Composting toilet: rules, regulations, and "real life" use etc.?

[Mike OReilly]

I’d be a bit more charitable than that SM. This law is made to be more easily enforceable. If urine discharge was OK, but feces not, then any practical enforcement would become virtually impossible.

It’s kinda like going after speeders vs aggressive drivers. Speed is not the thing that causes most accidents; it is aggressive, erratic driving that is the major cause. But speed is easier to quantify and monitor. And it is a good proxy for other bad driving behaviour.

So it’s easier to target all dumpers, even if they’re only dumping benign urine.

[NorthCoastJoe]

When whitewater rafting in rivers that will be city drinking water people are expected to pee in the river. Pee on the land stinks.

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

At some point perhaps someone will make a CH with a standard pump and normal sized holding tank for the urine.

I’m considering replacing the electric toilet in our guest hull head, that has no holding tank (thanks Outremer!!) with a composting head rather than installing a holding tank and all the associated complexities.

I was thinking of plumbing the urine collecting point directly to the current head’s sea water inlet throughull. It’s just pee!! We do have room in that bilge for a sizeable holding tank that could still gravity feed to the sea water inlet so I’m guessing to be legal in case we ever go to the US or somewhere else where they actually check we’d have to install that too.

We’ll move the electric toilet over to the owner’s side and replace the manual Jabsco that my better half hates. That side does have a holding tank, but only 40 litres, so it does mean heading offshore to empty it relatively frequently. If the guest head works out then we’ll upgrade our side too.

Any reason not to go with the C-head? In NZ it’s about half the cost and it fits the spaces easier. It also seems to be easier to deal with - I like the top mount crank handle and the tilt back the top and lift out a bucket seems a lot simpler than the alternatives.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Any reason not to go with the C-head? In NZ it’s about half the cost and it fits the spaces easier. It also seems to be easier to deal with - I like the top mount crank handle and the tilt back the top and lift out a bucket seems a lot simpler than the alternatives.

you have just made the best argument for installing the c head verses any other unit.

[KadeyKrogen38]

CHead also offers an option as you are describing for the urine. Option does away with small tank and provides a drain line for feeding urine to separate tank.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by fxykty

...Any reason not to go with the C-head? In NZ it’s about half the cost and it fits the spaces easier. It also seems to be easier to deal with - I like the top mount crank handle and the tilt back the top and lift out a bucket seems a lot simpler than the alternatives.

The main disadvantages of CH for me is the smaller holding tank sizes. The tanks are about 1/2 the size used in Air and Nature’s head. This means they have to be emptied more often than the others. But it also means they take up less space. CH also uses non-propietry containers, which is a nice plus. And they have models which look more aesthetically pleasing.

[cardude]

I’m considering one of the composting/desiccating toilets but worry about how to run the vent line. I worry about where to run the vent line— there is not a flat roof top area right above the head that lends itself to a mushroom type vent, and I hate to drill a big hole in the boat anyway. I have a dorade vent in the master just a few feet (5?) away from the head. Think I could run the vent line to that and hook it up somehow? It might look kind of funky snaking across the master cabin roof however.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by cardude

I’m considering one of the composting/desiccating toilets but worry about how to run the vent line. I worry about where to run the vent line— there is not a flat roof top area right above the head that lends itself to a mushroom type vent, and I hate to drill a big hole in the boat anyway. I have a dorade vent in the master just a few feet (5?) away from the head. Think I could run the vent line to that and hook it up somehow? It might look kind of funky snaking across the master cabin roof however.

mine doesn't even have a vent line and I have never felt that one was needed .
It just doesn't stink . Now my tarts that's much worse than the head ever was.

[Davy J]

For the OP, I haven't read the whole thread so this may have been mentioned.

In Boot Key Harbor in Marathon, FL if you pick up a mooring and have a marine head, the city will have a pump-out boat automatically empty your holding tank. If you have a composting toilet they will not, however, you are required to empty the urine container to the pump-out boat every "X" number of days. Can't remember exactly how many days.

We have a Natures Head. The extended time between worrying about pump-outs and emptying the container is the main advantage.

[CGirvan]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Any reason not to go with the C-head? In NZ it’s about half the cost and it fits the spaces easier. It also seems to be easier to deal with - I like the top mount crank handle and the tilt back the top and lift out a bucket seems a lot simpler than the alternatives.

