A little over a year ago, we changed from a traditional marine head to a Nature’s Head composting head. It’s been a learning process with the best info coming from other cruisers — readers left some very helpful info on my “Learning to Love our Composting Toilet” post. So now, our contribution in the spirit of “paying it forward.”
THIS IS THE LATEST POST ON OUR LEARNING CURVE AND IT SEEMS THAT WE FINALLY HAVE THINGS DIALED IN.
NOTE: We love the composting toilet and would never go back to a traditional marine head. So this isn’t a post to the effect that we regret it. We just wish there had been more complete information about how to use coconut coir as the compost medium (saying to add water “until moist but not wet” just wasn’t specific enough for us) and what to do if we did get flies. Figuring that others would probably like to know these things, too — here it is.
COCONUT COIR
Coconut coir is a great compost medium. First off, it’s a readily renewable resource, whereas peat moss takes millions of years to form. Coconut also takes a lot less space to store and is far less likely to have bugs in it. But you do have to rehydrate it and crumble it up.
- After all sorts of experimenting on the right amount of water to rehydrate the coconut, we have ended up using 1 cup of water per 2.75 pound brick. We use Beats Peat brand coconut, available on Amazon — it comes in a package with four of the 2.75-pound bricks, for a total of 11 pounds. That is not a typo. Just ONE cup of water.
- We have found that using very dry coconut and not initially filling the compost unit as full as the manufacturer recommends worked well for us. The drier coconut absorbs more moisture from the poop, resulting in fewer problems with flies and gnats and we can go a bit longer between compost changes– but since the coconut absorbs moisture and swells, we had to use less about 25% less material (1-1/2 gallons vs. 2 gallons recommended with peat) or the compost bin was quickly too full and the handle impossible to crank.
- One 2.75 pound brick does about 1-1/2 compost changes for us. With two of us aboard full time, we change the compost every three weeks (not a month like many manufacturers say). Thus an 11-pound package with 4 of the 2.75 pound bricks last us somewhere between three and four months.
- We use a large screwdriver to pry one of the 2.75-pound bricks off the “mother brick” and place it into a 2-gallon Ziploc (get on Amazon if your supermarket doesn’t carry them — the normal “large” Ziplocs are one gallon). We stab the top edge of the brick a couple times with the screwdriver, then carefully pour 1 cup of water over that top edge — the holes we made with the screwdriver simply help the water penetrate. No problem if you don’t, it’ll just take longer to soften.
- TIP: it helps to have a second person hold the bag as one pours the water in. At the very least, lean it against something securely. If it tips over before you’ve sealed the bag up, it’s messy.
- We seal the Ziploc and place it in a sunny spot on deck. A couple times a day, we turn it over and, not opening the bag, try to bend the brick and get moisture to all areas.
- After the coconut brick and water has sat in sun and rehydrated for a couple of days, we get the 5-gallon bucket out (more on this next) and open the Ziploc bag. We break chunks off the coconut brick and crumble them into the bucket, taking care not to have any lumps. When it’s all crumbled, we put the lid back on and put the bucket back into the lazarette until we need to change the compost.
- We store the prepared coconut in a 5-gallon bucket with a air- and water-tight gamma seal lid. We prefer to prepare it well in advance of when we need it, so that we never get to a point where it needs to be changed but we’re not ready to. But we have to keep it in an airtight container so that it doesn’t pick up moisture from the very humid air here — we want it as dry as possible when we put it to use. After all, it’s supposed to be absorbing water from the poo!
- We store the “unprepared” coconut bricks in a sail locker where there is a slight chance of water leaks and drips. So that the coconut doesn’t get wet before we want it to, we keep the bricks in a heavy-duty 30-liter dry bag (see on Amazon).
FLY CONTROL
Okay, this section isn’t fun and no one seems to discuss it. But it’s a fact of having a composting head. Sometime, you’re going to have a fly infestation. It happens. Not all the time or even every year. But sometime. Frankly, we find it less nasty than having to change a joker valve to deal with clogged hoses in a traditional marine head. First, some prevention tips.
