Nature's head composting toilets.

[JohnG]

Okay so another question for us is a composting toilet,
we have been looking at a natures head type

anyone using one of these , if so what are your likes dislikes suggestions
and so on again any help is appreciated greatly


Respectfully
John

 

[Deadhead]

John:

I am not familiar with the Nature's Head composting toilet; however, after looking at their website it appears that the unit is similar to the Clivus Multrum composting toilet. The Clivus Mutrum has been around for years.

The theory behind composting toilets is sound. Eliminate the water that is typically used to convey the waste away from the facility and just deal with the solids. A composting toilet is also a 'green' solution like they say. Conserve water, save the planet and all . . .

However, odors have been a continuous problem with composting toilets for as long as they have been around. They require a lot of ventilation. I would probably avoid it.

To combat the odor thing the Nature's Head utilizes a continuous 12 volt dc power source to run a ventilator. The website says:

[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]A simple 12 volt computer style fan drawing less than 1 amp is the only power required for this unit. The power hookup, a single pin attachment with a wire length of 6 feet, is also included. It may be necessary to extend the length of the connecting wire. The fan may also be powered by a 110 volt source with an appropriate power adapter that reduces the power to 12 volts! These power adapters are available through many electronic supply houses and will be available through Nature's Head Inc. As with all electrical connections, be sure your Head is on a fused circuit. (The fuse should be no less than 2 amps and no more than 5 amps.) This unit can also be installed in a completely powerless installation by using a solar vent on the roof or cabin top and attaching the vent hose underneath. Be sure and use a solar vent with battery back-up so your Head will vent continuously. The fan can be left in the unit if you choose this option.[/FONT][/FONT]

​

So in addition to installing the head you need to ensure adequate ventilation and power. Finally, at $850 it is rather expensive.

 

[kendall]

but if it works as advertised, $850 is a decent price for it, you'd not have a lot of the additional expenses of a holding tank and the associated plumbing etc, plus you'd realize a real gain in storage space from not having all that 'junk'.

Think the only head that unit would be realy beaten by costwise is a porta potty.

Don't know about that one, but many 'composting' toilets realy don't compost, all they do is dry out the material, so it's still subject to all of the rules and regulations of regular head/tank systems, and still has all the health hazards.

Ken.

 

[higgs]

I considered one

I have heard good things about these toilets, but I did not install one for the following:

1. Ventilation is required 24/7 all year long

2. The unit I looked at had a separate 2 gal tank for liquids that had to be emptied manually. Most of our waste is liquid and a 20 gal tank allows us to go quite a while w/o a problem.

 

[JohnG]

Again thanks for the replies

I really appreciate the feedback from you all on here it does help

The plan on this end was to go ahead and run the wire for the ventilator fan
as a back up but I plan on using the Solar ventilator which is solar powered
and rated for 2 days without sun (probably more like one full day) at any rate
I did meet someone who has one and got a good look at it in hands on fashion
I was really impressed over all, there was no smell at all in the boat from the head and the owner had a similar power setup as I have on my boat..

I have separated the electrical into two systems, one is running the navigation
lights and all the other must haves for safety (safety first right) and the other is for amenities things we just think we need LOL.

at any rate I have a disconnect that keeps the two battery systems separate but they can be linked by turning the disconnect if need be...

the necessities are all charged via the outboard as most of our cruising initially will be on rivers where it will be hard to set sail..
the outboard will power all of our equipment and still charge the battery
(only running depth finder and small GPS..)

I will be carrying a spare alternator coil for the outboard just in case

the house cabin lights and all other non necessities will be charged via solar power from a 75 watt BP panel and a morningstar SS6 controller
I plan on running the head off of it's own solar powered vent unless and or until that becomes problematic, however running the wire should makes things easier should I need to hard wire the fan...

again thanks for the replies I was just curious to see if anyone had any hands on long term and what your thoughts were...

the wife is happy she will not be sitting on a porta potty and likes the idea of being green, and the saved space is a huge bonus on the h25.5

Thanks again
Respectfully
John

 

[Bob V]

How does it save space?

