Composting Head Impact on Resale

[AJ_n_Audrey]

By the way, we went with Nature's Head. Very happy with it - no smell, no bugs, no issues of any kind. My only minor complaint is that I wish the urine bottle was bigger.

[jackheape]

Haven't tried to sell the boat but every time I tell anyone I have a composting head (I put in a Natures Head) they are impressed. I removed the holding tank, hoses, and existing toilet. I left the through hull valves intact (in fact I used the seawater intake for my newly installed a/c and the holding tank vent as my discharge). It would be very simple to reinstall a holding tank toilet. IMO a composting toilet ($1000) would be a sale enhancement, or if the buyer insisted on a traditional holding tank toilet you could drop the price and re-install one.

[rmlarson1098]

Originally Posted by gonesail

it's the first thing i thought about when looking at a boat: how do i get rid of the composting head and how much will it cost?

My first thought when I look at a boat with a 'traditional marine toilet' is: how do I get rid of this stinking head and replace it with a composting toilet!

[alaskaflyfish]

Traditional head removed along with holding tank and hoses, thru-hull glassed over and a composting head installed. All a net positive for me. I'd buy it, no problem. Now a porta-pottie on the other hand, no friggin way!

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by alaskaflyfish

Traditional head removed along with holding tank and hoses, thru-hull glassed over and a composting head installed. All a net positive for me. I'd buy it, no problem. Now a porta-pottie on the other hand, no friggin way!

I am going from a stinky boat with 10 below-the-waterline thru-hulls to a sweet-smelling boat with only 5.

Next project after the sanitation system is to go from 5 thru-hulls to 2. But that is a different thread.

[CMO Tashina]

Just another two cents here for what its worth, the fact that the boat had a composting toilet was one more reason I bought my Morgan Out Island a few months ago. In looking at other boats now because mine was damaged by Hurricane Michael, I find very few other boats have composting toilets and I think its a shame there are so few. They eliminate many of the problems that come with flushing sea water through the system.

[roverhi]

I'll be installing a composting toilet in my newest boat. PO installed a holding tank which wiped out the hanging locker. Small boat and it's an unacceptable compromise. My other boat also has a holding tank installed under the 'V' berth which wiped out a drawer and locker that I'd love to have back. With the increasing prevalence of NDZ's and marinas almost all going no discharge, would think a composting head would be a selling point. No matter how well done and problem free a holding tank is you sill own a floating outhouse.

[R1Guy]

Thanks everyone for the comments. Really appreciated. Definitely going with the 1 compost, 1 regular for now. Nice to know if I love it, I can always take the hoses and tank out later. Also, can decide in the future if I really need the space. Talked with the marina today, cost to take out one head, cap and install the ventilation for the airhead will be very cheap. So will be upgrade #1 for sure.

Composting toilet will be important for us as we are about to be living aboard through a New England winter. No pumpouts available for 4 months. Don't mind using the marina facilities but also don't want to run outside when nature calls suddently at 4am in a snow storm.

Question about tying the liquids bucket into the storage tank. Wouldn't that cause the same odor and other issues as a normal marine head? Or is the fact that its just liquids without the solids in the tank make a big difference? Seems at first glance that would just spoil the benefits of using the detached head. I'm sure I am missing something there?

[RainDog]

Storing liquids in small amounts has no odor. I think if you just stored liquids in large amounts there would be very little odor compared to the usual holding tank. However if your tank already has solids in it, unless you clean it out somehow, I think it will have the same odor problem as a regular head. However, you will be able to go much, much longer without pumping out.

[R1Guy]

I suppose at a minimum it would fill up less than half as fast without the solids and flush water added in. Going to have to think about that some more. Airhead has a model I believe that has a built in connection for a tie in. I think that was Airhead that had it?

[billknny]

If you want a real answer to this question, as an engineer, you should realize that you are asking very much in the wrong place. Post anything here with the word "composting" in the title and you immediately have the pro-composting crowd jump all over it.

That is neither good not bad, it is just what it is. If you want a REAL answer to your question, you should call some of your local yacht brokers. You know, the guys who talk to boat buyers all day, and actually have to sell boats, and price them to sell? Maybe you already have, and didn't like the answer, or maybe you didn't think of it.

You are receiving a very biased sampling of the boat market answering your question here. This is neither an argument for nor against a composting head, just a suggestion for a better way of answering your question with a more real world sample of boat buyers.

Of course if all you really wanted was support for your decision, you got that.

[Kenomac]

Seriously, ask yourself... if you were trying to sell a house that had an outhouse, would that have an impact on resale?

[RainDog]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Seriously, ask yourself... if you were trying to sell a house that had an outhouse, would that have an impact on resale?

Sounds like you are arguing for the "just pump directly overboard" philosophy. For sure that is the most convenient for boaters, and IMHO that is what the vast majority of full-timers do.

However, for those of us that do not want to do that, the question of holding tank vs. "composter" is a valuable discussion.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by billknny

If you want a real answer to this question, as an engineer, you should realize that you are asking very much in the wrong place. Post anything here with the word "composting" in the title and you immediately have the pro-composting crowd jump all over it. ...

Funny, b/c what I notice is that whenever someone posts anything about "composting" we immediately have all the anti-composting crowd come in with their uninformed opinions.

CF may be a biased sampling, or it may not be. It's impossible to tell. Talking to a broker may, or may not, give a biased perspective as well. The OP is getting a sampling from a self-selected crowd of global self-identified cruisers. Outside of a proper statistically sound survey, it's impossible to determine which is less biased.

I can tell you that based on the survey from last year, nearly 25% of CF respondents report using a composting head. Take that data point for what it's worth.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Funny, b/c what I notice is that whenever someone posts anything about "composting" we immediately have all the anti-composting crowd come in with their uninformed opinions.

CF may be a biased sampling, or it may not be. It's impossible to tell. Talking to a broker may, or may not, give a biased perspective as well. The OP is getting a sampling from a self-selected crowd of global self-identified cruisers. Outside of a proper statistically sound survey, it's impossible to determine which is less biased.

I can tell you that based on the survey from last year, nearly 25% of CF respondents report using a composting head. Take that data point for what it's worth.

I’m willing to bet that very few (if any) folks visiting boat shows are concerned about and asking questions regarding the separation of solid and liquid human waste and the manipulation and handling of either. CF seems to have become the epicenter for composter discussion on the web.

There’s a reason very few (if any) new boats are offered with a composter head... it’s a major turn-off to the vast majority of potential boat buyers outside the CF composter fan club.

If composter heads would have a positive impact on resale, ask yourself.... why aren’t the new boats at the shows displayed with composter heads installed?