- A recent Nature’s Head newsletter recommended using Gnatrol in the compost to eliminate problems with gnats (tiny little flies). It’s a biologic control (bacteria) specifically for fungus gnats and is normally packaged in 16-pound pails. The only place we could find it in small quantities was on Amazon. 2019 UPDATE: Amazon has stopped carrying the small packages and they are now available on eBay or at Organic BTi. We are using 1 tablespoon when we change the compost — we just mix the dry powder into the fresh coconut — we do not mix with water first. Since we have been doing this, we have not flies or gnats. (NOTE: We started by using 1 teaspoon and still had a few gnats; once we increased to a tablespoon, we don’t.)
- When we had been unable to buy Gnatrol from Amazon, we had tried using a liquid formula — Bacillus Thuricide — that was supposed to be the same active ingredient. In just two months, we had an infestation of fungus gnats and read in several places that it is NOT the same thing as Gnatrol. That’s when I discovered that I could still buy Gnatrol in quantities from 1 oz. to 1 pound on Ebay and Organic BTI. (Read more and get links)
- Nature’s Head recommended that we sprinkle a bit of diatomaceous earth over the top of the compost each day (don’t sir it in until the next time you’re cranking) to kill any flies. This did not work for us and we don’t use it any longer.
- For a while we used Rid-X Septic Tank Treatment Packs (1/2 pack per compost change) — this supposedly helps the poo break down faster so flies are less attracted to it. It didn’t seem to make a difference, so we’ve stopped doing this.
- If we see flies in or around the compost bin, we use a shot of Flying Insect Spray into the compost bin. Since using the larger dose of Gnatrol, we do not have to use fly spray.
FLY INFESTATION
Fly infestations need to be dealt with as soon as you think you might even remotely have a problem. We had one . . . but it took us two tries to eliminate it as we just didn’t realize what drastic action was needed.
- There will be fly larvae on the inside of the compost bin — on the Nature’s Head, there will be eggs/larvae in every nook and cranny of the top. Dump the compost as normal into a trash bag, then get every bit of crud out that you can with a stick or scraper. Remove the fan if your unit has one. Then use a tank sprayer with water to get out all the larvae. We found that brushes with long wire handles that we could bend made it easier to scrub everywhere — be sure to get under edges everywhere. If any are left, there will be a second infestation and you’ll have to do it again (how do I know this?).
- We found our brushes in a hardware store in the Bahamas as we were preparing to do the second clean out. It’s better to get them before you need them, as every day that you spend getting supplies is a day that the flies multiply and lay more eggs. Prices are also cheaper when you’re not desperate. Coarse bristles work much better than soft. These are the style and sizes that worked well for us.
- After cleaning it all out, we poured and sprayed white vinegar everywhere in the unit, dumped it out, then let it dry. Then we refilled with coconut and began using it again. For the next week or so, we used fly spray daily to hopefully kill any before they laid more eggs.
- I’ve heard of people using pressure washers, boiling water, bleach and/or dunking the unit in the ocean to thoroughly clean it. It all depends on where you are and what’s available — and legal.
- One note on cleaning the unit out: If your unit has a fan, the wires on it are tiny, easy to break and generally can’t be repaired. Be careful with it as you remove the fan. We now carry a couple of spare fans with wiring.
Hope this helps others making the transition to a composting head.
Here’s your “Quick Start” to everything you need to know when living on a boat:
Making Boat Life Better
Lewis Sipfher says
Have a c-head, and have fabbed up a cover of screening material that drapes over the whole unit
Lewis Sipfher says
Just had a eureka moment: looked up the MSDS for Gnatrol. Gnatrol is what I thought- it’s Bacillus thuringiensis, aka “Bt” amongst gardeners, readily available as such in plant nursery etc It’s also good against canna leaf rollers, ha ha : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis
Carolyn Shearlock says
Update via email:
Recall your recommendation for gnats was a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) formulation.
Home Depot carries for $8 “Thuricide” Bt caterpillar control, concentrated liquid.
Reading the label… I believe this won’t work if you have put diatomaceous earth in your media; says ‘do not combine with alkaline material’ and diatom earth would qualify.
That said, I should think this would be instead of DI anyway.
Meghan says
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this information. My husband and I had our first infestation and this post saved us! We used the Home Depot BT and then wiped down every surface with bleach (we don’t have spray hoses or anywhere to store brushes in our van). We also used your recommendation for far less water when we put in the new compost. We added about 3 Tablespoons of the liquid BT to the (much less) water, working it through the new coco coir and we have been in business for 10 days now fly free. Thank you so much!
