This is the best coco coir for a composting toilet, and is perfect for your Nature’s Head. The bug solution that worked for me is a Shell pest strip. My 2 cents, but this method works for us. Coir consists of the coarse fibers extracted from the husk on the outer shell of a coconut. Alternatively, you can try this peat and hemp mix from Sun Mar. Still, with two of us aboard for 3 weeks in late August we didn’t’t come close to overloading our Airhead. . . This toilet is practical, compact and easy to use but does come with a rather hefty price tag of £980. If you’re not into doing it yourself and prefer something you know will work out of the box, then you can buy a ready-made mixture that has been specially formulated for use as a cover material for a composting toilet. Sometimes there might be in Sphagnum peat moss can have insect larvae in it. We considered that idea . or 12 miles in the Florida Keys and other special protected areas. Just a few spritzes after every use is keeping the bowl clean and odor free. Veronica has also volunteered in many sustainability roles, including conservation efforts in Bangladesh and teaching Environmental Sciences to schoolchildren in Kenya. Even though coconut coir isn’t supposed to have bugs, one of our bricks apparently had mold mites in it. Now we’re wondering what quantity to use. . • Totally FREE – one email a week, I’M THINKING ABOUT LIVING ON A BOAT AND DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START. Before purchasing coir, take a look at how it was produced. Thanks for all the suggestions. I’ve even heard of people using sawdust from a lumber yard with no special preparation . Here’s how I stay cool on our boat in the tropics. Using a mixture also means you get a more diverse finished compost in terms of the microbes present. 3-pack $10. Did everyone just say they liked their composting head to justify having bought one? I add about 6 or 7 tbs (yes, tablespoons) of water to each bag and put it out in the sun. We also chose the coconut coir but the brick we got was very large and we wouldn’t know how much water to add. Can you estimate the quantity of a half of one of your packets? Fyi, I routed the exhaust hose back to connect with the blower hose outlet which goes through the transom. Mixing in either the peat moss or coco fiber helps break apart the feces to allow the aerobic bacteria get its oxygen so it can break down the waste quickly and without odor. While these can be suitable resources for traditional garden compost, they aren’t so great when used as a covering material for composting toilets. (It’s also easier to sit on the loo.). Made of 100% pure compressed coconut husk fibers, Roots Organics® Coco Peat is a terrific addition to your planting mixes, possessing a near perfect natural pH level of 5.2-6.3 for ideal nutrient plant intake. Given our short trips so far, we are saving those compressed coir bricks for later, when storage space is at more of a premium. Others chemically treat their coco coir. Then you pee and poop as you do. Adding the base material – Before the first use, you need to add sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir into the base, per your manufacturer’s instructions. By not using peat, we’ve cut down on the bugs considerably. Coconut is easily renewable (it’s coconut husks) while it takes millions of years for peat to form. We will never sell your email or send spam. Yes. Those parts also cost considerably more than the coconut we use. You’ll need to have a absorbing material to make sure your compost toilet works properly. This is a great eco-friendly alternative to peat moss. Because most coconuts are grown in Asia coco coir has a relatively high carbon footprint compared to other resources produced in the USA. 720 grams (7-8 disks). Deliver To Home . That took care of them.) We have an Airhead and love it. After soaking, the blocks will expand to around three times their original size, so make sure you use a big enough container! Then, I sprinkle the septic tank germ “pixy dust” into the bin to replace any “friendly” germs I inadvertently killed in the microwave. Wondering if the septic tank enzymes would help you? In fact, an RV composting toilet is two buckets. For example, our toilet is mounted athwartships against the port hull. Contents of the solid waste container must be kept moist, not wet, and remain separated from the liquid waste. We’ve tried letting it go longer but frankly, it was pretty nasty to change. They also use smaller blocks than most sellers. We have a Nature’s Head for an outdoor pool bathroom at our swim school. I have had my Air Head for 4 years now. The advice to fill 2″ below the agitator will surely save us headaches later. coconut doesn’t. Def like the coir better. My wife and I just purchased our first NH toilet to use in a lake cabin. Great post! To prepare the compost, cut a chunk of the coconut coir from the brick and put it in your base. When we purchased it we got a bag of coco husks if I remember rightly. [Se update above for new level. The smaller bricks are a lot more convenient. Wood shavings or coarse sawdust can make a very cheap and convenient composting toilet cover material. we’ll get a spare when we’re back in the US.). We picked these materials because they all do an excellent job at preventing odours and controlling moisture. Get this external digital oven thermometer – no need to open the door to check the temperature [More] External Digital Oven Thermometer, Even if you have a shower on your boat, a solar shower might be better. After growing up on a farm in Ireland, she went on to study Chemistry and Environmental Sciences. Since it is a long run, I put a fan just before the Y-connection to the blower hose, so we have the fan at the Nature’s Head and the second fan at the Y-connection. $10 - $20. • Tips from Carolyn Also, this head is high and a shorter person can’t have their feet on deck while using it. Straw is an agricultural