I agree totally with your current opinion on this subject. The bucket system sounds much easier to clean and I like the price! Simple gets my vote... Thanks for this video!
Brave girl, you are not afraid to tackle any subject are you? And you call things as they are. No mincing words for you. I sure get a kick out of you hon. That's Southern talk for enjoy the way you communicate and get a good laugh many a time. 😁
I'm smiling at your dry humor and enjoying your straight shooting honesty. Then I come down the page to find a person saying "There's a new place"? and presto a fan guides her to the appropriate video in a blink by saying "Ariel talks and shows some highlights... ", may I say "wow" what a fan/following you have darlin. My first impulse with Adelle's question was also to help, all of this coming from a dedicated fan as well. I'm off to finish my weekly viewing of my favorite channel.
When I read comment threads on most other things out there on the internet it makes me super thankful that all (almost all :) ) of you folks here are so kind and helpful!
I have watched several videos from those who use composting toilets and I really wondered if we weren’t making things too complicated. This video makes total sense!
I've been using bucket 2 years into composting. When I cut wood, I get the shavings and use them. When people use it there surprised it doesn't smell. I don't separate pee, because of composting needs moisture. Many Blessings
Thank you for being brave and sharing .. I did get the human manure handbook a while back.. so when it is time I can convert.. And you are right cities are grosser lol hugs Al
LOL you said the S word that just cracked me up, another great informative vid thank you, I'm going to take a year out in 2019 and van life Europe so bucket it is, almost spent £800.00 on a toilet. Keep em coming
Well there's pros and cons to both systems for sure, but especially for someone in a stationary location with a place to finish composting the waste fully, I do like the bucket.
This is really informative and helpful information!!! Thank you for being so knowledgable and real!!! I LOVE that you dont accept sponsorships as I literally can NOT take another paid influencer who doesnt know a full spectrum about this world or what theyre talking about in general and only take the money and info the brand gives them. I love your videos and how authentic and really down to earth you are with delivering all of this information. You're literally my new home-grown hero!! I cant wait to watch and learn as much as I can from your informative and charming channel. Seriously looking forward to seeing more!!
Great info Ariel I was looking at going with a natures head for our tiny guest house up here in Canada $1310.00 was a bit hard to swallow so i started watching some videos on bucket toilets...There are some very nicely done ones out there for sure...I'm thinking this is the route i will go ..Even if i spend a little extra to fancy it up couple hundred bucks is easier to swallow and i can better spend that 1300.00 dollars And seeing as we already have an outhouse on the property for gatherings (my little house is on a lagoon system) most people are kinda used to a bucket type set up. keep up the great info!! Blessing's
Just the way you said it, about adults knowing how to, got a good loud laugh from me!😆 isnt it comical how people react to discussion of the most basic of human functions. Lol I have worked in bars, clubs and so-called family restaurants/bakerys. It is unbelievably amazing how many 'adults' need to improve their aim - for #1 and #2. Being in many different situations over the years, a toilet, bucket, hole in the ground or just leaning back against a tree, when 'nature calls' any one of the above is good for me. In doors and having to clean the receptical, a bucket works just fine. A plumbed toilet on average uses 3 to 5 gallons of water for each flush. This sure adds to the average household water usage of 3,500 gallons per month. To each their own, tho I do agree with ya on the indoor bucket. Cheaper and easier to clean/maintain. Good vid Ariel. Thank you.👍
I've had problems in the past with RV plumbing and had to do use the bucket method or, as we called it, the "hillbilly" method. It works tho my daughter doesn't like it. Preference thing. As always, love the frank discussions. 💗
Well presented ! . . Another advantage.... You can afford more "facilities". I have 3 outhouses with the bucket/sawdust enhancement around my property. Bonus - The sawdust covers the scent quicker if the sawdust is moist. (add a little rainwater to the supply bucket.)
Here's a vote for the Luggable Loo bucket toilet system . Read Joseph Jenkins book the Humanure Handbook! Or go to the Off Grid with Doug and Stacy on TH-cam!
That's why I recommended the Humanure Handbook! ( amzn.to/2CbACi3) ;) And I love Doug and Stacy's stuff, they are the only videos I personally watch with regularity.
I am 54 years old and I don't squat anymore since my knees don't approve of it. I drive a truck and in the back I have a 5 gallon bucket and a strip of foam pipe insulation for the rim and TP and plastic bags and a tarp for cover. I just need sawdust but I will have a place to go if I get stranded somewhere. Traffic accident on the highway?
We made an attractive bucket system and love it. We save the urine for fertilizer and we use worms for the composting of the solids along with our kitchen/garden waste. Worms are one of the best digesters of waste there are.
Hey Ariel, 46 off grid here. Thanks for another great video. I have heard and watched uTube's on bucket composting and am surprised about the simplicity. An important point about composting is the topic of antibiotics;as they kill compost! I have a sunmar, and only use it on occasion. I make a blend of a small amount of peat and dead aspen ripped lengthwise with a chainsaw. This makes a lightweight blend for my composter. ✌
Yeah actually all kinds of medications someone might be taking can put things in the compost that may make you not want to use it in a garden. I'd like to do another whole video just about all the amazing things you can learn about your health by inspecting your body's waste products. :)
I will look in to get some kind of liner on the Travel Trailer toilet and do the saw dust system.....Maybe it work better,because those septic system need to be pump and is price.....THANK you
Thanks and I think the bucket is the way to go or just an outhouse. When I went camping/hunting with my family we made our own outhouse. It worked great. Even in the cold you did your business pretty fast LOL. Thanks and great information. I didn't realize that the composting one was so expensive.
We did the in-between thing - we built a homemade composting toilet with a urine-diverter insert, but used a 5-gallon bucket for the solids bin. Our diverter is plumbed to where we want it to go, so there's no emptying it at all. This would have been an issue as I'm diabetic and sometimes would need to empty that thing daily! We wind up emptying the solids about every 2 weeks. All the toilet paper goes in there, so things are covered as the next person comes to use it. There's two of us been using it for almost 3 years now. I think it's a good system.
Nice! I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years.
Fy Nyth Ariel can you explain how you separate your urine now with your bucket system? I go so many times a day, I’m aware it’s not good to put them together if you are using a bucket system, that’s where the smell begins and they don’t compost as well . Also- has anyone in your circles tried adding some vermicomposting to the bucket? I currently vermicompost (in my kitchen, it’s too cold outside ) and I’d like to add a few worms to the bucket, as well as my coffee grounds when dry. Any thoughts ? Thanks for this great vid!
Hi, can you share how you built a diverter? Also, is your urine just draining outside ? If so, would the line not freeze ? That’s a nice problem here if you don’t keep it heated...
Ariel, good subject. The savings can be even larger for a new home as you don't need to pay $5k to $10 for a septic system. I have been using the Natures Head for a year and half now. I had thought that the main issue to keeping the smell down was separating the liquid from the solids.
That is a good point. And yes, separating can greatly reduce any potential odor. I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer.
