Composting Toilet - Nature's Head

[ElGatoGordo]

That's a different perspective, having sorta been forced into it. Yours is probably the most independent evaluation, as the rest of us chose to "buy into" it. Thanks for sharing!

[cblurton]

We have an old wooden ketch we are renovating for use as an "outdoor classroom" at our school in Hong Kong. It currently has a Skipper head that has - as per the last owner's comments - broken linkages someplace inside. Further, we've had difficulty identifying a pump out facility that we can use without being a member of one of the local yacht clubs.

The boat will be used in local waters to teach, among other things, respect for the environment. We don't want to pump out into the sea, although that would be legal here.

I wrote to C-Head, Airhead and Nature's Head asking them if their products would be suitable for our application - i.e. 14 students, 2 teachers and 2 crew on board for day sails several times a week. All replied negatively. However, one company believes it may have a product suitable for our use - the Separett Villa 2010. Do any of you have experience with this toilet or the company?

[ElGatoGordo]

I can't comment dirrectly on the toilet, but I do have their seat and urine seperator (Eco Privy 500). While I'm not thrilled with the use of foam for the seat, the plastic parts are very well made. At $1200 US that seems like a high price.

What I don't see in the info on the toilet is how the input is mixed or covered. I see it says it "rotates" on each use ( a cool feature) but does it use a bio material at all? I see no mention. If not, I'm certain it will smell badly. maybe I missed it.

I am glad the other suppliers said their systems wouldn't work, that load is way to severe for one of those, even 2 wouldn't keep up. Have you considered building one? If you feel OK about the urine going into the water, it wouldn't be hard. That would be my solution.

See: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ad-104810.html

for a detailed description of my system. It isn't perfect, as time has gone on we have had some odors creep in. I removed it all last week and cleaned everything and all is well now.

[cblurton]

Thanks for the input. I didn't notice that they say nothing about using peat moss or coconut to help the decomposition process so I looked around the site and found:

Do I ever have to add anything?
In the container inside the toilet, the contents should be left to dry and lose volume. Never add bark or anything since it may contain larva which can develop problems with flies. We recommend putting a Separett Absorb in the bag inside the container, since it keeps the contents dry and thereby odourless.

For US$18, the sell a bag of five 1060-Asborb "to absorb moist from the bottom of the waste bag, at use and during the storage period. The tissue will keep the contents dry and thereby odourless." In addition, they sell a roll of 10 "compostable" waste bags for about US$11. so, if one chooses to use these products, it adds a bit less than US$5 per bin load to the cost of operation. But, I believe that these aren't essential to the operation of the unit.

I would have no objection to putting urine overboard as I believe it to be mostly sterile and safe if not too concentrated. The bin they use for the solid stuff is a 23 liter bin. I don't know how that compares to the other three, C-head, Nature's Head and Airhead's bin sizes since I couldn't find this information on their websites, but I assume it must be larger if this company says it can handle our load and the other three think not.

As to building my own, I am dubious about my ability to build such a thing in a safe and sanitary way.

Thanks again,

Craig

[ElGatoGordo]

Originally Posted by cblurton

Thanks for the input. I didn't notice that they say nothing about using peat moss or coconut to help the decomposition process so I looked around the site and found:

Do I ever have to add anything?
In the container inside the toilet, the contents should be left to dry and lose volume. Never add bark or anything since it may contain larva which can develop problems with flies. We recommend putting a Separett Absorb in the bag inside the container, since it keeps the contents dry and thereby odourless.

For US$18, the sell a bag of five 1060-Asborb "to absorb moist from the bottom of the waste bag, at use and during the storage period. The tissue will keep the contents dry and thereby odourless." In addition, they sell a roll of 10 "compostable" waste bags for about US$11. so, if one chooses to use these products, it adds a bit less than US$5 per bin load to the cost of operation. But, I believe that these aren't essential to the operation of the unit.

I would have no objection to putting urine overboard as I believe it to be mostly sterile and safe if not too concentrated. The bin they use for the solid stuff is a 23 liter bin. I don't know how that compares to the other three, C-head, Nature's Head and Airhead's bin sizes since I couldn't find this information on their websites, but I assume it must be larger if this company says it can handle our load and the other three think not.

As to building my own, I am dubious about my ability to build such a thing in a safe and sanitary way.

Thanks again,

Craig

I'm no expert, but their system seems dubious. I just don't know. The "normal" heads have roughly 5 gal capacity, but that's partly filled with bio mass. So the "recievable Volume" is a lot less.

I really think if you can do any wood work you can build a toilet. Read my setup, dead easy. MUCH easier than replacing your current system. If you have space. I really think you'll have trouble regardless with that number of people aboard.

