Composting toilet, organic toilet, dry (separating) toilet – many names for one and the same thing: a toilet. And that can be found anywhere: in your mobile home, in the self-sufficient (small) garden or simply behind the house. A composting toilet is a pretty useful thing – for you and your plants. And: It makes you a bit more independent. Here we show you how you can easily build your own composting toilet , what it is actually good for and what you have to consider during construction (and afterwards) . So go ahead: Discover the craftsman in you!
Without a connection, without water: what is a composting toilet?
12,400 liters – that’s how much clean drinking water we waste every year just flushing the toilet. A whopping number, isn’t it? A bio or composting toilet, on the other hand, is a hygienic, water-saving alternative to a conventional toilet – without a water or sewage connection.
With the composting toilet, the faeces are fed directly into a container filled with either bark mulch or straw and composted there. The excretions are then used as fertilizer . A fairly sophisticated system – but one that is phenomenally simple to implement. Building your own composting toilet is very easy.
Composting Toilet and Outhouse: What’s the Difference?
Have you ever been to an outhouse? Then you know: It stinks really bad there. And that is exactly the difference to the composting toilet: urine and excrement are mixed in the outhouse . This leads to fermentation processes and ammonia is released. In the composting toilet, the two substances are separated . As a result, there is no unpleasant smell at all.
How does a composting toilet work?
There are now also different variants of the composting toilet . Application, use and handling vary depending on the manufacturer or need. For example, in original composting toilets, urine and feces are not separat from each other. But that would be important for further use as fertilizer. We will now show you the different types of construction – so that you can build exactly the composting toilet that you need:
Composting toilet with collection tank
- A collection tank with a volume of 20 to 200 liters is located under the toilet seat.
- The excrements (liquid and solid) are collected together in this container.
Komposttoilette mit Komposter
- A special composter is located under the toilet seat in a toilet room.
- The urine is drained separately here .
- The solid components are decompos in the composter .
- The compost can be remove through a removal flap.
Composting toilet with combi tank
- Urine and excrement are stored separately .
- The large collection tank is built into the floor.
- It is big enough for about 2000 trips to the toilet .
Dry separation toilet
- A mechanical divider is built into the seat of the toilet.
- Most toilets have a built-in urine tank or hose to drain the urine and a container for the solids.
- Urine and faeces are consistently separat . The liquid urine ends up in the front area, the solids in the rear area, in which the toilet paper is also allow.
- The urine can be use to fertilize the plants .
- You can create your own fecal compost for the solids . You should use your own litter to cover this after each visit to the toilet.
How do you use a composting toilets?
So there are many different variants of the composting toilet, but all models have one thing in common: They do not require a sewer connection and (almost) no water . conditioner? There isn’t. There are tanks, containers, etc., into which your solids and liquids are fed. From the outside, however, the composting toilets doesn’t look much different than its colleague with a water connection: toilet seat, toilets lid – everything is there.
Here’s how to use the composting toilets: After you’ve done your business, instead of pressing a flush button, you put a layer of litter in the bucket . You can also rinse the urine separator with a splash of water.
Build a composting toilet – you need that
You have now collected enough information and would like to finally get start? Okay, but first things first: the preparation . Here’s what you need to know to build your own composting toilets.
For the frame:
- several squared timbers (thickness 40 x 80 mm)
- Roof battens or leftovers if you have any left over from the conversion/renovation (thickness 24 x 48 mm)
- wooden floorboards
- OSB panels
- four hinges
- Door Knob/Door Handles
- many screws
Now it’s time to screw: tools
- Zollstock
- Carpenter square and pencil
- jigsaw
- cordless drill
- Rubber hammer
- shop shelf
Building a composting toilet: Instructions in 7 steps
If you want to build a composting toilet yourself, first think about where you want to put it . Do you have a small garden shed where it can be accommodat? Or should she stand on her own? If the latter is the case, then you should definitely plan for walls and a door.
1. Plan, tinker, measure
If you already have a room for your urine-diverting toilet, start by carefully measuring the space . Remember: Buckets and canisters must have space under the seat and you should be able to sit comfortably. You also have to allow for space for your bedding storage if you want to build that in as well.
2. Shape materials
Saw the squared timber, OSB boards and wooden floorboards according to your measurements . The squared timber forms the frame of your urine-diverting toilet, the OSB panels and wooden floorboards form the covers or walls.
3. Build the frame
Now screw the frame together and fix it to the wall or floor. Note that you have to add a door to the front so you can take out the crate and bucket.
4. The cladding of your composting toilet
Cover the frame of your composting toilet with the cut OSB panels so that you don’t see the “life below” . And then attach another board or wooden floorboards on top.
5. Adjust inserts
Now all that’s missing is the seat. So measure where the toilet seat and lid go and saw a hole in the respective shape. In addition, if you have planned it that way, you can cut out the opening for your bedding storage and attach a small lid there later..
6. Put buckets and canisters in and: done!
Now place the bucket under the hole and attach a hose to the urine separator that leads directly to the canister. Fill up your litter store , for example with bark mulch.
7. And finally: insert the doors
Now mount the door using the hinges. You can also attach a lid with a handle for the bedding storage. And voilà: you did a great job building a composting toilet!
And now off to the toilet? You see: With our instructions it is not that difficult to build a composting toilet.