Gone with the Wynn's yes they definitely got a very well done videos on the Nature's head composting toilet I one time I was leaning towards the airhead but because of my engineering mine I looked at the pros and cons and I ended up buying Nature's head
I like your opinion and information comparing the two different composting toilets. I been debating for a very long time on what type of toilet to use. I have and still use a very expensive RV toilet in the trailer that I live in, but there is a lot of issues with an RV toilet. They cost an arm an a leg to replace the parts and/or the toilet itself, and they do not last very long and then you got to deal with the holding tank. When an RV sets and not moving down the road the solids tend to just pile up and then becomes a really big issue to try and clean out then. I just finally took the holding tank completely out and piped from the toilet directly into the sewer line and then I had no more problems with the solids as then I could flush the line with straight water till the solids flushed into the septic tank. So, when I seen your first video on Nature's head composting toilet I got to thinking LOL thinking is sometimes very bad for me you know). I thought that would be a great idea for my pickup camper, small and light easy to clean etc., that was until I seen the price. $1,000 was way out of my budget for my pickup camper. Seeing that your holding tank on your composting toilet was basically just a 5 gallon bucket I decided to go with a 5 gallon bucket in my pickup camper and save the $1000 for a commercial composting toilet and save the money for something else like traveling etc. . Like you mention a person can pick up these 5 gallon buckets just about anywhere and I found a toilet bucket lid for the 5 gallon bucket that seals the bucket I think I may have paid 5 or 6 dollars for the lid and maybe $2.50 for a 5 gallon bucket and about 5 dollars for the plywood box to go around the bucket so basically a toilet for less than $20 . I do plan on soon replacing the RV toilet in my trailer as it's on it's last leg with this bucket composting concept, because i cannot see spending another 200 to 500 dollars replacement on a regular RV toilet that will only last maybe 2 to 4 years at the most. Thank you again Ariel for another great idea and for sharing your video's with the rest of us and looking forward to your next great video. dd
Off Grid with Doug and Stacy channel has videos on their bucket system... The Humanore Handbook is a good reading resource to be sure you're doing it right... as well as give design options for improvements later...
Thanks for the video Ariel. I agree the Bucket is definitely the simpler way to go. You know the saying, keep it simply la la la ;) Hope to see more of your new place in the coming months. Stay safe and warm. Grizz was pretty quiet this time. :) Take care Ariel.
A friend who recently built a cabin put in an electric toilet, it heats/burns the waste into ash. Not cheap but quite convenient out on a small island. She's hooked up to the electrical grid, without that it wouldn't work.
Does she like the setup? I'm curious because I've know a few folks with different versions of incinerating toilets and they pretty much all really disliked them and ended up switching to something else. I've never used one personally so I like to hear what other's think.
Apparently I was a bit too quick, she hasn't used it yet, the interior of the cabin isn't quite finished yet. But her brother (on the same island) has tried his with no complaints, except for the 3000 dollar price tag maybe...
Great video. I grew up on a farm with an out house (outdoor bathroom). The bucket is the way to go. Keep it simple. And so many builder do a great job making them look nice such as the ones in your video. Well done♥️
If I would have done it again I think I would have bought the C head compost toilet not only is it affordable a uses a plastic bucket like you say and you utilize one gallon jugs water jugs or milk jugs same type of container it has the urine diverter it's a heck of lot cheaper and you can replace those parts very easy specially the urine bottle
My family has a cabin up in the Rocky Mountains and they have an out house that I have used since I was a kid. I really hate the open pit/bucket thing. Personally I would get a composting toilet, if I had to.
Yeah, outhouses are an example of a defecation toilet system. Lots of people have issues with composting because they confuse it with the defecation toilets. Both can start with something as basic as a bucket but they diverge from then on as two very different ways of dealing with the waste. In defecation systems it's basically just storing the waste and letting it decompose over time, which is a very slow process and doesn't actually get rid of the waste. While composting takes advantage of the natural way that nature recycles all organic matter back into the soil by letting micro-organisms break it down and convert it into compost. So you eventually end up with no waste and a end product that's actually good for the soil/earth, helping to fight soil erosion, etc. There's also advance ways to compost and on high end solutions they even have flush-able composting toilet systems that allow for traditional toilets but sends the waste into a composting bin that can be in your basement or up to 70 feet away in an outdoor shed, etc. and automated so you only have to deal with the final compost but those are very expensive systems.
Yeah I've never been a pit/outhouse fan either so I can understand that. Maybe check out the Humanure Handbook for lots more info on what ZeoCyberG is describing very well. amzn.to/2CbACi3
thank you I thought about that but I always wondered how to reduce the oder. you explained it well. I appreciate the info. although for me I like my bidet I been using a bidet for decades. if you have any suggestions on how to use a toilet like this with a bidet I would love to hear it but anyways another great video thank you so much. by the way you made an excellent point that really got me thinking how we poop in the water then they have to clean it and that is absolutely disgusting. our water is thick and chlorine tasting where I live I won't even drink it it's disgusting possibly there's a lot of debris still in it. I think I'm going to start looking into a composting toilet thank you Ariel
Hmm, I'm sure someone has designed one with a bidet. You'd have to add plumbing of some kind to the setup which a composting toilet doesn't normally have, but I don't seen any reason why it would be impossible. It also would probably increase the weight of the contents and frequency with which you need to empty it....
Fy Nyth yes I thought of that I've been watching other channels now and getting ideas. I guess I can just use a composting toilet when I travel and use my baby wipes as I always do in my vehicle if I'm going to do a compost
awesome information and if lm ever lucky enough to get my own land a bucket is going to be my preference, wow l cant believe its four years its like a mile stone good on you.
Lots of van campers use the bucket method but they have a series of plastic bags they use inside the bucket. Since your bucket is stationary, it sounds like you don’t use the plastic bags in the bucket, but just go directly into the bucket, correct? How hard it is to clean out the bucket then? Wouldn’t it be hard to clean because stuff would be stuck to the sides of the bucket? I’m planning on using the bucket system in my van build. Thanks.
I think the bags are used mostly by those on the road who have to go the garbage can route to dispose of the waste since they have no location to finish composting. Check out these videos on how I empty liquids and solids from the Natures Head. Dumping a bucket I don't have a video on yet, but it's basically the same, yes. th-cam.com/video/0zPfzr9794Q/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/hEtgyB_u6is/w-d-xo.html
i also had "a bucket" as my first choice for all the same reasons you've listed. and then "nature's head". wisconsin regulations do not permit either (4 years ago). so i did buy the approved sun-mar ($1,350). truth be told.....never used it once ! now the sun-mar sits pretty in case authorities want to see what goes where. i also pee in a 2 1/2 gallon container with screw cap and also dump on bare ground (not snow covered) under multiple trees and always a different set of trees. the rest i incinerate in the wood stove when cold weather seasons prevail. incinerating is legal although incinerating in that fashion is probably not what the regulators had in mind. when weather is warm and green and growing.....i dig and bury as if i were camping per regulations. maybe in the future the sun-mar may be beneficial. if i get sick or use some meds......
Thanks for sharing your experience with both kinds of toilets. I’ve been using a small trash bag in a shallow plastic container and throwing it in the garbage which bothers me because it seems so unnatural. So I’m going to try a bucket with wood chips from Murdoch’s or pet store since I’ll be on the road. Maybe I can find places not near water where plants can benefit from it. I’m still figuring it out but I’m a backpacker and I like it going back to earth minus tp.
