# Micro Flush Toilets



## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I have been doing some reading about different toilet options other than the standart 1.6 gallon type in most construction.


the air asisted flush -uses compressed air to push the pooh into the waste pipe flushes on as little as 23 oz but 32 is more common 

the maserating toilet- uses and electric motor with grinder pump to move the pooh flushes on a half gallon 

sealand marine toilets - the have many varieties but their basic model sais it flushes on a pint it operates on a large ball valve in the bottom of the bowl when that opens uses minimal water to push the pooh down the drain 

composting toilets - they vary between with fan and without with heater and without self contained or central bin 


and yes i also read the humanure hand book and agree joe has a sound system , but i am not sure i can sell that idea to my wife 
this and looking at a place with a holding tank got me looking into this.
now we won't be geting that place somone beat us to the offer but we are looking for places in that area and will very likely end up with a holding tank but with a 2000 gallon tank flushing aproximatly a quart a flush that should be 8000 flushes so emptying the tank once a year should be fine even with 5 people. at a 100 a pumping that is a huge savings 

yes it still treats pooh as waste and not as a valuable soil nutrient.

are any of you trying any of these options what is working and not working for you?
are there other options not mentioned?

i have a dream of using a sealand toilet to a sanitary lift to pump into a compost pile and have it covered in brown material but untill i can mechanicaly reproduce the humanure composting method i am looking for and alternative.


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## 12vman (Feb 17, 2004)

Here's another option..

http://www.ecovita.net/products.html


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I was also hoping to find a solution that will not drain my bank account 

this is why the sea land loilet looks good at 299 the composters for 5 people full time all exceed 1000 easy.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

Sealand style toilet have been used for years in camp trailers. You can pick them up alot cheaper than 299. Seams last time I was looking I found some on ebay for under 100. 

Building the compost tank shouldn't be that hard. I've been thinking about using 2 55 gallon plastic barrels with a diverter valve in the drain to control which one is in use. The other would be in the composting stage.


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## VonWolfen (May 24, 2004)

We use the Sealand toilets, the ceramic variety, and we are well pleased with the quality and performance. The ball valve seal does have to be cleaned with a brush occasionally to keep the water seal. Actually you can use as much or as little water as you wish with this toilet, since there is a lever that fills the bowl to any level you wish. Good product in my opinion. 

The composting systems are NOT a good choice, in my opinion. In my experience, they just simply do not work, and if you give it some thought, you can figure why. In continuous use, the waste of the last 10-20 days could not possibly compost...so if your system needs to be emptied, you must remove the oldest waste from the bottom, while leaving the newer waste intact...a pretty undoable trick. Also, they cannot handle the volume of fluid effectively. And lastly, you must keep them at 70 degrees or higher, year-round. As and additive negative, you must take them out of service for at least 2 days prior to emptying, an inconvenience of the first order. We had a name brand, expensive system...and it could not handle the volume of a 4 member family..not even close.......my opinion.


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## donsgal (May 2, 2005)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> and yes i also read the humanure hand book and agree joe has a sound system , but i am not sure i can sell that idea to my wife.


This was my choice and I didn't have any trouble selling the idea to my husband. It just makes sense. Being more intimately acquainted with my poo has been very interesting and I do not mind dumping the poo bucket one bit, even in 20 degree weather. (minus 20 degrees *might* be a different story, so I would certainly have a spare handy, if it got that cold in SW MO).

My second choice would have been a composting toilet. But a $5 plastic bucket, a free bedside commode (thanks to the local thrift shop that had an over abundance of them), and some free sawdust is much more econmical!

donsgal


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

rose2005 said:


> Do you have a link to the sea land toilet?


http://www.sealandtechnology.com/prodsmtoilet.asp


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

wy_white_wolf said:


> Sealand style toilet have been used for years in camp trailers. You can pick them up alot cheaper than 299. Seams last time I was looking I found some on ebay for under 100.
> 
> Building the compost tank shouldn't be that hard. I've been thinking about using 2 55 gallon plastic barrels with a diverter valve in the drain to control which one is in use. The other would be in the composting stage.