Kristine says
Has anyone found success in microwaving the brick for 5 min to kill gnat eggs living in the brick before opening; or do all gnats infest after the coir is in place?
Carolyn Shearlock says
From what I understand, they generally infest after it’s opened and hydrated and in use (we have never seen any immediately or when the prepared coconut is being stored but rather several weeks into using it — but I assume anything is possible). We don’t have a microwave on board, so I can’t try it.
Fiona says
We started microwaving our coconut coir in small batches and storing them in large baggies ready to hydrate when we need them. We haven’t had any gnats since (knocking on wood) but this is still a fairly new process we started so the jury is still out but it does seem to be helping.
Byron says
I couldn’t find coconut coir so l went with organic sphagnum peat moss from lowes. No water was added Two weeks now no smell and no flies! But l have a lot of organic sphagnum peat moss in two gallion bags. ???????
Jim Kindred says
I switched to clumping wood Kitty Litter. It’s readily available, reasonably priced, and recycled. I have a few bricks of coconut coir if I run out. I store used litter in a black 5 gal bucket with a screen vented gamma seal lid until I get to a safe place to dispose of it. The one time I had a fly problem, it was because I left my coconut coir outside uncovered before use. I got rid of the infestation with a no-pest strip which was probably toxic, but I’m still alive.
Jim and Barbara Shell says
Let me recommend compressed pine pellets, equine bedding, sawdust as a medium for your composting head. it reconstitutes to 4 times the compressed volume. 1 gallon pellets equals 4 gallons of sawdust. It is pleasant, easy to reconstitute, smells like a pine forest, and is dust free. We put a cup or so of pellets into a 1/2 to 1 gallon clear plastic pretzel jug. add 2 to 3 cups of water and it turns to damp sawdust in a few minutes.
It is available in 40 pound bags, about 8 gallons, for 6 to 7 dollars in Texas. It is available at horse supply and tractor supply stores. I do not know how it would ship. We store it in clear 1/2 to 1 gallon jugs in numerous places around the boat.
If the coir reconstitutes to a greater volume, then disregard my comments.
Judy cook says
We had gnats this year that the above remedies didn’t cure. We put a single puck of moth repellent in the top of our Natures Head after the last change and haven’t seen a gnat since. The strong mothball or do lingers for the first week but better that than bugs.
Jim and Barbara Shell says
Part of using a commercial composting toilet is that the medium will be in the container for weeks and vermin may fine a way to propagate. A collection toilet like C-Head or a sawdust design that empties on a 3 to 5 day schedule may not offer the time for this propagation. Good luck.
Carolyn Shearlock says
We have friends with a C-Head and they don’t change the compost every 3 to 5 days. Do you?
Jim and Barbara Shell says
I am not certain exactly what the C-Head emptying frequency is, but the online literature indicates several days, not weeks. The sawdust toilet design in a 5 gallon bucket will empty about every three days for a couple.
Carolyn Shearlock says
The website says about a week for 2 people, but most that I know actually get closer to two weeks.
Tami Klassen says
I find that if I don’t seal my coco bricks in storage, ambient humidity is enough to allow the bricks to be broken apart easily
James says
Thanks for the useful tips. As I researching on the internet, I found that the cost for a composting toilet is really expensive. Do you have any ideas or suggestion about alternative options?
Carolyn Shearlock says
I do know some people have built their own and they are cheaper. You can find plans online.
Florian Wolf says
In Australia we have a lovely thingy called “Thunder Downunder” – essentially a lined bucket with a toilet seat on top. you can either use it bland, or put some composting material in the bucket liner. It is available on ebay and doesn’t cost the world: https://www.ebay.com.au/p/Elemental-Thunder-Down-Under-Portable-Toilet/2256198507 . Many folks use it down here when going camping in the bush – I could imagine keeping the device outside in fresh air & cleaning it frequently is not a bad idea. But at least you can crap you heart out in comfort and fresh air without getting stung by ants or bitten in the butt (not talking about other parts dangling down there) by snakes or spiders. And the faint-hearted can build a tent around it or screen it off on a boat (but you would deprive your fellow sailors of the fun seeing you holding on at Force 10…).