Ariel; You might consider making a laminated card w/ instructions for the guests' use in bathroom. It would be helpful if you have an overnight guest who has to use it when you're asleep. And while I know you keep your house quite warm I still felt cold seeing you in that (nice) dress!
I've thought about it, but it's worked ok to just give people a verbal rundown when they come over. I don't have that many overnight guests. Thanks, but my house really is very comfortably warm. :)
I think the whole composting toilet idea would work fine. It sounds like an improvement over the way I remember doing things at my great grandmother's cabin, which was thunder mugs and an outhouse (and a bathtub that hung on the kitchen wall near the wood cookstove and countertop hand water pump). I still think however, for people who are using their tiny homes or off grids primarily in one spot for quite a while, your system would work better in combination with an out house. It wouldn't take more than a few hundred dollars in materials, or that many carpenter skills to build a nice sliding outhouse. You just drag it over a hole you dig, and when necessary in a few years, drag it over another hole a few feet in front of the old one, and backfill the used one. The composter in the house, I think would make a great replacement for the thunder mug, but if you did 80% of your business out in the outhouse, think how much easier the indoor one would be to maintain.
You could, but in an outhouse pit you get a big sewage mass that is not actually composting rapidly into useful dirt. Which I think is a big downside personally.
I'm sure you are right about 'rapidly,' but 'eventually' is still there. I guess it all would kind of depend on how fast and how much compost you need. I wonder how much some peat, leaf, straw, sawdust, and pine needle layers in the pit would help, even if you had to drag the outhouse a couple times a year and leave pits of compost behind? Fortunately, from the chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, dog, and horse, and dried up cow pies very nearby, I don't need any additional poop to make extra 'useful soil' faster. ;)
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on both systems. I've been giving a lot of thought on what would be the most essential thing to sink money into in a tiny house and what items could be d.i.y.'s or savaged in the interim and up-graded at a later date. The toilet would be one such item. Only concern I have with the whole humanure thing is questioning if people really understand the importance of proper disposal and the disease faced it improperly handled. Just a concern that people aren't quite on the same page on the subject and the issues it can cause at an inopportune time.
Proper composting is important for sure! I highly recommend everyone (who may or may not have a compost toilet, just so they have a better grasp of the cycle of human waste) read The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3
It'll be nice for your new guests at the new place to always have two toilets available. As us preppers always like to say, '' 2 of anything is actually one, and one is none''. Two is always better.
Perhaps this was already mentioned but does one have to worry about using cleaners around a composting toilet? I'm thinking they might kill of any bacteria in the compost that would help break down the waste.
Well if you mean most regular toxic cleaning chemicals from a store, I wouldn't personally use them for anything. I use a spray bottle with a vinegar/water mix to give the bowl a mild rinse. Never needed anything else. You might like this video I did on cleaning products I use. th-cam.com/video/K-Qfhc-r-LA/w-d-xo.html
Almost all the composting happens in the outside pile, not while still in the bucket. I highly recommend everyone (who may or may not have a compost toilet, just so they have a better grasp of the cycle of human waste) read The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3 For a pretty good look at someone else using this system for many years now, you might like this video of Doug and Stacy's - th-cam.com/video/tPig45Cute0/w-d-xo.html . They also have several other good videos on their system on their channel.
LOL You've had to explain a toilet to guys! then again, I have been looking into tiny house living since I found your channel, so I guess there would be a few people you'd have to explain the Nature's head to. When I was a kid at my grandparents for the weekend, or if we went to the cabin, it was an out house. Fine in the summer, but in the winter, you learned to keep a toilet seat hanging on the stove pipe, lol. I do remember a story from my Granddad from he was going to school, and it was an out house that the kids had to use just down the path from the school house. There was a teacher that was not well liked there, so, as a joke, they moved the outhouse a few feet away from the hole, and covered up the hole with Tar paper and leaves, and then waited for the teacher to need to go to the bathroom. You can guess the rest of the story :-) Maybe that's when they decided bucket toilets were a better idea ;-)
Yeah having a toilet inside has some serious conveniences over needing to be outside, especially when the weather is very cold as in much of the year here!
I'm of impression that you don't have issues with permits or the lack of. In some other areas tiny houses are driven out when they run afoul of local codes and this topic is one of the classic issues. If no water is added it's known as "night soil" and casual outdoor disposal may or may not be permitted. If there is water added it becomes "sewage" and that's regulated pretty much everywhere. While outhouses are often the least favorite choice, they're often legal and maybe a good spot to dump a bucket. Great video on a delicate topic, thanks!
There can be different regulations in different areas for sure, so like with everything else, check those before making your plans. Proper composting is important for sure! I highly recommend everyone (who may or may not have a compost toilet, just so they have a better grasp of the cycle of human waste) read The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3
Hi. I thought that you had to separate the liquids from the solids so you don't have sewage. If its dry it can compost. A lot of the time when i poop i have to urinate at the same time. Would this be a problem?
No problem at all! If you put urine and poop into water you get sewage. Any compost pile needs some liquid to be able to break down. You might enjoy the Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/3kVJhNx . It's a great read!
It starts with a lid and maybe a door or a vent fan. The odor is not completely neutralized, but has a dirt/earthy odor, rather than a bitter, ammonia/sulphur odor of waste. This is my experience, others may differ… maybe due to consumption, digestion and "duff" used (any carbon).
Especially when you are separating liquids and solids like both the Nature's Head and some home made bucket toilets, there is no odor. But even if not separating, each "deposit" is covered by your composting medium (sawdust/peat moss/coconut coir/etc) and the only odor when you open it, is either a mild moist dirt smell or sawdust scent. No outhouse/portapot kind of smell. And yes, as the waste composts, the whole mass just turns into a beautiful rich dirt. :) You might enjoy reading The Huminure Handbook for lots more details. amzn.to/2BnyZAT
See the videos on emptying solids and liquids. You can find both of them and more in my Appliances & Utilities playlist - th-cam.com/play/PLahYrM1qHHGPH3wlkQc7sNkEYlrvj3-AM.html
In my research of compost toilets, I came across the C Head Compost Toilet. It's midway cost option between spending $1000.+ for a Nature's Head and a basic bucket system. I don't care for the Nature's Head because the urine container is visible in front. The C Head has the urine separator and it's all enclosed.
There are other good options as well, these are just the two I have personal experience with to speak about. :) With not having the urine container visible, do you have to open to check if it's almost full frequently? I like being able to see the fluid line myself, but everyone's different.
Interesting...ive been sold on the composting toilet but saving 1000 bucks is a big ol deal! I'll have to weight this out...lol. So many ideas for tiny house set ups out there, it's overwhelming to a point..Thanks again for your info..What did we all do without TH-cam back in the day..😂
Just a few things to be sure of first... To start with, check the local rules for handling human waste... There can be restrictions on where you can dump, if you're not going to do the whole beginning to end composting... There can also be requirements on the type of toilet you use as some places require it to be certified but that can only really be done by a manufacturer and thus prevents DIY solutions if that's the case in your area... Sometimes the rules are in place because the area has a high water level and thus high risk of spreading contamination but in other places it can be perfectly fine to do whatever you want... There are pros and cons to DIY vs commercial build, like warranty and liability, but if you know what you're doing and can design a good system then DIY is perfectly valid, I'd just recommend reading the Humanore Handbook before starting to be sure of your options you want to go with and to be sure you're doing it properly and know what to do if anything seems off or if you ever simply need to improvise, like know what alternative bulking/cover material you can use, etc.