We have had a C-Head for the last 4 years of living aboard 6 months at a time. We chose it mainly because it was really the only one that would fit in the narrow space we had.


We only get about 2 weeks before the solids bucket needs emptying and that is with my wife rowing ashore to the bathroom more often than not. She's not a great fan stating often than it was obviously designed by a man for men. Be interesting to know if other female owners think similarly. After 2 weeks the crank becomes very stiff to turn and I worry about the thing breaking so know it's time to empty. The problem seems to be that the cranking action tends to create solid balls which hinder further cranking. Our solids container smells like compost but definitely doesn't look like compost.


As far as the urine container goes we normally empty it once a day although there has been a few occasions where that hasn't been enough and we've had an overflow situation which hasn't helped the wife's opinion of it. I'm tempted for these reasons to divert the urine to a small tank and then pump overboard from there. My only concern is running foul of the coastguard at inspection time. I'm thinking possibly having it easily switchable back to the container for when in harbor.


Even with these issues the positives mentioned in other posts still outweigh the negatives for us. (not really sure on that one for the missus)


Anyway hope this helps.
Colin

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by CGirvan

We have had a C-Head for the last 4 years of living aboard 6 months at a time. We chose it mainly because it was really the only one that would fit in the narrow space we had.


We only get about 2 weeks before the solids bucket needs emptying and that is with my wife rowing ashore to the bathroom more often than not. She's not a great fan stating often than it was obviously designed by a man for men. Be interesting to know if other female owners think similarly. After 2 weeks the crank becomes very stiff to turn and I worry about the thing breaking so know it's time to empty. The problem seems to be that the cranking action tends to create solid balls which hinder further cranking. Our solids container smells like compost but definitely doesn't look like compost.


As far as the urine container goes we normally empty it once a day although there has been a few occasions where that hasn't been enough and we've had an overflow situation which hasn't helped the wife's opinion of it. I'm tempted for these reasons to divert the urine to a small tank and then pump overboard from there. My only concern is running foul of the coastguard at inspection time. I'm thinking possibly having it easily switchable back to the container for when in harbor.


Even with these issues the positives mentioned in other posts still outweigh the negatives for us. (not really sure on that one for the missus)


Anyway hope this helps.
Colin

install a small bladder tank of about 5 gallon size that is removable to plumb urine install a 3 way ball valve plumbed to it and your thru hull done deal.

https://www.ebay.com/p/1-2-3-Way-Bal...d=262561714839

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by cardude

I’m considering one of the composting/desiccating toilets but worry about how to run the vent line. I worry about where to run the vent line— there is not a flat roof top area right above the head that lends itself to a mushroom type vent, and I hate to drill a big hole in the boat anyway. I have a dorade vent in the master just a few feet (5?) away from the head. Think I could run the vent line to that and hook it up somehow? It might look kind of funky snaking across the master cabin roof however.

I’m sure the dorado vent option would work as long as the hose run is relatively open (no tight angles).

Originally Posted by newhaul

mine doesn't even have a vent line and I have never felt that one was needed .
It just doesn't stink . Now my tarts that's much worse than the head ever was.

Curious NH, I know you build your own. How often do you dump the main tank?

I’m able to go for four to six weeks between dumps (two people, full time). I’m sure my vent is required, otherwise I’d have to empty a lot more often.

[newhaul]

CGirvan forgot to mention but the problem you elude to in the beginning of your post would lead me to think the peat is a bit to dry

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I’m sure the dorado vent option would work as long as the hose run is relatively open (no tight angles).



Curious NH, I know you build your own. How often do you dump the main tank?

I’m able to go for four to six weeks between dumps (two people, full time). I’m sure my vent is required, otherwise I’d have to empty a lot more often.

I go about 4 months between emptying the solids tank .
Just curious but why do you feel you would have to empty more often without the vent? You are putting the same amount of material in the solids receptacle either way.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by newhaul

I go about 4 months between emptying the solids tank .
Just curious but why do you feel you would have to empty more often without the vent? You are putting the same amount of material in the solids receptacle either way.

Holy crap . Four months is amazing. Are you full timing on the boat? How many people? That’s incredible!

The major function of Nature’s Head and Air Head are to dry the material out, significantly shrinking the size of the pile (vs leaving all the moisture in). This is how these heads primarily function. Without an electric vent I think my pile would remain too moist.