Composting head info

South of Heaven · Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:49 pm Post subject:

Blast from the past! Just saw this email pop up. Hope all my C brat friends are doing okay!

Pat Anderson · Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 12:50 pm Post subject:

Patty here. We put an Airhead in our 25' boat during construction in 2005. We still have it and have loved it. We took 8 months to cruise the Great Loop, used it every day, emptied the solids only 4 times.

bobjarrard

On my C-Head the urine collection bottle is just plain old one gallon plastic water bottles, best the screw top kind with a good handle. Two fit in a canvas carry bag and off you go to find a toilet or urinal. If you garden, you can water with the urine but you may need to dilute first or along the way. If you dig in 3" or 4 "inch by 18" long perforated pipe sections around a tree or bush, the liquid is delivered below 12" or so and there never is any odor. I spritz the urine diverter with a weak cleaning solution (Pine-Sol is my favorite but you can use anything that smells good and leaves no residue - even the holding tank chemicals if diluted a lot work OK). I do not spray the "composting" media but suggest that fresh cedar works great - think "hamster bedding" from Walmart (smallest shaving or sliver size works best - more surface area). The C-Head comes with a second "further composting" five gallon bucket with screened vent but the seven gallon bucket with a screw-on lid adapter from HD or Lowes works better. You can add vents and all kinds of trick stuff. When I use the second bucket I put a double kitchen trash can liner in first so that the bucket is always clean (I add a nice layer of newspaper in the bottom just in case). If you are rich, you can use trash compactor bags but I find them hard to seal for disposal. See ya. Bob

forrest · Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2022 11:50 pm Post subject:

Are there composting toilets that don't require 12 volt power? I have a cabin in the woods and the tall trees don't let enough sunlight through to run a solar panel for fan power. If you know of a composting toilet that works without power I would love to know the brand and model.
Thanks,
Forrest

bobjarrard

Forrest,
Only the large cabin/family sized non-flushing toilets require real amounts of power and that at 110V as they have conveyors, mixers, control systems, and heaters. If you need info on this kind of unit, give me a call as it is a "deep" topic.
The three major, actually really only contenders, in the small and easily installed units are made by AirHead and Nature'sHead who hate each other as they had a business issue and then Cap who makes the C-Head that I have. All three of these can have no vent/fan, a gravity vent (relies on air pressure and movement as does a dorade on a boat), a 12 volt computer muffin fan using almost no power 12 volts. a very small 110 volt fan and/or an open window.
Done right as you are not evaporating the urine and only desiccating the feces - not much moisture to get rid of if the use/loading is low as in two to three folks for regualr use or cottage use for shorter visits. The beauty is that you can get ahead of the loading by doing an empty out. The average person should void a liter/quart of urine a day so a a C-Head with a gallon bottle means once a day change out for a party of fur please.
The C-Head can be had with a diverter urine collector that can feed a five gallon yellow plastic diesel or something similar.
Being a recovered hippie from the 60's this is all second nature to me so feel free to call for your no cost consultation. Whatever you do, stay away from the incinerating toilets unless you have lots of 220V and love the smell of burning poop.
Unless your cottage use is in a very urban area, this whole even cycle gets to be organic if you know what I mean. Take a walk in a cow pasture, hard not to step on manure bombs, they are everywhere. I know all about cholera and typhoid, but the entire sub-continent of India uses the outdoors as their toilet of choice. The three units noted above are much more elegant, can be used indoors, and offer a safe way to handle waste. Urine is sterile and clorox is almost free at the 99 Cent Store if you want to put a gallon in each change out of the main chamber.
Here is the homework started for you: https://www.c-head.com/ and then https://airheadtoilet.com/ and then https://natureshead.net/ and there are a ton of DIY sites on the internet. Also, low cost units from Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/market/compost_toilet
Bob Jarrard 714 686-2728