ZeoCyberG, I've checked my local codes & have a digital download copy. Most states have adopted the international building code rules. I have & continue to research the in' s & out's of tiny house rules...Its really not any different than standard building codes besides the square footage limits which is changing a bit now with the tiny house movement...
You misunderstand how the ICC IRC is used... It provides a general guideline for building codes but they have to be interpreted locally because not everything will apply the same everywhere. Things like having a high water level effect what you can do with human waste and what building options are actually allowed. Like in Louisiana, because many areas are prone to flooding, any new building construction can be required to be raised above the flood level. Even septic systems aren't allowed everywhere because not all soil conditions are right for it... Other factors like climate/weather effect what best building practices are in a given area. This all applies to everything and not just Tiny Houses... So don't confuse the allowing of Tiny Houses with everything being allowed... You are right that there isn't much different besides scale but not all rules are based solely on the house but the land it is on and what area it is in...
ZeoCyberG , iv e actually some with our codes dept. We have hit all areas that are relevant. I think I've got a good grasp on what they will allow at this point. I'm in no way doubting what you are saying...im just saying for my needs iv e cleared in my area with our codes dept and we have had conversations about all these areas. Some areas are more strict than others agreed...
Good, I only caution because I know a lot of people don't check first and may not realize what restrictions there are in their area. Doesn't help that in some areas, you practically need to hire a lawyer to get through it all... Some of it is for things like safety but there's also a lot of wasteful bureaucracy and outdated stuff that no longer applies. Some of the codes still in use in some areas have been around for over a hundred years... While some new ones were only created to preserve property values and have nothing actually to do with the function of the house. It can be maddening but forewarned is forearmed... Anyway, if you do it DIY I'd recommend doing a custom one as things like the urine diverter and fan are good features. The worst possible smells comes from urine mixing with the waste and that extra moisture makes it harder to compost. You also have to dump more often with the higher moisture content vs mostly dry compost that can be much more compact and thus take longer to get the bucket full... While the fan ensures it all gets vented, properly dries out and you don't get moisture issues inside your house, and helps keep bugs out that may want access to the waste... Vented also means even while using it you shouldn't smell anything. But at the very least invest in a good toilet seat... Will be easier to keep clean and will last longer... If doing this in a multi-story house, you also have other options like having a basement composting bin so you don't need to worry about winter, etc. and can wait until it's fully composted before dumping...
I was just thinking, even though the bucket doesn't separate the solids and liquids one can make use of a bucket toilet and buy one of those hospital urinals from a drug store and you can separate the two..... and like you said much much less money.
If I ever end up living off-grid I'll definitely go with a DIY bucket toilet system but I'd build mine with a urine separator like your Nature's Head. I live in a dense city neighborhood where composting humanure would likely generate complaints to the city health dept, but I've arranged a simple urine collection system that gives me free liquid fertilizer (with very low health risks compared to feces) and saves fresh water. One web site lists human urine as having a NPK nutrient ratio of 10-1-4, so it's an excellent free source of nitrogen for your outdoor plants. Why buy Miracle Grow when your body makes it every day! ;)
I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years. It is amazing! But I've had no odor when just using one bucket with everything in it either, just a smell of sawdust. :)
From what I have heard pee & poop are to be kept separate to prevent the horrible odor. My Gamma bucket, (brand name, $25.) gets a trash bag, cedar chips in bottom then a composting 5 gallon bag & layer of cedar chips. Lid screws on. When you poop put cedar chips over the poop & toilet paper & screw lid on. When I open the bucket all I smell is the chips or sawdust. When ready to take out: green compost bag goes into a hole in the ground, a little dirt over bag. I'm in town so garbage bag & all goes into dumpster. That is legal especially since it is already composting. I use a urinal & pour the pee into a jug with some h20 in it. When jug is full mix 1 gallon of pee with 4 gallons of water & pour onto grass, trees or bushes. Not on vegetables or fruits. I pour mine down the sewer drain that my motor home isn't close enough to hook up to, yet. Thanks for all your information Aerial.
Yes, separating can greatly reduce any potential odor. I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years. Though I've not had any issues with odor in a bucket with everything mixed either. Like you said, just a sawdust smell.
You're welcome! The short answer is yes, eventually. You might enjoy reading the The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3 for tons more info on how all of that works.
I've done both. I started with a bucket bench in my tiny house. The problem I had with it is at night when I was half asleep and trying to go pee; it was hard to discern if I was actually sitting on the toilet seat or the bench. Kind-of unsettling. So I purchased an Airhead and have been happy with it since. I can peacefully go pee in the middle of the night knowing I'm on the actual toilet. Also, if you live in a place where you have to throw your hunanure in a trash can, bucket-style compost in a trash bag will cause major leakage in your trash can. Not so good if you're sharing trash service with someone. Something you never have to worry about with a compost toilet.
There are pros and cons to both systems for sure! The seat location problem in the night is kind of funny. :) Maybe you just needed a really small box so the only place you could sit was on the seat. :)
I used to have a bucket toilet and I hated it. It was stink and sloppy. One time I was trying to dump it and my fingers slipped and it splashed back at me. Its gross and stink but Id do it all again just to get out of the city. I would build a semi detached toilet room for it though.
This was back in the early 80s and I had no idea at the time how to use sawdust. We had a woodstove for heat. I was unprepared for that life as it was thrust on me and I was only 20. I have been studying a lot cause Id like to live in a tiny house so Id be more prepared this time.
Ariel, Thanks for covering this topic. Do you use peat moss or something similar in your bucket toilet? Someday I hope to full time or part time live in a camper and have been researching composting toilets. I like the idea mentioned below of a two bucket system.
I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years.
A eleticidade é de um painel solar e às vezes um gerador de gasolina no inverno, quando não há muita luz do dia. Para aquecer sua casa, ela usa lenha (ela tem um pequeno fogão a lenha) e ela também tem um aquecedor de propano para usar quando ela estará longe da casa por um longo tempo. Água quente e geladeira funcionam com propano.
Great , informative video Ariel thanks and you made me smile whilst you were filming this but hey everyone has ta go lol. Just wanted to clarify something... you say do your doo doos be one or be it both then cover it with sawdust but then I read that someone said they had made a diverter in their bucket loo and you commented by saying it would help you with your urine ( keeping it seperate)for composting and it would help the smell because that's when a smell can happen when the 2 are mixed? Is there a smell Ariel after putting sawdust on top or does it seep through eventually smell wise with the 2? Some other comments mentioned they had a pee bucket and poop one? I just want to be sure before I buy or don't . Thanks
Glad it's helpful! I discuss several composting toilet setups here. The Nature's Head that I have diverts the urine or you can build a home made diverter for a bucket toilet. The most standard bucket toilet keeps everything on one container. As long as everything is covered by sawdust or whatever cover material you are using, there should be no odor. See the other videos on my channel for more details on the Nature's Head, or check out this channel's videos for more details on the standard bucket setup which they have been using for 9 years now I believe. th-cam.com/users/growinginfaithfarmsearch?query=toilet
Do you use lime? How are the odors combated? I've seen little fans on some tiny home toilets, but I'm wondering if the actual composting process deodorizes itself?
