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Old 08-03-2008, 06:01 PM   #1
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Manufactured Composting Toilets???

My wife and I recently stumbled across this great site many months after we started our conversion. We are investing a great deal, financially, emotionally, and physically into our future permanent home on wheels. We have raised the roof two different heights and have some framing done but really we are stuck as for what kind of toilet. I am at the tanks/rough in stage and we have decided that black water is not an option. We will be putting in a composting toilet of some sort but don't know what kind. Biolet and Multoa are two companies who make composting toilets that seem suitable but at $2000.00 or more they cost more than the bus itself! Has any one got any experience with building one? Or maybe you have used a factory one? What kind of results have you had? We have found some comments on the web that these composting toilets end up just stinking and accumulating black goo! Help anyone please!?

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Old 08-03-2008, 08:03 PM   #2
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Try here Click
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Old 08-03-2008, 11:41 PM   #3
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

I came to the same conclusion about price (even at US$1000), and after two years of regular use my homemade composting potty is working fine.

Construction details:
http://seanf.smugmug.com/gallery/1382138_5ZpVT
http://seanf.smugmug.com/gallery/1453494_gn4FV
...and an update here:
http://seanf.smugmug.com/gallery/1991242_mHEKf

IMO urine diversion is key. IIRC the Biolet allows the urine to filter through the solid waste and allows the excess to exit through a drain pipe. I prefer to divert the urine before it gets into the composting mass. There is a company that makes a seat/diverter combo. Hang on...
Here it is: http://www.ecovita.net/products.html
Look at the "Separett Privy Kit". If doing mine again I would likely use this.

HTH
Sean
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Old 08-04-2008, 10:31 AM   #4
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Wow you guys are spectacular, in one day you have given me more help than I have found in two months! Is there any way to build one where I don't have a tank of urine to empty every week or so? We are planning to live in our bus for many years to come possibly staying in the same place for months at a time, where emptying may not be easy.
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Old 08-04-2008, 12:23 PM   #5
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Hmmm....you'll have to measure how much pee you make every day, then size your tank appropriately. Or (my preferred method) if you are parked far enough in the boonies you can pee outside.
Just a warning, urine gets very funky when it sits for a while, so be sure to vent your tank to the roofline.
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Old 08-06-2008, 10:58 AM   #6
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

It's been years since I've looked but Mother earth used to be the holy grail on composting toilets and other green technologies that could be useful, also check with michael at Mobile Homestead, he is knows the fulltime livaboard stuff as he walks the walk and has for many years.
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Old 08-06-2008, 02:53 PM   #7
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Quote:
Originally Posted by paul iossi
also check with michael at Mobile Homestead,
Be advised that Michael flipped out on some of us here a month or two ago because a few of us build party buses, or buses for hauling and riding ATV's and the fact that not everyone believes in his political point of view. He became pretty hateful.
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Old 08-06-2008, 03:44 PM   #8
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Humanure http://www.jenkinspublishing.com/garden_gallery.html

Another resource?
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Old 08-07-2008, 09:37 AM   #9
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Welcome back Mike.
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Old 08-09-2008, 03:42 PM   #10
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Hey thanks for all the input guys. I do have to admit I wish there were an easier answer to all this. I am planning to have an air exchange system which will be controlled by a humidistat and would kick in as soon as the humidity becomes too high (we plan to spend lots of time near our countries coasts). The exhaust air would pass through a pipe which will be inside the intake pipe to create a sort of home made heat exchanger,but if this system is just pulling air in from outside which may be humid then I guess I wouldn't be making the interior that much less humid. Its possible to install some sort of dehumidifier I guess. My question is, (maybe you know off hand Mike) will this system of air quality control be sufficient to keep the humidity at a level that will keep my toilet working? I am also going to regulate my interior temperature with my in floor radiant heat which is controlled by a thermostat. I do see what Mike said about the convenience of Seans system though.
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Old 11-27-2008, 12:27 AM   #11
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lady Franklin
Is there any way to build one where I don't have a tank of urine to empty every week or so?
I remember when researching the design of composting toilets that some of them try to evaporate the urine by running air over it before it goes up the vent pipe. Since most designs I see call for some sort of vent fan, what if one were to include the urine tank in that vent airflow? That is, the toilet would be vented to the urine tank (they're already connected through the urine diversion plumbing, but I'm talking a much larger vent pipe), and then the fan would be connected to the urine tank. If one used a long flat tank with air-in and air out on opposite ends it seems to me you'd get at least a little evaporation in the process.

What do you think?

-Ray
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Old 11-27-2008, 10:02 AM   #12
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Re: Manufactured Composting Toilets???

Thats something I never considered... worth checking out for sure! I wander if I could experiment with it.
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