building a legal composting toilet?

[jawnn]

How can I build a legal off grid composting toilet?

I use a bucket that goes in to a barrel with worms now, works good but not legal. I even put screen over the top to keep out the rats. Lids seem to keep in the methane and the worms want to escape.

So I was thinking about a compost tumbler that I could keep from leaking on to the ground. Insulate it with space age bubble wrap. I would heat it up with enough carbon and nitrogen and added bacteria? But will it work?

But I think I really need to make a leak proof boat style tumbler toilet. They are about $2000 to buy, that’s crazy, considering they are flimsy plastic. And probably not big enough for even one person.

Well what I need in advice on actually heating the contents in cold weather, without flame, or electricity.

I would love to hear from people with experience with tumbling human manure.

[Dustoffer]

This is what I got, same price (1K), 8 years ago:

https://www.biolet.com/store/bts-33-c-5/bts-33-waterless-toilet-p-3

Others want $1,500 plus shipping.

It works well in our Earthship.

Some places still allow outhouses, which are cheaper to build, and compost if you just occasionally drop in some compost starter mix or Rid X.

[caverdude]

I too am looking for some plans for a legal home built composting toilet. I am thinking of getting an RV toilet for the seat and flusher and putting that on top of an elevated floor. Underneath will be a 50 gallon drum or even 2 drums on their side. I have not thought about any tumbling right now though drum shape might make that easy enough if one put some thought into it. I have thought that the round shape might make it easy to scoop out the compost. Lets say we had 2 drums. Would need a grate to allow liquids to drain into lower part for evaporation I guess. The sides of the drums might be made as hinged doors in the back so that a person could take a shovel and migrate compost from say right to left thereby stirring it. Could also add brown material. And finally remove some of the well composted material on far left. I’ll keep my eyes open for anything I can find on the web and get back on this. Might make another good blog article.

https://blog.larrydgray.net

[caverdude]

https://humanurehandbook.com/

This might help.. I need to buy this myself.

https://blog.larrydgray.net

[jawnn]

I think the book above does not work well….As far as using saw dust, it needs a lot of urine or fish emulsion and should be dry when adding it to the tumbler. Peat moss works much better.

A tumbler will aerate the compost there by forcing the bacteria to grow, unlike a barrel that is not turned. It should heat up to 140 degrees or more, maybe impossible in the winter, unless under ground or in a warm room.

[Dustoffer]

My Biolet NE works fine at 70*F (takes 6 weeks to become true compost fertilizer), and I add 1 cup peat and 1 tsp compost activator per “load” and turn twice. Warmer up to around 110*F works fast(but takes too much energy, usually), but 140*F would kill many organisms. The Earthship III book has plans for a solar incinerator toilet (but, then, you don’t get the good fertilizer quantity). There’s nothing better with true recycling than to eat the food grown in the Earthship, use the compost toilet, and later replenish the garden soil.

[caverdude]

A septic tank causes anaerobic digestion where a composting toilet uses air aerobic digestion? Or is composting more or less both? I mean within a pile of dung you would have anaerobic, unless its stirred.

https://blog.larrydgray.net

[caverdude]

This is my idea for a composting toilet made from a couple of 50 gallon drums. What do you guys think? Sorry about the crude windows paint sketch. Also I would add solar powered electric heat to the composter barrel. At least during day light it would be heated. And add a battery would mean it could be heated partially at night and on cloudy days.

https://blog.larrydgray.net

[caverdude]

Here is a more simple design

https://larrydgray.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/crude2.jpg

https://blog.larrydgray.net

[jawnn]

I thought of a way to speed up the worm berral composting, plant something like potatos or bamboo in the top. Of course this will use up some of the compost. And I do not know how the worms will take to night-shade roots.

[UnhookedLiving]

I highly recommend https://humanurehandbook.com. There is extensive free info there and on YouTube. Regarding commercial composting toilets, if you want to stay within the law, check if your jurisdiction requires an approved gray water system in conjunction with the composting toilet.

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