No lime. Especially when you are separating liquids and solids like both the Nature's Head and some home made bucket toilets, there is no odor. But even if not separating, each "deposit" is covered by your composting medium (sawdust/peat moss/coconut coir/etc) and the only odor when you open it, is either a mild moist dirt smell or sawdust scent. No outhouse/portapot kind of smell. And yes, as the waste composts, the whole mass just turns into a beautiful rich dirt. :) You might enjoy reading The Huminure Handbook for lots more details. amzn.to/2BnyZAT
Fy Nyth understand that I lived in a tiny home for 7 years loved it going back but have used the gym shower to have fun have a great time it's the best way to live as a single person
Have you ever lived in the city (as I do) and used the bucket method? I'm wondering if I could use this method & save on my water bill? Yes ... I am serious. My water bill is SKY HIGH. Just wanted to get your opinion. Thanks! :-D
I have not ever lived in a city. I don't see why you couldn't, it would work anywhere. But you might want to check local rules about human waste disposal... Though you might be able to use a bucket, and only empty it into the toilet once it got full, reducing the total number of flushes and therefor the water us?
Thanks for wading in to this very important discussion. After spending a considerable time going outside, the idea of going inside is weird and especially into water and a pipe is disgusting. It concentrates waste and actually makes it more toxic and stays that way much longer. The best and quickest way to let nature compost and use our waste is to go out side and only cover with a bit of topsoil.The top layer of soil is the most ecologically rich part and can completely break down the waste in a matter of days depending on season/climate. Burying it deep slows the process because subsoil is much less biologically active. The problem arises when there are too many people in too small of a land base. The bucket idea is a great second best choice and one can fence off an area and add lots of different compost to it. After a year or so the resulting compost Can/should only be used on woody plants and not in a vegetable garden or low growing fruit area just to be extra safe. Also it is beneficial, in terms of smells and to speed decomposing, to separate the urine out. Which is excellent diluted and used as fertilizer and even a form of pest control and is currently being used experimentally at some commercial farms.
Yeah, and that is basically what a composting toilet does, blend a little soil/sawdust/coconut coir/peat moss into the waste and especially with the addition of worms like I use in mine, the waste breaks down into useful dirt quite rapidly. And the urine is super useful, when diluted, as a plant fertilizer. I've been using it that way for years!
Great information, Ariel. The bucket toilet gets my vote. Is there a charge for where you get your wood shavings from? ... and curious how much wood shavings you get and how long that amount lasts?
No, I've always been able to get them for free from local woodworking shops. But I think you can usually buy big bags from a feed store too if you don't have any shops like that around. I don't have a good handle on how much I would use as I am not currently using the toilet at my new place full time.
Ariel, this young family of 4 loves their composting toilet ;-) Also, check out their small bath/shower with a seat in it ... I think this is just awesome. I love the idea of even a small tub to be able to sit in, and soak if you need to ... also useful for other things too. I thought you'd enjoy. :-) th-cam.com/video/GQ6cKZ3Zf9A/w-d-xo.html 13:36 if you want to just see the tub.
Ariel you are so funny 😂 it's a touchy subject to explain but you handled it well 👌 Go the bucket I say, it's easier, less expensive n it work's better! 😃 So glad to hear you've visited your new property and your getting organised there , I'm so excited for you!! Wow, I didn't realize the powers to be in America recycled, for your drinking water 😞 Atm in Australia we don't use that system so my husband says, n I hope we never do! Love your humour Ariel!! 😄🌏xx
Ok , I thought I was so mature. Yet I was giggling like I was six years old throughout this video. So, that shows the scope of my sense of humor. Great info tho Ariel...! And thanks for the ( unintentional?) laughs :-)
One thing I really love about you is that a spade is a spade in your world. No punches pulled but not grossly done. Thanks for the info.
I think it is great that you don’t take sponsorships because to me youtubers become inauthentic once they do! So thank you for that 🤗
I agree totally with your current opinion on this subject. The bucket system sounds much easier to clean and I like the price! Simple gets my vote... Thanks for this video!
Brave girl, you are not afraid to tackle any subject are you? And you call things as they are. No mincing words for you. I sure get a kick out of you hon. That's Southern talk for enjoy the way you communicate and get a good laugh many a time. 😁
I'm smiling at your dry humor and enjoying your straight shooting honesty. Then I come down the page to find a person saying "There's a new place"? and presto a fan guides her to the appropriate video in a blink by saying "Ariel talks and shows some highlights... ", may I say "wow" what a fan/following you have darlin. My first impulse with Adelle's question was also to help, all of this coming from a dedicated fan as well. I'm off to finish my weekly viewing of my favorite channel.
When I read comment threads on most other things out there on the internet it makes me super thankful that all (almost all :) ) of you folks here are so kind and helpful!
I have watched several videos from those who use composting toilets and I really wondered if we weren’t making things too complicated. This video makes total sense!
Great information. Taking a toilet out of a camper and putting in a bucket this week!!!
Nice work!
I've been using bucket 2 years into composting. When I cut wood, I get the shavings and use them. When people use it there surprised it doesn't smell. I don't separate pee, because of composting needs moisture. Many Blessings
Thank you for being brave and sharing .. I did get the human manure handbook a while back.. so when it is time I can convert.. And you are right cities are grosser lol hugs Al
LOL you said the S word that just cracked me up, another great informative vid thank you, I'm going to take a year out in 2019 and van life Europe so bucket it is, almost spent £800.00 on a toilet. Keep em coming
Well there's pros and cons to both systems for sure, but especially for someone in a stationary location with a place to finish composting the waste fully, I do like the bucket.
This is really informative and helpful information!!! Thank you for being so knowledgable and real!!! I LOVE that you dont accept sponsorships as I literally can NOT take another paid influencer who doesnt know a full spectrum about this world or what theyre talking about in general and only take the money and info the brand gives them. I love your videos and how authentic and really down to earth you are with delivering all of this information. You're literally my new home-grown hero!! I cant wait to watch and learn as much as I can from your informative and charming channel. Seriously looking forward to seeing more!!
Great info Ariel! Nice dress by the way you look fantastic!
Great info Ariel I was looking at going with a natures head for our tiny guest house up here in Canada $1310.00 was a bit hard to swallow so i started watching some videos on bucket toilets...There are some very nicely done ones out there for sure...I'm thinking this is the route i will go ..Even if i spend a little extra to fancy it up couple hundred bucks is easier to swallow and i can better spend that 1300.00 dollars And seeing as we already have an outhouse on the property for gatherings (my little house is on a lagoon system) most people are kinda used to a bucket type set up. keep up the great info!! Blessing's
Just the way you said it, about adults knowing how to, got a good loud laugh from me!😆 isnt it comical how people react to discussion of the most basic of human functions. Lol
I have worked in bars, clubs and so-called family restaurants/bakerys. It is unbelievably amazing how many 'adults' need to improve their aim - for #1 and #2.