Jim Shell says
The sawdust designs may work for you. The basic plan is at “Humanure Handbook” on the web. It is very inexpensive.
Elaine says
I found coconut coir bricks in pet stores in the reptile dept. Neatly wrapped, reasonably priced, easy to store.
Sebastien Trudel says
Great post! Thanks a million, it really helped us get up to speed with the composting head way of life! We wouldn’t go back either! We are a family of four, and we are able to change the medium only every 5 weeks! Woot woot! (Or dare I say ” Poop poop!” !? 😉 )
One problem we had that we solved but never saw mentioned anywhere, either here or in the manufacturer’s instructions, is this: I reused my existing pump out deck port for a vent. I simply used a 1 1/2″ sink u-shaped pipe, made of plastic and screwed it in the deck port. It ends up upside down, the u looking more like an “n”. I installed a screen to prevent bugs from going in, and voilà! That worked well. The part I struggled with was the vent hose between the toilet to the existing hose inside the boat. It went under the floor, creating a low spot under the floor. Condensation tended to accumulate there, eventually blocking the air circulation and making the compost much harder to stir after two-three weeks, because of excessive moisture. What I ended up doing to fix this was installing a simple “Y” connector at the lowest point of the vent, one vent hose connected to each top end of he Y, and a bottle at the lower end, collecting any extra moisture, and allowing air to flow and compost to dry much faster.
I hope my comment is clear and will help someone else.
Happy cruising!
Sébastien., from S/V Epsilon, currently in Hope Town, abacos, bahamas.
Greg Cantori says
Great tips everyone! On our AirHead I swapped the standard fan with one a bit more powerful – makes it even better keeping odors outside and air fresh inside. Speaking of odors outside : Anyone have tips in keeping them to a minimum – with guests in the cockpit and the wind on the bow the smell is sometimes unpleasant and embarrassing. I tried using carbon activated filters – helped a bit but also made the fan less effective…..tips, ideas?
clint stoever says
We’re using our old deck pump out fittings as our air exit for our heads on our sailing catamaran. We simply added a PVC adaptor and a 30 degree PVC piece. We can then turn them as needed. We typically turn our windward side PVC piece aft as to allow air flow. We turn our leeward side PVC piece out and this seems to allow foul air to flow away from the boat. When at anchor, we turn them both out and this help keep the smell away from the cockpit. Hope this helps.
Johnnie Allred says
Go to Lowes or Home depot and ask for Bt.
Roz says
We just purchased the C head…..I have the coconut coir. I have tried to find the gnatrol for fly control and cant find it on Amazon or anywhere. Can anyone help? Anything else that we could use
Jim Shell says
1. Depending on how long the medium stays in the base will determine whether flies will hatch. C-Head has a cycle length measured in days, not weeks (or months). Airhead and Nature’s Head both have medium in their bases for weeks (or months) and flies may present a problem in these.
2. Our use of the basic “sawdust” toilet has been more than a year with weekend use only. We only dump the medium when the base gets full, which may be several weeks in a very warm head compartment. To date, we have not had any issue with insects. We have had no odor either.
3. You may wish to try the pine pellets available at tractor supply places. It is very compact, inexpensive and almost dust free. My experience with peat moss and coconut coir was that they got very dusty when they dried out. The pine pellets is pretty sterile and probably does not have eggs or larvae in it.
todd makenzie says
Having trouble finding the gnatrol suggested.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Apparently Amazon is no longer selling the small containers of Gnatrol. The active ingredient in Gnatrol is bacillus thuringiensis. Another reader reports that Home Depot sells a liquid version called “Thuricide” — you can also buy it on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2IA5kFl
Kelly Couch says
Help! We have submerged the entire nature’s head toilet and lid and hose and everything in ammonia and water. Several times. Pressure washed it scrubbed it. Added DE. Tried the gnat control product. Everything. They keep coming back!!! Like every month! We don’t have fruit sitting out anywhere. We are in a 5th wheel RV. Ahhhhhh. What are we missing?
Carolyn Shearlock says
When all else fails, get some Ortho Home Defense spray and spray it under the top part (the bottom of the seat, if you will). Spray it again every time you change the compost medium. I really prefer not to use the nasty chemicals, but sometimes that’s the only option.
