How Do Composting Toilets Work in Tiny Houses?

If you are one of the people who love to live off the grid, then a composting toilet is a viable solution to managing home waste sustainably. Waste management can be a challenge if you live in a tiny home and need to move. Generally, these toilets will cost more money to build or purchase, and will be cumbersome to install, but the hassle is worth it. They use up less energy and water, not to mention that the waste can be recycled into fertilizer.

The Workings of a Composting Toilet

Considering the confined space, you need a composting toilet that will be convenient. Fortunately, most of them are normal-sized hence they occupy pretty small spaces. With the bathroom being a major concern for tiny home dwellers, the cost may not be a major hindrance. Remember that you have no access to regular sewage systems, thus the need to manage waste properly. Choosing a composting toilet comes with various benefits since they:

• Effectively and hurriedly compost the waste and toilet paper without odor
• Ensure that the finished compost is safe and easy to handle
• Evaporate the liquid waste

Composting toilets are the oldest modes of waste management in the world. These toilets require a few things to work well. How each function depends on the type of composting toilet you go for. Generally, there are two types, the dry and wet composting toilets.

Dry toilets work as follow

• Collection of both urine and fecal wastes happens in a sealed chamber below the toilet pedestal.
• Most dry toilets separate the pee from the solid waste and store it in a separate urine tank that can be disposed as soon as it’s full
• Microorganisms then decompose the mixed waste together with additional organic matter.
• Most of the material is transformed into carbon dioxide and water vapor, which is then drawn through the compost piles.
• The remaining compost then moves slowly through a sloping floor by the force of gravity as more pile gets in.
• It then moves below the dividing baffle into the humus chamber.
• The humus chamber can then be emptied after some time, from 2 months to a year, based on usage.

Dry composting toilets collect and treat the toilet waste to a primary standard, just like septics. When using these toilets, do not mix greywater from laundry

How wet composting toilets work

Wet composting toilets work differently and are used with flushing systems. In their case:

• Worms and bacteria break down solid wastes like in biological filter systems
• Compost is then separated from the base of the pile and directed to a spate chute
• The wastewater collects at the base of the tank and is pumped out or left to flow with gravity to a prepared land area
• Wet compost treatment does not need to separate black and greywater as it treats all types of waste from the house.

The most common composting toilets include:

• Nature’s Head Self Contained Composting Toilet – houses the composting unit underneath
• Nature’s Head Dry Composting Toilet with Standard Crank Handle
• SUN-MAR GTG Composting Toilet

How to Use a Composting Toilet

Composting toilets are easy to use since they are not very different from other toilets in terms of usage. To use a standard composting toilet:

• Place dry peat moss in your when using it for the first time as this will minimize bacteria action and reduce odors
• Sit on the toilet to urinate. The liquid gets to the chamber via some holes and is separated from the solid waste
• Engage trap door if you want to use the toilet for solid waste. Engage the lever when you sit in a comfortable position. You can also dispose of your toilet paper here.
• Close the trap door with the lever once you are done. Toilets that mix liquid and solid wastes will not have a trap door.
• Stir the waste with the compost peat if the toilet model requires this.
• Empty liquid waste every 3 to 4 days to prevent smells. Also, empty the solid waste with the compost bag any time from 2 to 12 months, depending on your usage.

How Long Does a Composting Toilet Take to Work?

Composting toilets should be dumped when the compost is already decayed. Most companies and manufacturers advise that dumping should be done after 60 to 80 uses. Generally, with full-time use, in a house of two people, it should be emptied after 3 to 4 weeks.

What to Do With the Waste from a Composting Toilet

Compost waste from the composting toilet is safe as long as they are broken down properly. They can be put back in soil to support plant growth. When used on a lawn during watering, they tend to make the grass appear greener. They are also excellent when put around grown trees as they boost nutrients.

However, it takes time before the compost is ready for use. Once removed from the compost, they should be stored in a bin box with their composting bags and covered for a year. Once this period elapses, the compost will be ready to apply to crops. Use it around trees and on the grass. The compost will have broken down and will resemble soil. The manure can also be applied to other crops like vegetables, as long as it is properly decomposed. Using compost soon after it has been removed from the composting toilet may be dangerous as it could have harmful microorganisms that could be absorbed by the plants.

For the urine that has been collected separately, you can:

• Dilute it before disposing of it. Use the ratio of one part urine and 6 parts water before pouring it around your plants
• Compost it
• Add to the greywater system or release it in a constructed wetland
• Divert it to a mulch close to nitrogen loving plants
• Direct it to an evapotranspiration bed

Can You Pee in Composting Toilets?

Most composting toilets are constructed to accommodate both pee and solid wastes. Some separate the wastes, making it easy to dispose of them independently. You will have to sit on the toilet when peeing if the pee is to be collected. Some composting toilets are made in such a way that the pee is released into the ground, somewhere behind the toilet.

Do Composting Toilets Smell Bad?

No and Yes. Properly used composting toilets will not smell because the waste is properly managed. The solid waste is worked on by bacteria and other microorganisms that break it down, leaving no smell. Urine is also collected or ejected separately, thus preventing any smells.

Bad smells can occur when urine and solid waste mix without proper waste management strategies. For portable toilets, the waste should be contained in a waste bag and disposed of as soon as possible to prevent any smells. Cleanliness is crucial when using composting toilets.

How Do You Clean a Composting Toilet?

Daily cleaning of the toilet is crucial even when using composting toilets.

• Clean the toilet seat and lid using a detergent that can kill germs and harmful bacteria
• Clean the bowl using a preferred toilet detergent, and a toilet brush
• Spray lightly with water or wipe with wet toilet paper
• Avoid using toilet wipes because they have harsh chemicals that may kill your compost by destroying the microbes that work on the waste

You also have to clean the toilet after disposing of the compost. To do this:

• Prepare the coco peat using appropriate materials
• Get rid of the solids.
• Clean the toilet with soap and water.
• Add your coco peat
• Install a new rubber seal.

A composting toilet is a great alternative to waste management for tiny homeowners who have no access to sewage systems. Choose a toilet that meets your needs even when you have to be on the move.