Being in many different situations over the years, a toilet, bucket, hole in the ground or just leaning back against a tree, when 'nature calls' any one of the above is good for me. In doors and having to clean the receptical, a bucket works just fine. A plumbed toilet on average uses 3 to 5 gallons of water for each flush. This sure adds to the average household water usage of 3,500 gallons per month.
To each their own, tho I do agree with ya on the indoor bucket. Cheaper and easier to clean/maintain.
Good vid Ariel. Thank you.👍
Well, it's a real topic every day for any live person, but most do find it funny or gross. :)
Thanks Ariel for comparing the two toilets and thank you for your opinion
I've had problems in the past with RV plumbing and had to do use the bucket method or, as we called it, the "hillbilly" method. It works tho my daughter doesn't like it. Preference thing. As always, love the frank discussions. 💗
Well presented ! . . Another advantage.... You can afford more "facilities".
I have 3 outhouses with the bucket/sawdust enhancement around my property.
Bonus - The sawdust covers the scent quicker if the sawdust is moist. (add a little rainwater to the supply bucket.)
Very nicely presented! I love your clarity when speaking because it helps us understand the details of things that others do not discuss.
Thank You. This has been my experience also. Other than aesthetics, I'll continue using the bucket.
Here's a vote for the Luggable Loo bucket toilet system . Read Joseph Jenkins book the Humanure Handbook! Or go to the Off Grid with Doug and Stacy on TH-cam!
That's why I recommended the Humanure Handbook! ( amzn.to/2CbACi3) ;) And I love Doug and Stacy's stuff, they are the only videos I personally watch with regularity.
I am 54 years old and I don't squat anymore since my knees don't approve of it. I drive a truck and in the back I have a 5 gallon bucket and a strip of foam pipe insulation for the rim and TP and plastic bags and a tarp for cover. I just need sawdust but I will have a place to go if I get stranded somewhere. Traffic accident on the highway?
Hi again Ariel This was really helpful info. I've been wondering about that and your comparisons are great. Helps in making a choice. Thx a bunch
You're welcome! There are pros and cons to both systems for sure.
We made an attractive bucket system and love it. We save the urine for fertilizer and we use worms for the composting of the solids along with our kitchen/garden waste. Worms are one of the best digesters of waste there are.
Absolutely! I've used worms in my toilet and also to compost kitchen waste for years.
Hey Ariel, 46 off grid here. Thanks for another great video. I have heard and watched uTube's on bucket composting and am surprised about the simplicity. An important point about composting is the topic of antibiotics;as they kill compost! I have a sunmar, and only use it on occasion. I make a blend of a small amount of peat and dead aspen ripped lengthwise with a chainsaw. This makes a lightweight blend for my composter. ✌
Yeah actually all kinds of medications someone might be taking can put things in the compost that may make you not want to use it in a garden. I'd like to do another whole video just about all the amazing things you can learn about your health by inspecting your body's waste products. :)
I will look in to get some kind of liner on the Travel Trailer toilet and do the saw dust system.....Maybe it work better,because those septic system need to be pump and is price.....THANK you
Thanks and I think the bucket is the way to go or just an outhouse. When I went camping/hunting with my family we made our own outhouse. It worked great. Even in the cold you did your business pretty fast LOL. Thanks and great information. I didn't realize that the composting one was so expensive.
We did the in-between thing - we built a homemade composting toilet with a urine-diverter insert, but used a 5-gallon bucket for the solids bin.
Our diverter is plumbed to where we want it to go, so there's no emptying it at all. This would have been an issue as I'm diabetic and sometimes would need to empty that thing daily!
We wind up emptying the solids about every 2 weeks. All the toilet paper goes in there, so things are covered as the next person comes to use it.
There's two of us been using it for almost 3 years now. I think it's a good system.
Nice! I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years.
Fy Nyth Ariel can you explain how you separate your urine now with your bucket system? I go so many times a day, I’m aware it’s not good to put them together if you are using a bucket system, that’s where the smell begins and they don’t compost as well . Also- has anyone in your circles tried adding some vermicomposting to the bucket? I currently vermicompost (in my kitchen, it’s too cold outside ) and I’d like to add a few worms to the bucket, as well as my coffee grounds when dry. Any thoughts ? Thanks for this great vid!
Hi, can you share how you built a diverter? Also, is your urine just draining outside ? If so, would the line not freeze ? That’s a nice problem here if you don’t keep it heated...
Ariel, good subject. The savings can be even larger for a new home as you don't need to pay $5k to $10 for a septic system. I have been using the Natures Head for a year and half now. I had thought that the main issue to keeping the smell down was separating the liquid from the solids.
That is a good point. And yes, separating can greatly reduce any potential odor. I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer.
Gone with the Wynn's yes they definitely got a very well done videos on the Nature's head composting toilet I one time I was leaning towards the airhead but because of my engineering mine I looked at the pros and cons and I ended up buying Nature's head
Lol. I read the title as something about nature’s head and assumed we were gonna be talking about pooping outside. This is much better than that.
Ariael I can't wait to see the new land you are great. Love ur house and food videos
I like your opinion and information comparing the two different composting toilets. I been debating for a very long time on what type of toilet to use. I have and still use a very expensive RV toilet in the trailer that I live in, but there is a lot of issues with an RV toilet. They cost an arm an a leg to replace the parts and/or the toilet itself, and they do not last very long and then you got to deal with the holding tank.
When an RV sets and not moving down the road the solids tend to just pile up and then becomes a really big issue to try and clean out then.
I just finally took the holding tank completely out and piped from the toilet directly into the sewer line and then I had no more problems with the solids as then I could flush the line with straight water till the solids flushed into the septic tank.
So, when I seen your first video on Nature's head composting toilet I got to thinking LOL thinking is sometimes very bad for me you know).
I thought that would be a great idea for my pickup camper, small and light easy to clean etc., that was until I seen the price. $1,000 was way out of my budget for my pickup camper.
Seeing that your holding tank on your composting toilet was basically just a 5 gallon bucket I decided to go with a 5 gallon bucket in my pickup camper and save the $1000 for a commercial composting toilet and save the money for something else like traveling etc. .
Like you mention a person can pick up these 5 gallon buckets just about anywhere and I found a toilet bucket lid for the 5 gallon bucket that seals the bucket I think I may have paid 5 or 6 dollars for the lid and maybe $2.50 for a 5 gallon bucket and about 5 dollars for the plywood box to go around the bucket so basically a toilet for less than $20 .
I do plan on soon replacing the RV toilet in my trailer as it's on it's last leg with this bucket composting concept, because i cannot see spending another 200 to 500 dollars replacement on a regular RV toilet that will only last maybe 2 to 4 years at the most.
Thank you again Ariel for another great idea and for sharing your video's with the rest of us and looking forward to your next great video. dd
Off Grid with Doug and Stacy channel has videos on their bucket system... The Humanore Handbook is a good reading resource to be sure you're doing it right... as well as give design options for improvements later...
Thank you for the info, I will check it out. dd
dd Holcomb
If u have a Firehouse Subs food chain, u can get a red Firehouse bucket with a lid for $2.00.