I thinking a macerating pump to move the pooh slurry outside to 250 gallon chem totes with the top cut of and build a lid that fits snug to the cotainer
and have a vent pipe in the lid and the inlet hose , thermomiter and

Idea 1 an auger to bring in saw dust from a hopper 

idea 2 fill the container with saw dust and staw prior to filling and insert the hose into the pile of brown material about half way 

idea 2b in adition to idea 2 purge th pipe with compressed air after each pumping , a bit of extra air injected into the midle of a compost pile should help it out and clear the pipe 


if i built a cart to leave each tote on they could be moved to a compost finishing area,


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

VonWolfen said:


> We use the Sealand toilets, the ceramic variety, and we are well pleased with the quality and performance. The ball valve seal does have to be cleaned with a brush occasionally to keep the water seal. Actually you can use as much or as little water as you wish with this toilet, since there is a lever that fills the bowl to any level you wish. Good product in my opinion.
> 
> The composting systems are NOT a good choice, in my opinion. In my experience, they just simply do not work, and if you give it some thought, you can figure why. In continuous use, the waste of the last 10-20 days could not possibly compost...so if your system needs to be emptied, you must remove the oldest waste from the bottom, while leaving the newer waste intact...a pretty undoable trick. Also, they cannot handle the volume of fluid effectively. And lastly, you must keep them at 70 degrees or higher, year-round. As and additive negative, you must take them out of service for at least 2 days prior to emptying, an inconvenience of the first order. We had a name brand, expensive system...and it could not handle the volume of a 4 member family..not even close.......my opinion.



i agree there seem to be a lot of issues with composting toilets , besides they add no brown matter to make the compost hot enough to be sutable for use on food crops later

also very cost prohibative.

and i don't want to gave the unit in the house


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

donsgal said:


> This was my choice and I didn't have any trouble selling the idea to my husband. It just makes sense. Being more intimately acquainted with my poo has been very interesting and I do not mind dumping the poo bucket one bit, even in 20 degree weather. (minus 20 degrees *might* be a different story, so I would certainly have a spare handy, if it got that cold in SW MO).
> 
> My second choice would have been a composting toilet. But a $5 plastic bucket, a free bedside commode (thanks to the local thrift shop that had an over abundance of them), and some free sawdust is much more econmical!
> 
> donsgal


i and am getting ready to put a humanure toilet in the basment for the morning over flow 1 bath 5 users 4 seems to have to go at the same time i am up and showered before anyone else even wakes up. 0400 hours for me


but i am researching things that i am thinking about i want to build a place get more land but i was talking to the bank and they want a perminent structure to code if i want money and to my knowledge our code is still requiring a flushing toilet to septic or holding tanke depending on how you perk. 

wich we all know after reading the humanure hand book is not at all nessisary for proper sanitation and rather promotes polution.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

Be careful about the electrical requirements for "different" systems.
That compressed air thing would be just one more item that could\would sooner or later take a dump----sorry--fail.

If your at all thinking "off grid" then a air compressor should require second thoughts.. . . . . . .


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

VonWolfen said:


> We use the Sealand toilets, the ceramic variety, and we are well pleased with the quality and performance. The ball valve seal does have to be cleaned with a brush occasionally to keep the water seal. Actually you can use as much or as little water as you wish with this toilet, since there is a lever that fills the bowl to any level you wish. Good product in my opinion.


Thats my choice,but an RV toilet.For urine just do your business,step on the pedal and give it a quick rinse,doesnt even use a cup of water.Pedal half way down adds water if you want it in bowl,all the way down opens valve and rinses.

For solid waste just step on the pedal to open when you are ready to make a deposit,aim for opening (seems to line right up),and again rinse.Water use is minuscule.

Plus can use your grey water for the flushing.

Did this for years into a hand dug hole in the ground with a plywood cover and a bit of dirt over it for years when I lived in a bus in the desert.Worked like a charm.

Would want your toilet waste pipe to be a straight down drop if possible so nothing hangs up in the sewer line from such tiny water usage.Mine was probably a 75 degree angle to the cesspool.


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
This is not cutting edge or anything, but we use a dual-flush.
It flushes with 1.1 gallon on low and 1.6 on high.
We find that the low flush works for everything -- its better than our old 1.6 gallons flush toilet.

Its a direct replacement for a standard toilet, and goes in very easily.
I figure it saves about 3500 gallons per year in our case.
Got it at Costco.

Full story here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Water/OurDualFlus.htm

A bit more toilet stuff here:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/Water/Water.htm

Gary


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## pixelphotograph (Apr 8, 2007)

we put a common brick in our toilet bowl to displace water thus making our normal house toilet use less per flush.
it still flushes just fine and uses alot less water per flush.
poor mans low flush toilet LOL


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## Sand Flat Bob (Feb 1, 2007)

SolarGary said:


> Hi,
> This is not cutting edge or anything, but we use a dual-flush.
> It flushes with 1.1 gallon on low and 1.6 on high.
> We find that the low flush works for everything -- its better than our old 1.6 gallons flush toilet.
> ...


Another very good dual flush toilet is "ToTo". Google it and you can read all about it. These are used by some developers here that build energy efficient houses.

Bob


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