I'm a 60 year old woman building a tiny house. I want to use a composting toilet but I'm wondering how much work is really involved with one.
629268
I am a 60 year old woman also, and I am the primary caretaker of our toilet. Emptying the urine bottle isn't hard. I rinse mine briefly with the hose afterwards. Emptying the solid waste tank can be hard. It is quite heavy when full, and you need to be able to turn it upside down into a trash bag to empty it out. But I manage usually all by myself, and it doesn't need emptying very often. I think I empty ours 2-3x per year for our toilet that is used on weekends by 2 people about 2x / month. The floor needs a good scrubbing after that, because somehow, no matter how hard I try, some of the used peat escapes. Then, of course you have to refill it with clean moist peat. That isn't hard, but it is kind of messy. I clean the bowl frequently with bathroom cleaning wipes(don't toss those inside). Not much else to do. I would say you need to be involved with your toilet, but for me, it isn't so hard or so awful that I want to kick it. Congratulations on your tiny house.
629269
You may want to consider a different style of composting toilet. For me, a small woman your age, the Nature's Head is ideal--but it does take some hefting to empty. I also have mine set up in a small shed that I built specifically for it, didn't make the venting connections, and simply brush off the ants it attracts.
629270
I don't find it that much work (72 years old) but the crank can require a bit of force so you might want to use the spider handle instead depending on your physical strength.
1276986
Compost the poop, although, if you have bigger dogs and limited outdoor space, I'm not sure if that's viable.
1033270
My mother was 210 and had no problem. The bucket is good sized but we didn't use it that long. Once my mother got a little mobil we just fitted this around the regular toilet. It fit perfectly and makes everything much easier to deal with. This is nicely adjustable height wise. We were pleased with it.
553712
Yes, there is a brochure on composting included. Also, check out the internet for tons of composting info. Very easy and reduces your garbage!
1400396
I took my bin to the compost bin and came in and rinsed it. I was able to pour 3 quarts + 3 cups of water into it before it was running over. I usually empty it when it has about 3 quarts of the ground pre-compost material. It is great!
1651276
I empty my cycler when I'm done using it or at least every other day. So I have not had a problem. It's wonderful for getting way ahead of the composting game.
1589632
Hi Trent ... I gave this as a Christmas gift to my son. It's certainly big enough for a small family's composting needs: about (and I'm guessing from memory) 36" in diameter but pretty deep. Does this help?
1062185
I Started My indoor worm bin for my Kids to enjoy and to learn the importance of composting; We started by reading the book " Worms eat my garbage " by Mary Applehof and watched some youtube howtos. We started our indoor bin with some small totes and its still going strong, however how many worms for your vermincomposting project does depend on the amount of waste you wish to have them process. The size of the bins, and type of bins are important as it helps with the worms management as I we added another tote to the ones we alllready had to make room for the babies,also harvesting their nutrient waste at the same time. I am still very happy with my worms I received from Uncle Jims I Started My indoor worm bin for my Kids to enjoy and to learn the importance of composting; We started by reading the book " Worms eat my garbage " by Mary Applehof and watched some youtube howtos. We started our indoor bin with some small totes and its still going strong, however how many worms for your vermincomposting project does depend on the amount of waste you wish to have them process. The size of the bins, and type of bins are important as it helps with the worms management as I we added another tote to the ones we alllready had to make room for the babies,also... » Read More I Started My indoor worm bin for my Kids to enjoy and to learn the importance of composting; We started by reading the book " Worms eat my garbage " by Mary Applehof and watched some youtube howtos. We started our indoor bin with some small totes and its still going strong, however how many worms for your vermincomposting project does depend on the amount of waste you wish to have them process. The size of the bins, and type of bins are important as it helps with the worms management as I we added another tote to the ones we alllready had to make room for the babies,also harvesting their nutrient waste at the same time. I am still very happy with my worms I received from Uncle Jims « Show Less
1427395
3 Years ago - we had the floor replaced in our main bath -- and I made the decision to keep our old toilet -- since it was functioning fine.. I now regret that decision - as approx. 1 month ago the toilet started to occasionally not get everything down without multiple flushes.. Looking back -- since out old toilet used 3 gallons per flush and this one uses 1.6 gallons -- I should have just done it 3 years ago..
810821
My husband composts a lot but does not compost the litter. We send it through the trash recycling. Hope this helps. We really like it and the cats do, too.
328131
I definitely get some heat from the compost in mine.It seems to help on my unheated back porch down to the forties and we will find out soon about the thirties.I think zero would really be pushing it and in your situation would build a cabinet for the worm farm. I would include a provision for a small electric heater in case the compost needs a bit of help to keep the worms from freezing.
1078526
It took me about 15 minutes to install and am very satisfied with it. I put it in my laundry room on pipe that handles drainage from washer and kitchen garbage disposal. I don't really believe it is for use regarding toilet sewage.
852018
You still need compost to brew the tea but it will add to the healthy biology of the tea. A little goes a long way!
33021
The main thing about compost is that the contents are moist and warm. Shade isn't a problem as long as it composter stays warm.
753510
My daughter is very tiny for her age and she used it just fine at 18 months. Its about half way between the toilet and the floor. This is the BEST investment ive ever made when it comes to my kids. Youll love it it gives them so independence. I plan to use with my second daughter in a few more months. Shes 13 months now .
1942848
We have found that it really depends on the temperature. The hotter it is the faster it will compost. We also recommend using Compost Starter which can be purchased at any home improvement store. It speeds the process up. During the summer months we have gotten several loads of compost from each side.
2060901
i bought this compost bin because it was cheap and works just as well as any other open lid style. i add yard waste and food scraps. i usually put the food scraps in the middle and cover them with the yard waste to avoid critters. from all i have read it takes about 90 days for the process to complete but it could be less depending on temp etc ... , and if the bin is full. you can also use a booster to speed up the process.