Is it like swapping out the holding tank on my conventional head with a 2-gallon bucket. I looked into the Civis Mulstrum (sp?) back in the old days when I first heard of them. It was a very large system which was mostly holding tank. I have also used the composting outhouses that are being built in our marine parks here in WA. They also have huge holding tank capacity.

The composting and reduction of volume is a slow process. All of that solid and liquid has to go somewhere. What was the problem with the conventional set-up again?

 

[kendall]

Re: How does it save space?

http://www.sustainablechoice.net/natureshead.htm

That's pretty much the system, very compact, not much larger than a porta potty. If you get rid of a 20 gallon holding tank, and all the pumps and hoses it needs, you've picked up at least a 20 gallon tote of storage space.

I'm with you on the composting, composting takes time and needs enough volume and mass to keep warm and moist, so most 'composting' toilets are actually just de-hydrators and don't even come close to composting, Now throwing a handfull of redworms in it would break it down fairly quick, but could be difficult for guests.....

With composting the biologicals are broken down so you have a safe and clean 'product', de-hydrating just dries it out for more convenient storage, but you still have the viable biologicals just waiting for moisture to become a smelly nasty mess again.

Ken.

 

[Bob V]

Extra tall prota-potti

I used to have something like that on my M26D but the holding tank was even smaller and the unit did not seperate liquid from solid. I guess I'm missing the benefit. In a remote location with little use and large volume there is an advantage because composting is allowed enough time and space to occur so a reduction is the volume of waste to dispose of is accomplished.

It looks like in a typical boating situation there would be no decrease in the volume of waste to be carried off the boat. When I am cruising and using the head on board I have a 44 gallon capacity for the two holding tanks. I can go quite a while between trips to pump-outs.

If two people use only one of these units while anchored out. How long could they go before they have to export waste by pumping out or carrying off those two little holding tanks. Also do I need to wear high heels when I sit on that thing if I want my feet to touch the floor?

 

[JohnG]

No high heels

So I looked at one that another boater had , sat on it with the lid down and it was just about like sitting on a normal toilet maybe a little lower..

I think the idea behind separating the fluids is to speed the composting
before you even use the setup you add t gallons of moistened peat moss
to the holding tank then once you have done your business you crank a small handle on the side...

The boater who had one said that he found that coconut husks seem to compost the materials better he had been using his for 6 months and hadn't had to empty it yet but said he was getting close to doing that , he was single handing so, I figure with the two of us on board we might get three months
optimistically probably more like 1.5-2 but anyway the wife likes it so it is no longer a choice for me (funny how that works)


Thanks again for the replies to all of the questions..

:dance::dance:

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

How to deal with excess liquids?

Ok, so you wouldn't have to empty the solids compost for a month or longer...but what do you plan to do with the excess liquids? Solid waste is 75% water...it's all any composter blower can do to dry it out...which means urine has to be drained off or separated, 'cuz wet soggy organic material doesn't compost, it just rots. You can't legally dump 'em overboard...which means they must either be stored aboard in a separate tank for pumpout later or in containers that must be carried off the boat and emptied ashore.

If you have to carry liquids off the boat, I don't see any advantage to a composter over a portapotty. But you CAN have a self-contained system that you don't have to carry off the boat: a 5-6 gal. portapotty that's designed to be permanently installed and fitted for pumpout. Thetford even makes an electric version that runs on AA batteries....and it costs a LOT less than $800!

 

[JohnG]

The real advantage

Okay , so first thanks again for all of the responses

The urine does have to be taken ashore and dumped it is kept in a seperate
2.2 or 2.5 gallon holding tank, that actually (not to be gross) looks like a milk jug or similar in fashion...

The real advantage at least for my wife is that it seats and feel much more like a real head, when compared to the porta potty ( I know placebo effect right)

I my self could just live with a nice porta potty and she would too but in our preparation for leaving to live on the boat we had a yard sale and so with the extra cash I decided to get her a (placebo) real feeling toilet...as I really want the trip to be as enjoyable and pleasant as it can for both of us..

I will write back soon with pics of the installation and plan on keeping close tabs on the natures head unit so I might be able to help someone else either avoid it or buy and or at the very least give them the real world scenarios that Julie and I might encounter...

Thanks again for the replies:dance:

Respectfully
John