Composting toilets?

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by SailingPNW

Not really what they really are is desicating heads and just dry the waste out. This doesn't make them bad or not a good option, but calling them composting is really false advertising. The only way that the waste gets composted is if you take that waste to an actual composter.

The actual head is just the collection part of the entire system .
However some of the composting does happen in the solids collection container. Now if you do like Mike and leave the boat for the winter but don't empty the head it will continue to compost just at a slower rate commiserate with the temperature.
In the tropics it will be completely opposed in that time .

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Networker

Grow up, no one cares

In fact, it is you that no one cares about. Disregard for law is poor citizenship. You have the right to disagree, but not to disregard.

As described on the U.S. Coast Guard's website, "Effluent discharged from a vessel that does not meet EPA's published standard subjects the vessel owner or operator to civil penalty of up to $2,000 for each violation" under 33 U.S.C. 1322(j). "If you witness a vessel discharge raw or untreated sewage inside U.S. waters or if you see a visible floating solid in the waste stream, then you are encouraged to report it to your nearest Coast Guard office or to the National Response Center 24-hours a day."

A fine can be assessed for each discharge, which would likely be the case if anchored with no holding tank. Not sure, but feel free to mouth off at the officer and see what he says.

[thinwater]

I describe a middle road approach to desiccating toilets in this article (behind firewall for non-subscribers).

https://www.practical-sailor.com/sys...siccating-head


I ate a lot of crow in the process of writing this article. I was a holding tank guy, and a composting toilet struck me as too much like a portable toilet. I'm good at holding tank design and operation, and I'd still use a holding tank on a larger boat on saltwater, but for smaller boats and freshwater, I was wrong. And portable toilets are as useless as ... pick you're favorite figure of speech.

Instead of a funnel and bucket with a stained plywood box, it is based on the C-Head approach and is built largely from molded kit parts. The enclosure was based on a surplus fiberglass (modified to fit), reducing the cost to about $125. This also allowed me to fit it to the exact space available.

The point is that there are lower cost options that still have a finished appearance and full function. Perhaps someday desiccating heads will replace conventional portable toilets and as a result of mass production, the price will become reasonable. They really are no more complex than a portable toilet and should cost about the same amount.

There was no way I was getting the wife and guests to squat on a bucket. This meets their requirements, and I can't blame them. And it meets mine to, far better than the thunder mug the boat came with.

[Phantom Jim]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Go pull a rotting log out of a swamp and tell me how sweet smelling it is...that's anaerobic decay. Peeing on it won't make it better.

The biological reactions are very similar. The whole idea is to keep the pile oxygenated. Shore based units simply go about it in different manner. If you use a very large container with lots of media, you can accept some of the urine going in because it's not enough to saturate the much larger pile and with the extra surface area with modest usage, it can evaporate most of it.

With a smaller unit intended for marine use, setting aside that much space is not reasonable so with the smaller pile, if you start peeing on it, very quickly it is saturated and nasty odors follow.

I know that the sawdust toilet works and I am aware of many others who also know the sawdust toilet works. How it works is not as important as the fact that it works very well.

I know separating toilets work and and I am aware of many others who also know the separating toilets work. How they work is not as important as the fact that they work very well.

The sawdust toilet is simply another toilet available for boaters and RVers to choose from. It is simple, easy to use, inexpensive to set up and will fit into the smallest boats. It is a proven design with 30+ years of successful use. It has no critical moving parts to break down. What is there not to like about it?

[Thickasaplank]

Hi All....

So I didn't want to start (yet another) composting toilet thread - and at the risk of hijacking this one - I have a question (OP stated it was a discussion thread - I am merely expanding the discussion!!)

Looking to replace our Vetus electric toilet that has failed - again... with a composter. Have been looking for a better way to vent the system and I am wondering if anyone has ever vented into the mast? (I have spent considerable time looking on threads and have not seen this option come up)

My mast is close to the head - goes through the deck - is pretty much empty until it gets to the boom....

Any thoughts? What am I missing that is going to label me as daft?

Brad

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Thickasaplank

Hi All....

So I didn't want to start (yet another) composting toilet thread - and at the risk of hijacking this one - I have a question (OP stated it was a discussion thread - I am merely expanding the discussion!!)

Looking to replace our Vetus electric toilet that has failed - again... with a composter. Have been looking for a better way to vent the system and I am wondering if anyone has ever vented into the mast? (I have spent considerable time looking on threads and have not seen this option come up)

My mast is close to the head - goes through the deck - is pretty much empty until it gets to the boom....

Any thoughts? What am I missing that is going to label me as daft?

