Does it smell?
No. The ventilation fan works in
exactly the same way as an exhaust fan in your toilet, except that air
flows downward through the toilet pedestal. Odours never enter the toilet
room.
Also, because the breakdown process uses
aerobic {with air} decomposition, the main by-products are carbon dioxide
and water vapour. This contrasts dramatically with anaerobic systems
{septic tanks} which produce foul smelling gases like hydrogen sulphide
and methane.
Is it easy to clean?
Very easy. Our ceramic toilets have
a larger base than the standard flush toilets, which eliminates most
soiling. Also, because there is air constantly flowing down the toilet,
any soiling will usually flake off and fall into the compost chamber. A
damp brush with biodegradable detergent or Nature Flush enzymes should be
used to clean the bowl occasionally.
Does it look like a normal
toilet?
Yes. We designed the pedestal to
look like a standard white flush toilet. Your visitors probably won't
notice any difference until they lift the lid. If you'd like something a
little different, you can opt for a custom coloured pedestal.
Can I see the compost pile?
Because the chamber and the waste chute are
black, it's difficult to see waste levels in natural light. You should
occasionally shine a torch down to check the level. This isn't as
unpleasant as it sounds, because the contents have started breaking down
from the first time you used the toilet.
What else can I put down the
toilet?
Because it is a very efficient composting
process you can put almost anything organic down the toilet and it will
break down. Non-compostable materials {e.g. plastics} will stay in the
chamber until you empty it. Ladies' sanitary pads and nappies or diapers
will decompose very slowly and use up chamber space ~ they should be
disposed of by other means. NOTE: We do not recommend placing food scraps
or other household refuse in the toilet as this can attract insects and
interfere with the speedy decomposition of waste.
Can a Nature-Loo be installed
in a slab house?
Yes. To
install the Classic model, you can use one of three approaches:
-
Excavate beneath
the toilet room so you have space for your composting chamber (remember to
excavate out beyond the floor too, so you can drag the chamber out from
under the house). You'll need 1metre of space beneath the toilet room
floor.
-
Elevate your
toilet room, and let the chamber sit directly on the slab.
- Split the difference ~ excavate a bit, and
elevate a bit. This approach keeps the steps up to the toilet room from
being so high, and keeps the excavated area at a minimum depth. You might
also consider the old cellar door arrangement outside the house, to access
the chamber.
If you need a toilet in a shed, weekender
or workshop with a slab-floor, the Nature-Loo Compact is ideal ~ it simply
sits directly on a slab floor, requiring no through-floor fittings.
Can I have an upstairs toilet?
Yes. As many as you want, wherever
you want them, providing the chamber can be located directly below.
What if the occupancy of the
house changes?
No problem. Unlike the continuous
systems that are on the market, the Nature-Loo can grow to accommodate any
size load. If your family grows, or you sell to a larger family, Nature-Loo
can easily cope with increased loads simply with the purchase of another
inexpensive composting chamber. No other composting toilet currently
offers this feature.
I am building my house and
living in a shed/caravan. Can I use Nature-Loo now, then install it in the
house when it's finished?
Yes. Because of the Nature-Loo's
compact size and easy installation, you can move it wherever and whenever
you want. Because it's so cheap, people often use a Nature-Loo 'Compact'
for the shed and purchase a Nature-Loo 'Classic' for the finished home.
Does it use much power?
Hardly any. The exhaust fan uses
less than 3 watts of electricity ~ as little as a 60 watt light bulb used
for one hour per day. For people on solar or other alternate power
systems, Nature-Loo is a good option.
I don't have mains power, how
do I keep the fan running?
If you are planning to use solar power on
your property, you can use that same solar system to power your fan. If
your solar system will be 24 volt, let us know and we can supply 24v fans
(our standard fan is 12v).
If you need to power just the fan, you can
do that with either of a couple of solar panels we have available. The 5
watt panel will keep the fan running under most daylight conditions, but
keep in mind that it won't keep it running at night. The 11 watt panel
will keep a battery topped up so you can power your fan from the battery.
It's the smallest size that will keep the fan running during 5 straight
days of rain.
How long do the fans last?
The fans are high quality brushless
ball-bearing type, designed for continuous use. On average they will last
for 2-3 years. A new fan is easily installed and costs $45.00 plus
postage.
How many people is the Nature-Loo
designed for?
The 'Classic'
The standard Classic toilet, with two
composting chambers, is designed to service up to 6 people on a continuous
basis. Capacity can be expanded by the provision of one or more additional
composting chambers. For a weekender or holiday residence, one Nature-Loo
Classic will easily handle large numbers of people with infrequent use.
The 'Compact'
The Compact is designed for temporary or
intermittent use, although it can handle 2 people on a permanent basis.
It's mainly used in weekenders, holiday huts, walking tracks, beach huts
etc.
I Live in a very cold
climate; will the compost continue to work?
The composting process will go dormant
during extreme cold, but will kick in again when the temperature warms
up. You may want to insulate your chamber against the cold by wrapping
wall or roof insulation around it, and setting it on a sheet of styrofoam
to keep it off of the cold ground.
If it's really cold, you could use
our wrap-around heater tape. It plugs into 240 volt power and will keep
the chamber quite warm. It's a good idea to wrap insulation around the
heater tape, so the surrounding cold isn't still trying to work against
the heater.
How long does it take to compost?
The Classic chamber needs a minimum of 4
months once you've changed chambers; the compact chamber needs a minimum
of 2 months.
There's no need to empty it until it's time
to change chambers again. Just let it continue composting until you need
to rotate chambers.
If the number of people using the toilet
means that there would not be sufficient time for a full chamber to
compost before needing to change chambers again, they can add another
chamber into the rotation to give each one enough time.
Can you put a Compact in a
boat/motorhome/plane
We have had quite a few customers who have
installed compacts in trailers and buses. They tend to run the liquid
drain hose to a holding tank, and empty it at appropriate places. We've
also had people talk about putting them in boats and planes, but we think
there are complications with each (eg. heeling) that would need
consideration.
We're planning to use the
cabin only occasionally; do I have to do anything to the toilet if the use
is to be infrequent?
No. You have enough micro-organisms in
your gut as part of your natural flora to start the composting process off
again, even if it's been a long time since you last used the toilet.
|