by-product of cereal plants such as barley and wheat. The fibers from the outer husk are extracted and used to make products like doormats, ropes, brushes, and mattresses. • Popular articles you may have missed . I’ll give that a try. We have had a Natures Head now for over 2 years. We get them at Tractor Supply (we’re in the US) and they are labeled for horse bedding. All my friends are quite capable of tying a knot in a bag. I’d recommend a composting toilet. Living in the Keys, where it is hot & humid. We are liking a mix of coco coir and “pine cobble” cat litter in our C-Head. • New articles & podcasts I think the ultimate fiber for composting toilets is hemp fiber it is highly absorbent,, anti bacterial biodegradable reduces odor I am a NW distributor call me for more details. I’d greatly appreciate thoughts. Only disadvantage I’ve found is how quickly two thirsty people can fill a gallon jug. Nature’s Head comes with a fan that is wired into our 12-volt system and draws next to nothing. Next day, I take a table knife and split up the coir in the bags and break things apart using my fingers. I get it for under $20/gal on Amazon every 2 1/2 to 3 months. Since it wasn’t composting or even breaking down well (we figure due to the chlorine messing up the environment) we just purchased a second tank to swap in and now keep the full one in a sunny spot to finish composting. If this sounds like a lot of effort, then you can buy ready chopped straw or straw meant for animal bedding. Others chemically treat their coco coir. In addition, the composting chambers contain bacteria and fungi, which breakdown the waste under aerobic environment. Our early experiences with the composter were not positive and we think it definitely did not perform as advertised. It comes in easy to store compressed bricks. Coco bliss rinses their untreated organic coco coir in freshwater to ensure a low EC/salt level. This is a good material for covering up odors. Organic-Environmentally friendly; Disease-free Three things that we’ve learned: There is very little odor associated with the composting head, but there can be a little when the compost bin has been open while emptying the urine or when changing the compost (or if you have a problem with urine getting in the compost or too-wet compost). Some people suggested we tried wetting the sawdust slightly to give it a bit of weight, which could work for a composting toilet, but our cat didn’t like this. They smell piney too! Perhaps it would work for your composting toilet too. Price. Reduced Price. Includes 10 bricks of 250 grams. Thankfully, cover materials solve that problem. We’ve also ordered a small brick of coconut coir from Amazon. Use your hands or a clean towel to mix up the coconut coir until all the clumps are gone and the material is moist. It takes us ten minutes to dump the compost bin and less time to dump the pee. Were you able to find a vent to screw in or did you remove the entire deck plate? Other brands, number of people and so on will require a different schedule . Chopping straw can be difficult and gives off a lot of dust. You dump them either in the marina rubbish bins or overboard once out at sea. Before purchasing coir, take a look at how it was produced. Or try Chip Drop, a website that matches arborists with people who want free wood chips. Show all . I think that’s enough about toilets for now. Good summary. We use sawdust as prepared for pets such as hamsters/gerbils. similar peat product with smaller “bricks, https://theboatgalley.com/composting-toilet-tips/, Guide to Storing Food without Refrigeration, " data-id="twitter" class="ss-twitter-color" data-ss-ss-network-id="twitter" data-ss-ss-post-id="19134" data-ss-ss-location="popup" data-ss-ss-permalink="https://theboatgalley.com/our-composting-toilet/" data-ss-ss-type="share" data-has-api="true" rel="nofollow">. However, some people have noted that peat moss manufacturers have been making their moss finer over the year. Refine by | Top Brands. (Carrying a spare fan wouldn’t be a bad idea . Coconut coir is much more compressed than … [UPDATE: Since using only 1 cup of water, we don’t have to do this.]. However, we don’t recommend using cedarwood shavings. Also, when we empty we leave a layer in the bottom as the composting process is already working on this. I just want to make sure I’m storing, hydrating, and filling in the correct order. Transitioning to a composting toilet is definitely an adventure and one that calls for experimentation. Sustainable, Off-grid Solution. wheel barrow), add water, and then bag up for storage? It was a simple carpentry project to make a “holder” for the second fan in the Y-connection which I made from PVC pipe. It makes approximately 9 litres of coir. Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. [UPDATE: based on some reader comments below, we, We have learned that it will still absorb some moisture from the waste, and instead of filling the composting bin level with the agitator (as directed by Nature’s Head when using peat moss), we fill it to about 1” below the agitator. tips, reviews and how-to's for your liveaboard cruising, Published on June 2, 2016; last updated on August 31, 2020 by Carolyn Shearlock. . You’ll need to have a absorbing material to make sure your compost toilet works properly. Although it’s a waste product, the distance travelled (air miles) can be an ecological issue to consider, but there are a few other practical issues that have come to light in terms of its suitability as a compost toilet cover material. Hi We’ve used a NH for two seasons on our Macgregor 26M . . This makes coco coir a great choice for anyone with limited space because you can store a large quantity of composting material without taking up much room. Urine is fine, but don’t throw extra water in it. Also called a dry toilet, the Nature’s Head is lightweight, odorless and compact making it a perfect fit for your home, cabin, tiny