[Mike OReilly]

I dunno, this thing looks like it is designed to dry the feces without any absorbing material like peat. The main unit uses a sizeable looking fan. I can see where that might work. But if you're on a boat, running a small 12v fan as they suggest, you're not going to get much drying going on.

It really looks like a fancy bucket to me. It will work as long as you keep dumping the main catchment bucket. Not a composter, or even a desiccator. Just a nice looking bucket system.

[weavis]

Originally Posted by Reiheld

Ooops. You're right, of course. Can I blame darn Autocorrect?

yep.

Autocorrect is the enema.

[pcsiegrist]

Hello all!

I just bought my first sailboat and I'm looking to replace the head with either an Air Head or Nature's head. Installation Q?: can I use the cowl vent in my head for the toilet vent or can I (should I) install another vent?

Paul

[SimonV]

It still concerns me that people are dumping a months worth of untreated feces at the foreshore, the bins in the park or the dumpster at the marina. Let alone a floating raft of month old to recent poo covered vegetable mater.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[BobnCamie]

Get real. I worry about all the ducks,geese,fish,tankers,dogs, that are around. What about all the diapers in the landfills? It is a natural act, what the cities are doing on a regular basis should worry you to the loony bin.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[IP Man]

Originally Posted by pcsiegrist

Hello all!

I just bought my first sailboat and I'm looking to replace the head with either an Air Head or Nature's head. Installation Q?: can I use the cowl vent in my head for the toilet vent or can I (should I) install another vent?

Paul

pcsiegrist, I have had a natures head on board a 38' Hinckley for 9 months and absolutely love it! So much that I tell all my dock neighbors about it and have them aboard to check it out. I am lazy and ran the vent hose to my exhaust side dorade vent in the head. Only trouble is if the wind blows directly into the dorade vent and overpowers the exhaust fan. I would try it before you start cutting holes.

Good luck.

Scott

[Feral Cement]

pcseigrist - We have a C-head on a Tartan 34C, two adults living aboard and cruising full-time. When we were in the Bahamas and away from marinas for days or weeks at a time, we had to change the compost bucket about every two weeks. When we are in areas where the shore bathroom option is available more often, we change it less often (obviously), about every month or two. We have added no additional vents to the head (the room - there is a cowl and dorade box for convective ventilation) or the C-head itself and have had very few odor problems. I could almost say zero, but when the bucket's about full, we catch a whiff every once in awhile, but that's usually when we are using it LESS and so it's had time to age.

The biggest issue is making sure the pee jug does not overflow. The 1 gallon size makes it a daily chore if we're both helping to fill it, but I have the stern rail option available in many places so her majesty gets exclusive rights frequently, making it an every other day inconvenience.

In just the past two weeks, we've had a slight fly problem - we're still not sure if the flies in the cabin originated in the C-head, but we're adding diatomaceous earth to the peat moss and that will solve the problem if any of the flies are coming from the head.

All in all, we have found the C-head to be a very good option for us - low cost, no need (or space) for a holding tank, simple to use. There's a slight learning curve, but most things you'll only do wrong once.

[Blue Crab]

Ditto all Feral's comments including the flies ... maybe it's seasonal as that's a giant coincidence.

Anyway, the C Head's directions advise against a vent UNLESS YOU NEED IT. I have an easy place with a vent in place but really haven't needed to bother with it. Wait and see.

[clockwork orange]

Maybe of interest to the guy in Hong Kong, back in 05 I was working with a group of people who had all worked on the big charter schooners in maine including one of the skippers of a large Herreschoff chartering out of NYC. These boats carry a lot of passengers and they said that the most trouble free toilet system and what they all use is they use standard 5 gallon pails with the snap on lids and fresh moist sawdust from local sawmills, they just start with a layer of sawdust and then cover fresh deposits with a layer and when the bucket is full they snap on a lid and start a new bucket. When they are done for the day they empty them at the local sewage treatment plant. Obviously not a cruising solution but when they are daysailing with a lot of people the most practical way to go with no maintainance and nothing to go wrong. I use an airhead and love it btw, we were on the boat for 32 days straight last summer delivering the boat from ct to mn with 3 to 4 people on board and emptied it twice. I bought mine off of ebay cheap, it had come with the sellers boat but never installed. If I were to buy a new one today I would probably get a c head, I think they are very good value and look nice.

Steve.

[Mike OReilly]

Two of us, full time (right now) with a NH. Love it! We go for about a month for the main bucket, and about every three days for the pee. CH is about 1/2 the size, which is why I didn't consider it (although it looks like a fine solution otherwise).

I ran our vent hose out the pump out deck plate. Replaced the plate with a mushroom vent. So far it has worked well. I did consider a solar vent, but that would have required a new hole in the cabin. So far, our setup is working fine.