Compost head use?

[5BTM]

You will figure it out.

I have changed diapers for four children over the years, so I expext to keep a box of disposable gloves, a supply of wet wipes and a diaper pail on board next to our OGO.

[Thomas1985]

I agree with everyone here that I’d rather do a little bowl wipe occasionally than have my black water plumbing leak once.

The traditional marine head is a mess… the pump gaskets wear out, the black water can leak, you have to pump out.

[Kello]

Howdy,

For composting heads forget anything “marine” and check online for RV solutions, especially the “reconfigured school bus” sort. Some way cool “alternative” people in this world!

My Raritan II head was ok except for the cost of parts and IMO too frequent cleaning and servicing. Haven’t found a functional Crystal Ball yet so I wanted a reliable waste solution to enable looking forward in life without having to keep an eye on my behind.

I’m Marina-Bound for a while, so the solution, which has been reliable for several years, has been a funnel plumbed to the holding tank for #1, and a short hike to the marina facilities for #2. I installed a Whale Gusher pump to the holding tank so I can empty it offshore, and fitted a Home Depot Homer All Purpose Bucket with a trash compactor bag with a layer of cat litter behind the funnel for rainy days / emergencies.

Online RV gurus say to use coconut coir in the #2 bucket (to absorb moisture) and diatomaceous earth to control the gnats.

Online RV info has good stories about emptying the 1 gal pee container, if #2 isn’t dry it will smell like sh!t… “composting” is a misnomer, you just want it to dry out, for a “system” you will need a fan-powered vent, CF has threads about that.

“Welcome to the Club” lol

[jcapo]

Try something like this and see if you like it. We did and bought a C-Head. Its really a shame that C-Head is gone.

The prototype is in the cockpit for the photo for those that insist on negative comments.

[Thomas1985]

Grandpa seriously had grandma, mom and uncle using a wooden bucket when they started cruising

He swore the wooden bucket was the best toilet solution

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

He swore the wooden bucket was the best toilet solution

So did William Atkin and L. Francis Herreshoff.
They both extoled the virtues of a cedar bucket.
The "composting" toilets are really just a step or two above a cat litter box.

[EdenRose]

I love our Natures Head. What I would change is keep the black water tank and run the liquids into it instead of using the pee tank on the head. That is the only smelly part and unpleasant process of emptying.

[NRbar]

We have a Natures Head and two pee buckets. We used to use peat moss but now coconut choir. We also have a fresh water toilet to the holding tank. We carry about 500 gallons of fresh water so that’s not a factor. We, he&she, use the Natures Head almost exclusively. Very rare to wipe out the poop bowl. We also have a vinegar spray bottle for occasional pee side use and rare poop side.

Very rare to need to clean the pee bottle. Two bottles is the only way to go. We switch bottles when the pee level is above the smile. Empty the full bottle at my convenience. I prefer cleaning the poop box to changing milk fed diapers. We stopped using peat moss as it is a very slow renewable resource. For environmental reasons we do not use wipes.

[Hugh Burton]

What brand of composter do you have? Our nature’s head has been in our boat for 7 years.Never had an issue with the bowl being dirty from a normal dump. If one has diarrhea all bets are off.

[wgerstmyer]

It is not a composting toilet (needs months and no new deposits) but a desiccating toilet. Buy a pee diverter to place over a 5-gallon bucket with pee going to holding tank. Separating the two, and adding chaff cover over each poop removes all smells. We use free coffee chaff from the local coffee shop. Smells great, too. A simple teak platform holds the seat, and flap doors for the chaff and paper waste. Go overboard with the pee when out far enough. Like others, We line the 5-gallon bucket with bags. Works great. Used the unneeded seacock to add a seawater foot pump at the sink, nice bonus.

[shrspeedblade]

I've been wanting to ask does anyone just use cat litter?

I know, I know, but it's cheap, easy to find, and highly effective at what it was designed to do. Keeping liquids separate would make it even better.

Stuff like coconut coir seems to be pricier and much harder to get a hold of in some places.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by shrspeedblade

I've been wanting to ask does anyone just use cat litter?

I know, I know, but it's cheap, easy to find, and highly effective at what it was designed to do. Keeping liquids separate would make it even better.

Stuff like coconut coir seems to be pricier and much harder to get a hold of in some places.

Cat litter does not really allow the same process of desiccation to occur, compared to material like coir or peat. It contains the feces, but doesn't really allow it to dry out, and doesn't mix together easily or well. The point about using something like coir is that it not only helps absorb moisture, but it can be easily aerated to allow more thorough drying.

Besides, are you sure litter is cheaper? Coir can be had on Amazon, or just about any garden centre, for pretty damn cheap. I suppose it might be harder to source in some places, but it's easy to carry many months, or even years, of compressed coir in a pretty small area.

[justinfinity]

I have been using a C-Head in my RV (I also have a boat) and it is indeed a shame that the C-Head product and business was allowed to die, I suspect by family of Sandy Graves (the founder) who just didn't appreciate what he had developed. I tried multiple times to contact them and to find out what happened but it was for nought.

Anyway, back to the OP, with a so-called "composting" toilet in general, there isn't really a "bowl" in the same sense that we understand with conventional flushing toilets, so there is less chance for "residue".

Further, a really good alternative toilet will separate the liquid from the solid (as has been suggested already) so that no sewage is created. That is the key here: sewage results from the mixture of solid waste and liquid waste. If you keep them separate, it is the least objectionable and easy to manage and dispose of.

We have used sphagnum peat moss as our medium and there has been zero stink nor mess. If you do detect an odor, it is time to add some medium or dispose. We have not found it necessary to add any passive ventilation, electric fan, etc.

If anyone has an angle on acquiring the designs and/or intellectual property of C-Head with a view to continuing the business, it's worth looking into. I wish I knew what happened to Sandy Graves. He seemed like a nice man. Last I knew, Sandy and his C-Head business were based in Eustis, FL.

[Mike OReilly]

Yes, it’s a shame that C-head folded. I’ve never used one, but they seem to be great heads. Fortunately, there are others on the market now which seem to be similar in size, although not sure about cost. C-head, and I believe the newer ones like OGO, are physically smaller than the original commercial ones like AIr and Nature’s Head (Air, was first). This makes them easier to fit into small or odd boat spaces. But it also means their bin sizes are smaller, resulting in more frequent dump cycles.

This can be an advantage for those who use their boats occasionally, or for shorter periods. For those of us who spend extended periods on board (many weeks, to multiple months), the larger versions are a benefit. We (two adults, full-time) tend to empty the main bin roughly once per month (3-5 weeks). The urine bottle is every two to three days, depending on how much beer I’ve been drinking 😉.

[justinfinity]

That last post reminded to mention that we did away with the standard gallon water jug for collecting the urine in the C-Head because they are prone to getting brittle and developing pinhole leaks (no fun).

Luckily, I discovered that Rubbermaid's one gallon jug fits perfectly. It's substantially thicker material and has a more robust lid. Here is the link:

https://a.co/d/2PRme5r