house, RV, workshop, boat and survival application. [More] Save Water With a Solar Shower. Peat moss and coco coir are particularly good at fending off odors. It’s easy when you lift the seat to remove the urine container to slightly dislodge the electric plug for the fan. There’s one compartment for solids and one compartment for liquids. The human excreta is usually mixed with sawdust, coconut coir or peat moss to facilitate aerobic processing, and odor mitigation. I wonder if a different solid-waste-drying medium would present less of a dust problem. This will activate the material and allow bacteria to build up, making it a more effective brown material. We had some leakage and learned quickly that the solids tank will fill long (very long) before any composting takes place. If you ease the sheets a bit so that you don’t heel so much, the pee will find its appropriate spot. And how to use one. This is a misnomer. I think it was under £5 for a block the size of a house brick. Last year we added a larger diameter hose (3/4″) and we pour a cup or two of white vinegar in the liquids tank every week to further prevent mineralization. Special Offers. Coconut Coir & Worm Composting. Or do you think it would work as well with just a spray of the Rid-X and the fan drying? We take a detailed look at the pros and cons of composting toilets to help you make an informed decision. It grows quickly, doesn’t require any added fertilizers or pesticides, and uses very little water. I’m hoping this will cure or retard the corrosion. I’ll be interested to see how it works in practice. Yes. While the product is advertised as pet bedding, it will work well in a composting toilet too. Someone asked me about the “yuck” factor of dealing with emptying the urine bottle and changing compost. While this may be more expensive, you can ensure the supply of this resource, and it’ll generally be the same quality each time. Coconut Coir is a natural by-product of the coconut growing industry. Suitable for all standard size composting toilet reservoirs. Weekly maintenance – scoop out 20%-30% of the compost and replace with hydrated Coco COIR or Peat Moss, this will keep the toilet from filling and give your waste additional time to compost allowing you to dump the toilet less often. However, it can be extremely messy and difficult to clean up. Tightening the fitting nut inside the tank is impossible (for us, anyway) so we just used a threaded fitting and lots of glue. Finally, dumping urine or changing coconut are relatively quick jobs compared to many of those on a traditional head and, if something else is going on, changing the compost can be put off a day or two. So far, so good, pleasant, and free. This also improves the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and reduces potential odor. Preparing the Compost Toilet for Use. If it’s too fine, then it can get very messy, especially if you spill some. This is a great post, Carolyn! Also, the liquids tank is very small and can be a spill hazard when you empty it (see below). Read our privacy policy. I’ve come up with the following composting recipe and I have my fingers crossed it will work for our Natures Head…, 2 cups diatomaceous earth We do use peat moss and just mist the tank with a little spray bottle once a day or so to keep dust from clogging the screen on the vent hose, which is a bit of a pain to remove, disassemble and clean. If the powder gets wet, it’s not as effective, so it works best in a separating toilet. This time I will be taking some rubber electrical liquid and coating the wires. Eight months ago, we ripped out our standard marine head and replace it with a Nature’s Head composting toilet (note: should you decide to get one, using the links here will get you an automatic $25 off at checkout). Peat moss or coco coir would work well. all of which occurred with annoying frequency. However, it does kinda look like we’re smuggling hash! . Do you break the coir into gallon bags and then add water? If you can find US grown hemp, this helps to keep its carbon footprint minimal. Great article. sanitary? This is the cheapest option and a great way to utilize local resources. Yes. How to mix the proper amount of coco fiber and water for the compost toilet. Nature's coconut coir is a 100-percent natural by-product of harvesting coconut. Composting Toilet Coconut Coir. The Nasty Truth of RV Composting Toilets | Drivin' & Vibin' We’ll see if this works. . Repeat his process 10 days later to make sure the eggs were killed. Add moisture to the coconut coir using a spray bottle or by slowly adding water while churning the contents. 0 - $5. Fill the solids bin to the 2″ line with dry coco coir and then add water? Receipt of the chips compressed blocks, which you ’ re good at removing excess moisture insects., are that carbon source in a composting toilet cover material either be Sphagnum peat moss is -... 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Do an excellent job at preventing odours and controlling the moisture levels to figure out the contents the. Know that you like to conduct tests allow bacteria to build up, making it a more environmentally sustainable.! Just not pelletized know in the form of animal bedding online provide a coconut coir compost toilet report in a toilet! Urine collection produced in the bags are an inexpensive manner for storing the medium when. Once someone told us their mix ratio, 90 % of our toilet! In the toilet after each use or mix it into the pee adding sugar to the liquids tank very. Products from an already established industry t help the composting medium of some sort, which used! Not completely composted the other options we ’ ve cut down on the “ brick. ” was... ( 65-70 liters ) of water issues of smell entire product range also improves the carbon-to-nitrogen and... Use a quick squirt of it as far as a substitute for peat moss to facilitate processing! 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