Kelly Couch says
Oh man… that’s not an option. We live here full time and have kids with chemical sensativites….. 🙁
Carolyn Shearlock says
I live here full time too. Are you sure they are sensitive to Home Defense? They say it’s okay for kids and pets and everything as soon as the spray dries. It doesn’t bother my husband and he definitely has reactions to some pesticides. It’s much less smelly than Raid or anything, which are the only other options if you’ve tried the DE and thuricide (and Raid, etc. doesn’t work nearly as well).
Jim Shell says
You might try using a different medium than you have been using. Pine pellets from a horse/tractor supply may have likelyhood for having the eggs of the gnats in them. Shoo Fly also makes a human/pet friendly spray that does not seem to create much sensitivity.
Jim Shell says
I mean “less liklihood of gnat eggs
Roz says
We have been using our C head for about 2 months now. I’m just wondering if any ladies out there have a hard time with their aim. It’s narrower at the front and it seems to get on the sides under the seat and sometimes if not sitting far enough forward it gets into the bucket…… #asking for a friend 😉
bob says
We had this problem e-mailed C-Head and they sent us a mixing spoon with a hole cut into it. It was frustrating and off-putting so I cleaned up the pee section and took out my electric heat gun and molded the aft dam back an inch at the top and tried to keep the curve the same as the bottom of the shute. I hope your effort looks better than mine. It is possible to overheat the plastic so be careful by constantly monitoring the heat going to the plastic. Too hot and it bends too quickly, too cold and you can stress hard spots. This process made the pee reservoir just larger enough to work. It also raised the height of the dam at the back and this helps as well. We learned this by using a sepperat unit at home and it came with a fitting to raise the height of the dam and that worked well. My wife gives this her thumbs-up of approval. She also hopes this helps your friend.
Idarae Prothero says
So no one addresses what they do with the pee bucket contents & “compost”. How/ where do you dispose them? Many harbors (Annapolis, Chesapeake Bay, Marathon) don’t approve of composting toilets because they can’t confirm the disposal. When we were in Marathon with a port-a-potty, they almost kicked us out because they require a pump- out. So… what do you do with it?
Carolyn Shearlock says
Pee bucket gets dumped in a toilet or porta potty dump. Compost goes in a trash bag and in dumpster. That is legal under same laws that allow baby and adult diapers in trash.
Jim Shell says
Idarae, you have succinctly posed the million dollar question: what do cruisers in US and Canadian waters do with the urine when they are in mooring fields or anchorages? The urine cannot legally be dumped overboard and storing it aboard in a holding tank for future pumpout defeats the initial purpose of the composting toilet. It is positive that the “sewage police” are actually enforcing the USCG rules and regulations.
As time has elapsed, I am certain that we made the correct decision not to have a separating composting toilet in our boat. The sawdust design needs emptying every three-ish days for us. A sealed full bucket can be easily stored for a few more days until we need to go ashore to empty regular garbage as well as the bagged waste.
Anyone wishing to see the evolution of the household sawdust toilet to a marine sawdust toilet can read the following discussion forum on sailfar.net:: http://sailfar.net/forum/index.php?topic=4772.0
Of course anyone can contact me directly for more information. [email protected]
Carolyn Shearlock says
As one who lives at anchor or in a mooring field with a composting toilet and urine separation, it’s so very simple. Take the urine ashore and dump it in a toilet. We have two urine containers, which means that we can easily go 4 to 5 days between dumps — same as your sawdust design, except that we’re only dumping urine that often. The solids go 25 to 30 days before we need to dispose of them. I see plenty of other cruisers doing the same thing and we all agree that it’s NOT the problem that so many think that it would be for us. We do dispose of the urine responsibly.
Jim Shell says
Many different options are available for today’s boaters. Some may want the holding tank system. Others may want the separating composting system and yet others may prefer the single bucket, non-separating, sawdust option. The port-a- potty system is yet another viable possibility. This series of posts has been a very good discussion for readers to review how these systems have worked for real life boaters. It is important for us to see the reality with all its rainbows and warts.
No one system is perfect, nor will suit everyone. The important take-away is that we should be good stewards of our world.
Kandis Mueller says
Pellet stove pellets are exactly the same product as equine bedding pellets, At least from the one California manufacturer I spoke with. Pellet stove pellets are much easier to find.
