Compost Carousel Toilet

Design, build and install a low cost batch feed composting toilet.

Moderator:Bob

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mboehler
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Joined:Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:21 pm
Location:South Central Kentucky
Compost Carousel Toilet

Post by mboehler » Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:32 pm

The following is an email I wrote to Bob, and his reply:

At 04:08 PM 7/3/2006, you wrote:

Mr. Crosby,

I am planning to build a small cabin in rural Kentucky and have been researching options for waste management. It seems to me that the most viable option would be to use a composting toilet. The prices for commercial composting toilets are still very high, so I began to look for less expensive, do-it-yourself options. I came across your website, and was very impressed. If you have the time, I would love to get some more information from you.

I notice that your work is designed for rural Alaska. Do you think itwould be easily adaptable for the climate of southern Kentucky?


Yes. Your more benign climate should make it even easier.

I would like, if possible, to install this directly under the cabin. The rear of the cabin will be set up on concrete piers, and there would be enough space to install the enclosure directly under the toilet. I would use the "indoor outhouse" option.

Which composter are you looking at? The original? Or the newer "carousel" design. The important thing for either would be that you have a convenient way to remove the drums. The newer carousel design requires a little bigger footprint (about 5' square), but lower head height, and the smaller drums are easier to handle.


Do you think an HRV would be necessary? Winter temperatures rarely drop below 20 degrees F, summer temperatures are usually between 80 and 90 degress F.

No. But you will need a fan. Here in Alaska, HRV's are part of normal household ventilation systems anyway, so it made sense to tie it in to the existing system. The size of fan (flow rate and HP) will be determined by how much moisture you need to evaporate. If you go with the "indoor outhouse", and especially if you separate the urine from the waste, it can be very small, only enough to maintain negative pressure in the enclosure, to prevent odors from entering the house.


Also on your website, it says that complete details with step-by-step instructions, etc. will be available for sale soon. Have these become available yet, and if so, how much are they?

Alas, no. It's on a back burner, delayed but not forgotten. Other priorities intrude.


Thank you very much for your time. I am very impressed by the concept, design, and implementation of your work.

Thank you. If you build it, please share details (and pictures?) on the Forum. (And, in fact, would you mind if we moved this conversation there?)

Best,

Bob Crosby

Biorealis Systems, Inc
P.O. Box 77-2773
Eagle River, AK 99577

http://biorealis.com

mboehler
Posts:2
Joined:Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:21 pm
Location:South Central Kentucky

Compost Carousel Toilet

Post by mboehler » Sun Jul 09, 2006 1:36 pm

Bob,

I'm thinking of the carousel design. I like the idea of disconnecting, rotating, and reconnecting without having to remove a recently filled, very heavy druml.

How exactly are the drums removed? Looking at the website for that design, it appears that they are bolted to the turntable.

Thanks for the information.

Mark

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Bob
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Location:Willow, Alaska USA
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Post by Bob » Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:54 am

How exactly are the drums removed? Looking at the website for that design, it appears that they are bolted to the turntable.
No, they are just placed on it. The flanges and pipe fittings shown in the bottom of the drum extend down through the hole in the turntable. A drip pan is placed on the floor below each opening.

By separating out the urine, I don't anticipate any more moisture leaking into the drip pan than will evaporate from it (like the drip pans typically placed under refrigerator condenser coils).

I am just now installing this composter myself, replacing the anaerobic digester that has been in place for a few years now, so I can't say exactly how well it will work. Will report...

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