Composting toilets

[Eigenvector]

Has anyone tried or used a composting toilet?

I was reading about it today, enjoying my day off, and after looking at a video clip of the Sun Mar systems it sounds pretty good for a small house with limited waste connections. My house has only 1 bathroom, kitchen sink, and laundry room outlet going to my septic tank. If the toilet could be converted to a composting model, that would mean the septic tank would be for greywater only - dramatically increasing its lifespan and its doubtful I'd ever have to pump the tank again.

I've never priced them out, so they could be 20 million dollars for all I know, plus I would expect the county makes it tough if not impossible to install them in a residential area. Heck, simply having a septic tank is almost an impossibility now.

[willshak]

on 8/24/2007 2:41 PM Eigenvector said the following:

Not to mention a compost pile.

[zxcvbob]

Great reading for enjoying one's day off:

Best regards, Bob

[William Wagner]

Bill

[Pete C.]

If you look at the recommendations for pumping a septic tank you'll find for a single occupancy house with a typical 1,000 gal septic tank and no kitchen garbage disposer you pretty much don't have to pump the tank since there is virtually no chance of adding to the sludge at a rate faster than the bacteria can do their thing.

[willshak]

Yep, chicken bones don't decay as fast as stool. Hell, there are dinosaur bones (not fossilized) that are still being dug up.

[Ann]

"Eigenvector" expounded:

That entirely depends on where you live. Around here everyone has one, we have no sewers (nor do I want them, with the associated fees).

[Frank]

I try to tell my wife that but she insists in having pumped out every

2-3 years. But even so, with cost of pumping, I think it would be foolish to put in a composting toilet which probably costs thousands of dollars. I'm only familiar with one composting toilet. It's in a park with no water and is solar powered and always stinks.

[Eigenvector]

It doesn't work that way in our district. Here a septic drain field is impossibly large by code, much much larger than the one my house was built on. My presumption is that they are trying to encourage everyone to get onto sewer. Until my septic fails I won't do that - or at least until they put a lien on my property.

I was wondering about the composting toilet because it would dramatically change the lifespan of an older drain field.

[Kay Lancaster]

Used, yes. Worked fine, clean and odorless. I understand it was very little maintenance work.

It was a Clivus multrum -- they've been around 30+ years in North America, longer than that in Sweden. If you feel like you need a flush toilet, they've got a foam-flush model that uses only a tiny amount of water.

Found some prices for you:

Kay

[willshak]

on 8/24/2007 7:19 PM Eigenvector said the following:

Where I lived before, we had a septic system. They put in municipal sewers and although you didn't have to hook up to the muni system, they charged you as if you were connected.

[Cheryl Isaak]

But Ann, don't you need to put in a Title 5 septic system prior to the land changing hands? May it be a long time from now...

C (BTW - it is total crook of shit in my book)

[Eigenvector]

Good Lord, those things ain't cheap, in fact it would take quite a while to recoup the costs. Environmentally friendly or not, those things won't ever take off until they can get the costs down into the 3 digit range. Well that certainly satisfies my curiosity.

[Eigenvector]

That would piss me off - getting charged for something you don't need or use.

[William Wagner]

If I put in a new well I must pay to have the old one capped. I'd like to use it just for Irrigation but big brother says one well per dwelling.

Bill

[len garden]

g'day eigenvector,

we sued a composting toilet when we lived in rural, they are the greatest product out and if fitted to all homes would save lots of water resources in our drought ridden towns.

the one we used was natur-loo (you will be able to google a link to their site), even if you can't get it over there it will give you a look at waht is a very simple versatile system, with very minimal mechanical application involved (if you have good wind where you are then there is no need for the electric driven vent fans).

we ran ours as dry system meaning all but incidental urines was kept out of the system (that is better used fresh onto food trees or gardens), we were very pleased.

snipped With peace and brightest of blessings,

len & bev

-- "Be Content With What You Have And May You Find Serenity and Tranquillity In A World That You May Not Understand."

[Ann]

Cheryl Isaak expounded:

If you sell your house you need to have a Title 5 inspection done. If your system passes (it won't if it's older than ten years or so) then you're good to go. If it doesn't, then it has to be repaired or replaced. The selling price can be adjusted so the seller does it, if it's decided the buyer is going to do it, he/she'd better have their own financing because lenders won't lend on it until the system is fixed.

I did it because I had to, the cesspool failed. I have no plans on selling, but it's good to know it's done. We just had it pumped for the first time, every three years we'll get it done again.

The way the regulations are written yes, it is. In more ways than one!

[Kay Lancaster]

I was at Powell's technical today, and did they every have a book for you: Lloyd Kahn's Septic System Owners' Manual (rev). Included an early 20th century composter built from a wooden barrel...

[Kay Lancaster]

Thought about something else... what does it cost to plumb a bathroom? Pipe ain't cheap, either, and plumbers are downright pricey...

Kay

[Cheryl Isaak]

And it's a great scam, lots of official paperwork arrives at homes, especially those belonging to the elderly, claiming all homes must have Title 5 septic by (fill in the date).....

In every possible way actually!