Jim Shell says
Good observation about the stove pellets, but they are not so easy to find in the South where that type of stove is not commonly used. Additionally, some stove pellets may be impregnated with some form of resin or petrochemical product that enhances the heat output. Pellets with additives may not disintegrate into sawdust, We have run into those on sailfar.net. forum. They did not work.
Garet says
We’ve just started using our Nature’s Head and so far are quite happy, except for one issue. With two people using it, after about a week the handle became very difficult to turn.
I mixed the coconut fairly dry (not quite as dry as the author, but close). I didn’t measure the volume of the prepared coconut, but filled about an inch below the middle of the mixing bar (slightly less than what Nature’s Head recommends). The solids level is now slightly above the bar (by maybe 1/2″). I called Nature’s Head and they thought the coconut was too dry. We added about 4-6 cups of water over several days, but it doesn’t seem to have helped (might have made it more difficult to turn).
Any advise would be appreciated.
Carolyn Shearlock says
Dave says he fills ours about an inch below the mixing bar, I say a couple inches. I’d definitely take some of the coconut out based on our early experiences — as it absorbs moisture from the poo, it will expand and make it impossible to turn. And if you add too much water, it won’t absorb the moisture from the poo AND the moisture will seep out through the holes for the mixing bar. Definitely use less coconut!!
P.S. Adding that much more water is not the solution. In my experience, the folks at NH use peat moss instead of coconut and their answers about what we needed to do to “fix” our problems just made things worse. It was only when we talked to other NH users that we got ideas that worked: namely, drier coconut and not filling it so full.
You can buy non-compacted coconut on Amazon and use it with ZERO water very successfully — we used it for nearly a year. So water is not needed. If you get it, make sure it does NOT have fertilizer added.
James Shell says
If someone would try the equine stall pellets from Tractor Supply, Co., it might prove very useful. I use it in the simpler sawdust toilet with excellent results, in my experience better than coir or peat moss.. The sawdust that is produced from the hydration of the pellets may work as well, or better, than coir or peat moss. It certainly is cleaner to handle…but that is a low priority characteristic. We must have odor control and lasting ability in the tank.
(https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb?solr=1&cm_sp=SearchPreview-_-DidYouMean-_-Product&cm_vc=-10005)
Garet says
James, do you pre-hydrated the pellets, or put the dry, compressed pellets directly in the receiving bin?
James Shell says
I do not know how to answer that for a separating composting toilet but I do rehydrate the pellets for the sawdust toilet.. I rehydrate about a quart of the pellets in a small bucket with about a cup of water. In a few minutes I shake the bucket and I have about a gallon of barely damp sawdust. I continuously add additional sawdust each time the sawdust toilet is used. The sawdust toilet uses about 3.5 gallons of sawdust per cycle, about 3-4 days per couple.
My thought for the Air Head, Nature’s Head and the C-Head would be to rehydrate just enough sawdust from the pellets to charge the receiving bin. I do not think placing the pellets directly into the bin would work that well.
Bob Viscount says
We were using coir bricks but could not find any, at one point, so we went to a hydroponic store and bought a block from them. It is more coarse but quite effective. I shred it dry once a week with a big cheese grater from Ikea and sprinkle over top with a sugar scoop (also Ikea) from a plastic container. We also use Ikea Garbage bags (well made) they come in a roll (easy to dispense without the box) they are strong and sized right for our 3 gallon. We do not have a mixing paddle because of the stepped configuration of the 3 gallon “c-head”. The dry shredded coir takes up very little space and is extremely effective. We get 10-14 days with 2 people I have hooked the vent tube up to a solar powered vent with a pvc fitting from Home Depot, it works 24-7.
James Shell says
The attachment is a video discussion about an Airhead Composting Toilet. The couple discuss their year and a half experiences with the toilet and offer some do’s and don’t’s. This is the most honest evaluation I have seen so far. This will assist those who own, or are considering owning, a separating composting toilet insight into the realities or ownership and operation.
https://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/the-straight-poop-on-our-composting-toilet/
Carolyn Shearlock says
Thanks for that. Our experience — and that of most boaters with composting heads that I’ve talked to — is very different.