Thank you . dd
Thanks for the video Ariel. I agree the Bucket is definitely the simpler way to go. You know the saying, keep it simply la la la ;) Hope to see more of your new place in the coming months. Stay safe and warm. Grizz was pretty quiet this time. :) Take care Ariel.
A friend who recently built a cabin put in an electric toilet, it heats/burns the waste into ash. Not cheap but quite convenient out on a small island. She's hooked up to the electrical grid, without that it wouldn't work.
Does she like the setup? I'm curious because I've know a few folks with different versions of incinerating toilets and they pretty much all really disliked them and ended up switching to something else. I've never used one personally so I like to hear what other's think.
Apparently I was a bit too quick, she hasn't used it yet, the interior of the cabin isn't quite finished yet. But her brother (on the same island) has tried his with no complaints, except for the 3000 dollar price tag maybe...
Good to know. Thanks!
Great video. I grew up on a farm with an out house (outdoor bathroom). The bucket is the way to go. Keep it simple. And so many builder do a great job making them look nice such as the ones in your video. Well done♥️
Hi Ariel, great video. You have provided an excellent comparison between the two systems. 😊
If I would have done it again I think I would have bought the C head compost toilet not only is it affordable a uses a plastic bucket like you say and you utilize one gallon jugs water jugs or milk jugs same type of container it has the urine diverter it's a heck of lot cheaper and you can replace those parts very easy specially the urine bottle
My family has a cabin up in the Rocky Mountains and they have an out house that I have used since I was a kid. I really hate the open pit/bucket thing. Personally I would get a composting toilet, if I had to.
Yeah, outhouses are an example of a defecation toilet system. Lots of people have issues with composting because they confuse it with the defecation toilets.
Both can start with something as basic as a bucket but they diverge from then on as two very different ways of dealing with the waste.
In defecation systems it's basically just storing the waste and letting it decompose over time, which is a very slow process and doesn't actually get rid of the waste.
While composting takes advantage of the natural way that nature recycles all organic matter back into the soil by letting micro-organisms break it down and convert it into compost. So you eventually end up with no waste and a end product that's actually good for the soil/earth, helping to fight soil erosion, etc.
There's also advance ways to compost and on high end solutions they even have flush-able composting toilet systems that allow for traditional toilets but sends the waste into a composting bin that can be in your basement or up to 70 feet away in an outdoor shed, etc. and automated so you only have to deal with the final compost but those are very expensive systems.
ZeoCyberG Glad to hear there are new options. ty
Yeah I've never been a pit/outhouse fan either so I can understand that. Maybe check out the Humanure Handbook for lots more info on what ZeoCyberG is describing very well. amzn.to/2CbACi3
thank you I thought about that but I always wondered how to reduce the oder. you explained it well. I appreciate the info. although for me I like my bidet I been using a bidet for decades. if you have any suggestions on how to use a toilet like this with a bidet I would love to hear it but anyways another great video thank you so much. by the way you made an excellent point that really got me thinking how we poop in the water then they have to clean it and that is absolutely disgusting. our water is thick and chlorine tasting where I live I won't even drink it it's disgusting possibly there's a lot of debris still in it. I think I'm going to start looking into a composting toilet thank you Ariel
Hmm, I'm sure someone has designed one with a bidet. You'd have to add plumbing of some kind to the setup which a composting toilet doesn't normally have, but I don't seen any reason why it would be impossible. It also would probably increase the weight of the contents and frequency with which you need to empty it....
Fy Nyth yes I thought of that I've been watching other channels now and getting ideas. I guess I can just use a composting toilet when I travel and use my baby wipes as I always do in my vehicle if I'm going to do a compost
I love my sawdust toilet, I use a two gallon container and a use a smaller plastic one for urine, the dust lasts longer and the trees love it..
awesome information and if lm ever lucky enough to get my own land a bucket is going to be my preference, wow l cant believe its four years its like a mile stone good on you.
This is interesting, good info to have. Thanks for your honesty :P
Love vid and bucket system... Thx Ariael
Lots of van campers use the bucket method but they have a series of plastic bags they use inside the bucket. Since your bucket is stationary, it sounds like you don’t use the plastic bags in the bucket, but just go directly into the bucket, correct? How hard it is to clean out the bucket then? Wouldn’t it be hard to clean because stuff would be stuck to the sides of the bucket? I’m planning on using the bucket system in my van build. Thanks.
I think the bags are used mostly by those on the road who have to go the garbage can route to dispose of the waste since they have no location to finish composting. Check out these videos on how I empty liquids and solids from the Natures Head. Dumping a bucket I don't have a video on yet, but it's basically the same, yes.
th-cam.com/video/0zPfzr9794Q/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/hEtgyB_u6is/w-d-xo.html
i also had "a bucket" as my first choice for all the same reasons you've listed. and then "nature's head". wisconsin regulations do not permit either (4 years ago). so i did buy the approved sun-mar ($1,350). truth be told.....never used it once ! now the sun-mar sits pretty in case authorities want to see what goes where. i also pee in a 2 1/2 gallon container with screw cap and also dump on bare ground (not snow covered) under multiple trees and always a different set of trees. the rest i incinerate in the wood stove when cold weather seasons prevail. incinerating is legal although incinerating in that fashion is probably not what the regulators had in mind. when weather is warm and green and growing.....i dig and bury as if i were camping per regulations. maybe in the future the sun-mar may be beneficial. if i get sick or use some meds......
Thanks for sharing your experience with both kinds of toilets. I’ve been using a small trash bag in a shallow plastic container and throwing it in the garbage which bothers me because it seems so unnatural.
So I’m going to try a bucket with wood chips from Murdoch’s or pet store since I’ll be on the road. Maybe I can find places not near water where plants can benefit from it. I’m still figuring it out but I’m a backpacker and I like it going back to earth minus tp.
You're most welcome!
Excellent explanation.
Ariel;
You might consider making a laminated card w/ instructions for the guests' use in bathroom. It would be helpful if you have an overnight guest who has to use it when you're asleep.
And while I know you keep your house quite warm I still felt cold seeing you in that (nice) dress!
I've thought about it, but it's worked ok to just give people a verbal rundown when they come over. I don't have that many overnight guests. Thanks, but my house really is very comfortably warm. :)
Will you have a garden to put in. Lot of good gardens use horse or cow poop.
I always have a garden! If you've never seen it, you might like this playlist of my garden videos. th-cam.com/video/v9ZKbL7kOMo/w-d-xo.html
Hi Ariel. Love your crochet blanket :0) Thanks for all your great vids. Makes me really executed about Tiny House living in the future. Kate (uk) xx
Thanks! Best wishes as you make your plans happen!
I think the whole composting toilet idea would work fine. It sounds like an improvement over the way I remember doing things at my great grandmother's cabin, which was thunder mugs and an outhouse (and a bathtub that hung on the kitchen wall near the wood cookstove and countertop hand water pump). I still think however, for people who are using their tiny homes or off grids primarily in one spot for quite a while, your system would work better in combination with an out house. It wouldn't take more than a few hundred dollars in materials, or that many carpenter skills to build a nice sliding outhouse. You just drag it over a hole you dig, and when necessary in a few years, drag it over another hole a few feet in front of the old one, and backfill the used one. The composter in the house, I think would make a great replacement for the thunder mug, but if you did 80% of your business out in the outhouse, think how much easier the indoor one would be to maintain.