bobjarrard

Forrest,
Only the large cabin/family sized non-flushing toilets require real amounts of power and that at 110V as they have conveyors, mixers, control systems, and heaters. If you need info on this kind of unit, give me a call as it is a "deep" topic.
The three major, actually really only contenders, in the small and easily installed units are made by AirHead and Nature'sHead who hate each other as they had a business issue and then Cap who makes the C-Head that I have. All three of these can have no vent/fan, a gravity vent (relies on air pressure and movement as does a dorade on a boat), a 12 volt computer muffin fan using almost no power 12 volts. a very small 110 volt fan and/or an open window.
Done right as you are not evaporating the urine and only desiccating the feces - not much moisture to get rid of if the use/loading is low as in two to three folks for regualr use or cottage use for shorter visits. The beauty is that you can get ahead of the loading by doing an empty out. The average person should void a liter/quart of urine a day so a a C-Head with a gallon bottle means once a day change out for a party of four please.
The C-Head can be had with a diverter urine collector that can feed a five gallon yellow plastic diesel or something similar.
Being a recovered hippie from the 60's this is all second nature to me so feel free to call for your no cost consultation. Whatever you do, stay away from the incinerating toilets unless you have lots of 220V and love the smell of burning poop.
Unless your cottage use is in a very urban area, this whole event cycle gets to be organic if you know what I mean. Take a walk in a cow pasture, hard not to step on manure bombs, they are everywhere. I know all about cholera and typhoid, but the entire sub-continent of India uses the outdoors as their toilet of choice. The three units noted above are much more elegant, can be used indoors, and offer a safe way to handle waste. Urine is sterile and clorox is almost free at the 99 Cent Store if you want to put a gallon in each change out of the main chamber.
Here is the homework started for you: https://www.c-head.com/ and then https://airheadtoilet.com/ and then https://natureshead.net/ and there are a ton of DIY sites on the internet. Also, low cost units from Etsy at https://www.etsy.com/market/compost_toilet
Bob Jarrard 714 686-2728

pcg · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 9:32 am Post subject:

New composting toilet coming on the market...
https://www.compocloset.com/cuddy

bobjarrard · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 11:27 am Post subject: sorta in the middle

The cost in the sweet spot at $750 plus add ons and shipping. It looks good. Nice exterior design. Bob

Pat Anderson · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:10 pm Post subject:

Deleted. Accidentally posted before finished composing!

Pat Anderson · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:13 pm Post subject:

Knipet · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 2:33 pm Post subject:

Hey, possibly stupid question here, and tangently related to composting toilets:
Is it not cool to just piss overboard, of course provided you are discreet as to not get arrested for indecent exposure? It seems like every fishing boat I've ever been on that was always the way it was done.

So for you composting folks, no pouring the #1 (not the solids) into the ocean when out away from shore?

ssobol · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 4:00 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 9:15 pm Post subject:

Guilty on more than one occasion. However, a lot of fisherman have fallen over board while hanging on to themselves... I try to remind myself of that when I'm tempted. And I almost never tempt myself when solo on the Great Lakes or any large bodies or flowing waters.
I still like the idea of not straddling anything while using the head closet to shower in. I also know several that have used the solar vents. However, on more than one occasion my solar vent has failed to work... I don't know anyone with the composting toilet that has regretted putting it in. I'm just happy with my current set up. Colby

colbysmith · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 9:24 pm Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2022 11:29 pm Post subject:

There are lots of things damaging coral reefs, and I would put "urine from snorkelers way down on that list.

As for the urine being infected-for healthy folks, the amount of bacteria in the urine is insignificant.

How much urine from marine mammals, Similar type of excretions from fish.

The literature seems to implicate sunscreens more than many other pollutants. But I have not been diving where there have been lots of snorkelers go--recently...

Rather than pee overboard, use a urinal--and then dispose of the urine how you think is best--in bottles to the nearest facility, or at sea where it would go naturally.

I'll admit I must have polluted a few rivers in my day....with urine.