James Shell says
I am not advocating for or against any toilet system, only passing on information for discussion. I do not I have any preference to what system any boater uses on their boat. I do care about polluting our waterways and land fills. Keep up the good work.
I was curious about their 3 to 5 day need to empty the base. That is in conflict with the reports of 30 plus days here in this forum. More user reports will clarify whether this instance is unusual or not.
Linda Fraser says
Carolyn – we are about to launch our new Allures yacht with Nature Head loo and want to thank you in advance for the composting loo article which I suspect will have saved us a lot of heart break! Just one question – I’m ordering coco coir so trying to calculate how much we’ll need to store. When we stay in a marina and so are not using the on-board loo very much can we leave the compost mix in the loo for longer than 3-4 weeks?
Carolyn Shearlock says
Yes, no problem. Some people who just use their boats on weekends only change it once a year. Just crank the handle every day to keep things mixed. It will actually decompose better if left longer and not used as much.
James Shell says
If I read the article and comments correctly, the Natures Head, Air Head and C-Head start out with about 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of coir or peat moss. I would be interested in the effect of using 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of pine pellets in the base with 1/2 to 1 cup of water (+/-) added then stirred after a few minutes. This would result in 1 1/2 to 2 gallons of medium. The pine pellets are the cleanest medium I have used and can be reconstituted directly in the base without the need to go through a separate process to prepare it.
A 50 pound bag (8 gallons), cost of around 6-8ish dollars, should do about 16-20 cycles of these toilets. It is also very unlikely for pine pellets to have bug eggs in it as well. Smells really good..
Just a thought
Just a thought
Christin Miller says
I tried the horse sawdust pellets for my Airhead. With a little axra moonstone from the poo it became heavy and wet would not dry out and became impossible to turn.
I do use the pellets in my cat litter box.
BobV says
I don’t use the paddle for a C head and just add coir to cover, as if it was sawdust. I use dry grated coir and I just line the bottom with coir to start. In 4 months I doubt if I have used .4 cubic feet of coir. It does not smell like anything because I attached the C-Head vent-hose to a solar vent. I never have had a bug problem but I do line the bucket with a strong plastic baggie, and take it to shore every 10-12 days. I guess I just prefer a very dry medium. Individual preference will be the result of individual experience and the system involved.
Javier says
“One 2.75 pound brick does about 1-1/2 compost changes for us“
So your brick comes in that size (2.75) but then you just use some 1.82 pounds (or 2/3 of the brick) per change?
Carolyn Shearlock says
We prepare one brick at a time, and it’s more than enough for a change. We use 2 gallons of prepared coir per change.
Laura says
Thank you for all this great information as we are considering switching to a composting toilet for our sailboat. We are wondering about cleaning the toilet… the Airhead website mentions “spritzing” the bowl after you go. What is the reality? Do you clean the bowl?
Carolyn Shearlock says
We spritz with either a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar or, more recently, Urine Digester (read about it here). Then, when we change the compost, we clean the bowl more thoroughly with vinegar water and a small toilet brush.
Mateo says
To get rid of foul odours and flies, you can spray LAB serum. The lactobacillus out competes everything else. Easy to make with fermented rice-wash water and milk (it’s the whey, eat the curds). Just a little goes a long way, one tablespoon per gallon of water should do it. Keep it dormant in the fridge, or add sugar. See recipe at https://naturalfarminghawaii.net/2015/02/06/lab-lacto-bacillus-recipe/
Mateo says
Actually on the farm we use about 3 cups of LAB per 20L backpack sprayer. So that works out to about 40ml/litre. Gets rid of foul smells and flies instantly. We generally use it in the chicken coop and compost piles. Even works to remove rotting fish odours. Looking forward to using it on the boat too, when it’s done.
Vanessa says
Hey Mateo, I hope you might see this.
I live in a tiny house. I got in December. I had zero issues with my first go with coconut coir. Then I did the second bag and I had a gnat infestation. I emptied it out and it’s been well over a month and I still cannot get rid of them despite having NO MEDIUM in the toilet period. (I’ve been going to my friends down the street, bleh.) I have done bug bombs, tried Zevo fly trap, diatomaceous earth. I don’t know what to do anymore. I’ve taped up every window to stop them from entering the home. Sprayed insecticide in every single crevice. My last resort is to call pest control. I cannot afford it, but I’m losing my mind. Every single day I kill about 30 and no matter what remedy I take, they’re still here. No it’s not a drain issue, my drains are covered. I also have zero plants and no compost piles.