Brad

One question how do you plan on getting the exhaust out of the mast ? Any holes of sufficient size already exist? Making one would impair the interegrity of the mast.

[Thickasaplank]

Good point Newhaul... My thoughts were that there are fairly large openings designed in the mast - I have four sheaves at the top of the mast - another two for the cutter rig at my second spreaders - plus i have a predrilled hole with clamshell in case I ever want to put in a radar (not yet). There is also a sheave for a topping lift for the whisker pole just below my first spreader. The mast is keel stepped and "looks" to be a close fit to the keel step, possibly negating and flowback into the bilge....

[Sos]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I describe a middle road approach to desiccating toilets in this article (behind firewall for non-subscribers).


I ate a lot of crow in the process of writing this article. I was a holding tank guy, and a composting toilet struck me as too much like a portable toilet. I'm good at holding tank design and operation, and I'd still use a holding tank on a larger boat on saltwater, but for smaller boats and freshwater, I was wrong. And portable toilets are as useless as ... pick you're favorite figure of speech.

Instead of a funnel and bucket with a stained plywood box, it is based on the C-Head approach and is built largely from molded kit parts. The enclosure was based on a surplus fiberglass (modified to fit), reducing the cost to about $125. This also allowed me to fit it to the exact space available.

The point is that there are lower cost options that still have a finished appearance and full function. Perhaps someday desiccating heads will replace conventional portable toilets and as a result of mass production, the price will become reasonable. They really are no more complex than a portable toilet and should cost about the same amount.

There was no way I was getting the wife and guests to squat on a bucket. This meets their requirements, and I can't blame them. And it meets mine to, far better than the thunder mug the boat came with.

There are cheaper versions of the shelf such as the Simploo
Nothing to do with the company just a happy user

[250224]

Originally Posted by Sos

There are cheaper versions of the shelf such as the Simploo
Nothing to do with the company just a happy user

Simploo link wrong, here is the correct one: Simploo Composting Toilets - Simploo composting toilets. Btw another possibility is: https://separett.com/en/urine-divert...rine-container.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Thickasaplank

Good point Newhaul... My thoughts were that there are fairly large openings designed in the mast - I have four sheaves at the top of the mast - another two for the cutter rig at my second spreaders - plus i have a predrilled hole with clamshell in case I ever want to put in a radar (not yet). There is also a sheave for a topping lift for the whisker pole just below my first spreader. The mast is keel stepped and "looks" to be a close fit to the keel step, possibly negating and flowback into the bilge....

I've never heard of venting this way, so it's hard to know for sure. As long as you're not drilling a new ~1" hole in your mast to feed the vent hose, then it might be OK. But it really would be an experiment. The vent air flow is not a lot, but it is continuous. And it does carry some odour, especially right after use. You don't want it back-flowing into the cabin, for sure.

I suppose if it doesn't work you can always go back to putting in a deck vent.

[smj]

Originally Posted by blu3534

Simploo link wrong, here is the correct one: Simploo Composting Toilets - Simploo composting toilets. Btw another possibility is: https://separett.com/en/urine-divert...rine-container.

Nice looking composter at a great price!

[newhaul]

I'm sure I posted this before but make your own it is really easy and cheap.
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ad-172196.html

Skim through it there are lots of pictures of my build and upgrades as it evolved .
Doing a new enclosure to fit the new boat will post pictures eventually.

[Wilyum]

I always hear those with composting toilets having to find dumpsters to empty them, can’t you just toss the contents over board 3 miles out, like you would a black water tank?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Wilyum

I always hear those with composting toilets having to find dumpsters to empty them, can’t you just toss the contents over board 3 miles out, like you would a black water tank?

Yup. Most of the time I do this, or I dump it on land in a remote anchorage, away from any human traffic. I tend to cruise in fairly remote areas, so this is pretty easy.

In nearly a decade of using my compost head I've only had to use a dumpster less than 1/2 dozen times. Much prefer the other methods.

[Wilyum]

Originally Posted by Creedence

I don’t have an emotional tie to one over the other, but this (my 6th boat) is the first I’ve owned with a composting toilet.

It struck me as a little odd at first... wait no, what struck me first was the absolute lack of head odor the first time I stepped aboard. That alone was enough to convince me to give it a shot. A year later, I still have it installed. I did like the “hands-off” appeal of the holding tanks, but not having that dank odor down in the cabin has been enough to keep me in the composting option for now.

They are insanely priced for what they are, but I can attest, they are worth a shot.

Dank odor? Arent these enclosed systems? Dont the toilets have built in P traps like domestic toilets? Where does the smell come from?