| If you have recently installed a composting toilet in | | | | becoming saturated, you likely need to add more dry |
| your home, congratulations. You have made a choice | | | | material during use. Electric fans and heaters are also |
| that benefits the environment by saving water, | | | | of use to help evaporate and control moisture |
| reducing waste production and creating an end | | | | (meaning non-electric units need special attention to |
| product that is a valuable soil amendments. Still, | | | | be paid to this problem before it develops), and |
| despite all these benefits, if your compost toilet | | | | some units also have a urine separator system which |
| appears to be malfunctioning, you may quickly regret | | | | diverts urine away from the main composting reactor. |
| making the switch to a toilet composting system. | | | | 2) Odor. As mentioned above, with a properly |
| When properly installed and used, a compost toilet | | | | functioning system, there should be no foul odors. |
| should be odor free and produce a beautiful, rich | | | | Odor signals a problem with the composting system, |
| compost that is easy to remove within six to twelve | | | | letting you know that there is something out of |
| months. However, for many owners it can take | | | | balance with they system. Frequently this is due to |
| months, even years, to learn how to properly use | | | | liquid build up, as discussed above. When there is |
| and maintain their compost toilets and they may | | | | excess liquid in the system, it will revert from the |
| frequently find themselves plagued by two common | | | | relatively odor-free process of aerobic decomposition |
| problems: | | | | to one of anaerobic decomposition, which is often |
| 1) Excess liquid build up in the composting toilet | | | | foul smelling. To fix this issue, you will need to make |
| system. This is probably the most common complaint | | | | sure you have the proper balance and that system |
| of new composting toilet owners for almost every | | | | reverts back to aerobic decomposition processes. |
| brand of composting toilet currently manufactured. A | | | | For most of us who grew up using flush toilets, |
| composting toilet will simply not work properly if | | | | learning how to properly use and maintain a compost |
| there is too much fluid in the system, and this can | | | | toilet can be a difficult lesson to learn. However, |
| lead to leaks, odors and make emptying the | | | | taking responsibility for your own waste and |
| composting toilet a very unpleasant task. | | | | transform it into a environmentally beneficial product, |
| There are, however, ways to control fluid build up in | | | | is also a very empowering process and one which |
| a compost toilet. In general, this is an issue of striking | | | | also benefits the environment for generations to |
| the proper balance between wet and dry materials, | | | | come. |
| and if you find you composting toilet system is | | | | |