Does that LAB stuff work for this?
Sal says
To get rid of gnats in your house, make a gnat trap. I used to work in a genetics lab and this is a fast solution as long as you just need to remove them and you’ve sealed all incoming sources!
Take a bottle or jar and a piece of paper (paper for a printer works well). Curl the paper into a funnel that will fit into the top of your jar snugly. One open end (the end going into the jar) should be just barely big enough for a gnat to fit through. The other open end should be fairly large. Tape the funnel to maintain the shape and fit it into the top of the jar. If there are any gaps at all, tape the funnel and the jar lip together to seal those. Before you do this, however, add a bit of banana as bait to the jar.
Within just a day or two, your jar will have trapped your gnats. They can get in, but not out! You can either empty it outdoors or place the whole thing in your freezer first to kill the gnats.
John says
After replacing 6-8 fans In the last two years on my nature’s head I’m looking for another solution
Any ideas would be welcome!!!
I’m considering a solar fan with battery backup or a 3” inline blower with a speed controller to conserve energy
Ken Brezenski says
Need An Opinion Here Please .
Once We Empty & Clean Our “Air-Head” , Prior To Reassembling For The Units Next Use & Before Adding Any “Coconut , Hemp Or Any *Medium*” That The Individual Chooses , We’ve Tried Somewhat “Successfully” By “Wiping” Down The Lower Container & The Stainless Steel Agitator With “Vegetable Oil” Prior To Adding The Compost Medium.
My Feeling At The Moment (After Two Seasons Of Use) Is That Utilizing The “Vegetable Oil” Prior To Use Allows For Easier Cleaning & It Also Allows For An Additional “Week” Of Usage Before Having To Empty
The “Pot”.
Anyone Else Ever Attempt This Method ??? Successfully ?? Unsuccessfully ? Any Thoughts ? Good Or Bad Idea In The ,”Short-Term ….Long-Term”??….Efficiency ??? Possible Hazards & Or Dangers ???
We’re Still Going To Utilize This “Method” Until We Hear Of “Negative” Or “Dangerous” Reports .
So Looking Forward To Hearing Everyone’s Responses To This Posting , Thanking Everyone In Advance For Their Kind Concern & Opinions In This Matter …………
PS
Just A Last Minute Thought Or Added Benifit To Adding “Vegetable-Oil” To The “Pot”, The Oil “Should” Smother “Fly-Larva Eggs” Thus Not Allowing Any “Flys” To Hatch ???????
Safe Travels & Here’s To Your “Constitution” ……lol
Ken & Luanne Brezenski
“Gypsy Dream”
Wawa , Ontario
Canada
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’ve never heard of anyone doing that, but don’t see where it would be a problem. And if it works for you, great!
Chuck B says
There is furry stuff (mold) growing in my solids tank. Is that expected?
Carolyn Shearlock says
No. Are you full-time aboard?
Chuck B says
No, only weekends right now. Plus, this is in California where the air is relatively dry. And the fan is running 24/7. I moistened the coconut coir according to Air Head’s instructions before reading about your coir-to-water mix ratio, so it was perhaps a bit more water than necessary, but not by a whole lot. Certainly the coir did not feel damp at all. But now the tank is filled with gray fur. :-/ Just installed the Air Head a few weeks ago so I’m new to this.
P.S. Apologies for the slow response, I’m not getting notifications of replies.
Carolyn Shearlock says
I’d almost wonder if it wasn’t something in the coir — mold lying dormant. When you mix up your next batch, try keeping it drier and maybe add a tablespoon or two of bleach to the water to kill anything that might be in the coir.
Tom says
Well – my turn for flying insects in the NHs. Pretty sure it was the hot and humid Midwest that got me. Is it ever going to be fall?
I just dumped the coir out. Got two jugs of 91 percent rubbing alcohol. Absolutely soaked everything in that toilet. Then put each part in a black trash bag in the sun for a few hours.
Hopefully, it heats things up enough to kill anything and vaporize the remaining running alcohol into an unsurvivable vapor.