Oak timber frame compost toilet

1.    Q. What is a composting toilet?

A.    Composting toilets use rapid aerobic decomposition, like a well-turned garden compost pile, to break down human wastes.

2.    Q. Why should I choose a compost toilet?

A.    No water, no smell, no electricity, and beautifully useful compost in 1 year's time. 

3.    Q. Will a Freerange composting toilet smell?

A.    No. We have never had any feedback from customers or guests about smelly toilets. Separating the urine from the solids, and adding sawdust with each poo, ensures there are no unpleasant smells.

4.    Q. How is the toilet delivered?

A.    Our toilets are designed to fit onto a single standard UK pallet. The toilet comes in three easy to assemble parts (base, toilet, roof). All that is needed on your side is a cordless screwdriver. Installation should take no longer than 30min (yes, just half an hour!).

5.    Q. What do I need for assembly?

A.    Two people and one cordless screwdriver.

6.    Q. What foundations are required? 

A.    Our toilets are designed to be free standing and self-supporting, so should not need any slabbing for stability. We would however recommend using loose slabs to raise the wood off the ground to prolong the toilet’s life.

7.    Q. Do the toilet buildings come supplied with a light?

A.    No, but solar fairy lights are easy to install and work really well.

8.    Q. Can a sink be plumbed in?

A.    Yes, there is space for a sink to be plumbed in, if you can connect a water supply.  We can supply a sink if you would like; please contact us for more details

9.    Q. Do I need to add anything else?

A.    Yes, a handful of sawdust must be added with every poo.

10. Q. Why separate the urine?

A.    Separating the urine from the solids is the trick to having odourless compost, as a drier compost helps enure a successful aerobic composting process, which is also helped by adding a scoopful of sawdust with each poo. The urine is diverted into containers where it can then be diluted and used straight on the veg patch.

11. Q. How long will it take to fill a wheelie bin?

A.    This depends on how many people are using the toilet and how often. As a rough guide line, it would take one person about 250 days to fill a single bin by themselves, or with five people it would take 50 days. We recommend having at least two wheelie bins: one for current use and the another full bin to allow the compost to stand for a few months before emptying it onto a separate compost pile. If you have a lot of people using your compost toilet you can simply add more wheelie bins. 

12. Q. How long does it take before I can use the compost?

A.    Like fine wine, the longer you leave compost the better the product. It is essential to leave human manure for at least one year and preferably two years before using it for growing vegetables. The harmful bacteria carried in poo will die within a year of being composted. 

13. Q. Will I have a fly problem if I compost my poo?

A.    Flies like poo, it's true. You're unlikely to never have a single fly in your poo compost, but they shouldn't be a problem. We have never had any complaints about flies with our composting toilets. Flies particularly like fresh poo, so leaving the poo in a wheelie bin for a few months before emptying it is important to minimise flies, as is keeping the poo dry with a urine separator and sawdust soak. Cleaning the urine separator system regularly will also help reduce the attractiveness of your toilet to flies. Due to their small size, some flies will manage to get in to your compost, but their larvae will largely be eaten by other small predators in the compost pile. 

14. Q. What are the compost toilets made from?

A.    All our toilets are made from locally sourced timber, either larch, douglas fir or cedar.

15. Q. Can the toilets be made accessible to wheelchair users?

A.    Yes, we can design a ramp for the toilet that meets UK regulations. Please contact us for more details.

16. Q. Is there any legislation regarding composting toilets?

A.   There have been no issues regarding legislation with any of our toilets, and the authorities are generally very positive about composting toilets. If you are installing a composting toilet on private land you will not encounter any problems. The Environment Agency is concerned with discharges into water streams and the management of waste materials. If you are processing the poo and urine on site then you will not encounter any problems. If your site is on local authority land, you could double check with them, or contact the Environment Agency directly with your location, and they can put you in touch with  your local environment management team. 

Environment Agency - http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk - 0870 850 6506

17. Q. What should I do with the compost in the wheelie bin?

A.    The poo should be left in the wheelie bin for a good six months, after which time it can be transferred to a separate composting bin for a minimum further six months.  The size of your compost pile will shrink dramatically over this time, and all the dangerous bacteria will have disappeared, leaving you will lovely rich compost to feed your plants. 

If we haven’t answered your question here, you could try looking here:

http://humanurehandbook.com/contents.html  

or give us a call to discuss any of your concerns.