greater financial resources can continue to insulate themselves from much of these demands. But for most of us, it’s just part of the price of cruising freedom.

Originally Posted by Minggat

I spoke at length to one Airhead owner about his experience. He was very happy for very long durations at a time, but really really dreaded the eventual chore of emptying it. And two other boats I know gave up and converted back to wet sewage units.

I doubt if having a C-head would change any of these stories.

Dumping our Nature’s Head is not a pleasant task, but neither are a lot of things on a smaillish cruising boat. I don’t relish doing an oil change, or even launching the dinghy, but they’re not that hard to do. So too with dumping the Nature’s Head tank (which is on my to-do list right now ).

BTW, dumping a Nature’s Head is pretty easy. All I do is pop off the top part, put a plastic bag around the bin, and then tip it over. Someone earlier mentioned the challenge of dumping off shore. I find this very easy to do. Just take the plastic bag up, get hold of the bottom end, and tip it over the side. Rolls out easily with no fuss, no muss.

I prefer dumping out at sea — easier than taking it somewhere remote on land (remote anchorages are my norm). I dislike dumping in marina garbage bins, although this too is really no big deal.