You could, but in an outhouse pit you get a big sewage mass that is not actually composting rapidly into useful dirt. Which I think is a big downside personally.
I'm sure you are right about 'rapidly,' but 'eventually' is still there. I guess it all would kind of depend on how fast and how much compost you need. I wonder how much some peat, leaf, straw, sawdust, and pine needle layers in the pit would help, even if you had to drag the outhouse a couple times a year and leave pits of compost behind? Fortunately, from the chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, dog, and horse, and dried up cow pies very nearby, I don't need any additional poop to make extra 'useful soil' faster. ;)
Great information, thank you!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on both systems. I've been giving a lot of thought on what would be the most essential thing to sink money into in a tiny house and what items could be d.i.y.'s or savaged in the interim and up-graded at a later date. The toilet would be one such item. Only concern I have with the whole humanure thing is questioning if people really understand the importance of proper disposal and the disease faced it improperly handled. Just a concern that people aren't quite on the same page on the subject and the issues it can cause at an inopportune time.
Proper composting is important for sure! I highly recommend everyone (who may or may not have a compost toilet, just so they have a better grasp of the cycle of human waste) read The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3
It'll be nice for your new guests at the new place to always have two toilets available. As us preppers always like to say, '' 2 of anything is actually one, and one is none''. Two is always better.
Perhaps this was already mentioned but does one have to worry about using cleaners around a composting toilet? I'm thinking they might kill of any bacteria in the compost that would help break down the waste.
Well if you mean most regular toxic cleaning chemicals from a store, I wouldn't personally use them for anything. I use a spray bottle with a vinegar/water mix to give the bowl a mild rinse. Never needed anything else. You might like this video I did on cleaning products I use. th-cam.com/video/K-Qfhc-r-LA/w-d-xo.html
Well done! Shat Chat is never an easy subject. We are adults, if you eat you poo. Thanks for saying 'shit' in the video, it is what it is!
I guess I missed the episode where you purchased a homestead and wondered what the title was, where you talked about your property.....thanks
You can find the videos on that in this playlist - th-cam.com/play/PLahYrM1qHHGMODQboJkNtuyCLrnpfrpbw.html
I can't figure out how you get compost in the bucket system without worms?
Almost all the composting happens in the outside pile, not while still in the bucket. I highly recommend everyone (who may or may not have a compost toilet, just so they have a better grasp of the cycle of human waste) read The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3 For a pretty good look at someone else using this system for many years now, you might like this video of Doug and Stacy's - th-cam.com/video/tPig45Cute0/w-d-xo.html . They also have several other good videos on their system on their channel.
I have seen tiny houses with a trap door outside so dont have to carry the bucket through the house to empty it.
LOL You've had to explain a toilet to guys! then again, I have been looking into tiny house living since I found your channel, so I guess there would be a few people you'd have to explain the Nature's head to. When I was a kid at my grandparents for the weekend, or if we went to the cabin, it was an out house. Fine in the summer, but in the winter, you learned to keep a toilet seat hanging on the stove pipe, lol. I do remember a story from my Granddad from he was going to school, and it was an out house that the kids had to use just down the path from the school house. There was a teacher that was not well liked there, so, as a joke, they moved the outhouse a few feet away from the hole, and covered up the hole with Tar paper and leaves, and then waited for the teacher to need to go to the bathroom. You can guess the rest of the story :-) Maybe that's when they decided bucket toilets were a better idea ;-)
Yeah having a toilet inside has some serious conveniences over needing to be outside, especially when the weather is very cold as in much of the year here!
looking good today Ariel
Good job, very informative.
Good info!
Thank you so much for the info. I just love your honesty 😁 thank you
I always try to show real life here. :) And you're welcome!
I'm of impression that you don't have issues with permits or the lack of. In some other areas tiny houses are driven out when they run afoul of local codes and this topic is one of the classic issues. If no water is added it's known as "night soil" and casual outdoor disposal may or may not be permitted. If there is water added it becomes "sewage" and that's regulated pretty much everywhere. While outhouses are often the least favorite choice, they're often legal and maybe a good spot to dump a bucket.
Great video on a delicate topic, thanks!
There can be different regulations in different areas for sure, so like with everything else, check those before making your plans. Proper composting is important for sure! I highly recommend everyone (who may or may not have a compost toilet, just so they have a better grasp of the cycle of human waste) read The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3
Hi. I thought that you had to separate the liquids from the solids so you don't have sewage. If its dry it can compost. A lot of the time when i poop i have to urinate at the same time. Would this be a problem?
No problem at all! If you put urine and poop into water you get sewage. Any compost pile needs some liquid to be able to break down. You might enjoy the Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/3kVJhNx . It's a great read!
I don't understand how a bucket toilet doesn't smell. Does the sawdust neutralize the odors?
It starts with a lid and maybe a door or a vent fan. The odor is not completely neutralized, but has a dirt/earthy odor, rather than a bitter, ammonia/sulphur odor of waste. This is my experience, others may differ… maybe due to consumption, digestion and "duff" used (any carbon).
Especially when you are separating liquids and solids like both the Nature's Head and some home made bucket toilets, there is no odor. But even if not separating, each "deposit" is covered by your composting medium (sawdust/peat moss/coconut coir/etc) and the only odor when you open it, is either a mild moist dirt smell or sawdust scent. No outhouse/portapot kind of smell. And yes, as the waste composts, the whole mass just turns into a beautiful rich dirt. :) You might enjoy reading The Huminure Handbook for lots more details. amzn.to/2BnyZAT
what do you do with this when it is full
See the videos on emptying solids and liquids. You can find both of them and more in my Appliances & Utilities playlist - th-cam.com/play/PLahYrM1qHHGPH3wlkQc7sNkEYlrvj3-AM.html
In my research of compost toilets, I came across the C Head Compost Toilet. It's midway cost option between spending $1000.+ for a Nature's Head and a basic bucket system. I don't care for the Nature's Head because the urine container is visible in front. The C Head has the urine separator and it's all enclosed.
There are other good options as well, these are just the two I have personal experience with to speak about. :) With not having the urine container visible, do you have to open to check if it's almost full frequently? I like being able to see the fluid line myself, but everyone's different.
so ur saying that mixing both urine and feces does not increase odors above separating them? thx for all your vids!
Not if all "deposits" are covered with sawdust. There should be no odor at all.
Interesting...ive been sold on the composting toilet but saving 1000 bucks is a big ol deal! I'll have to weight this out...lol. So many ideas for tiny house set ups out there, it's overwhelming to a point..Thanks again for your info..What did we all do without TH-cam back in the day..😂
Just a few things to be sure of first...
To start with, check the local rules for handling human waste... There can be restrictions on where you can dump, if you're not going to do the whole beginning to end composting... There can also be requirements on the type of toilet you use as some places require it to be certified but that can only really be done by a manufacturer and thus prevents DIY solutions if that's the case in your area...
Sometimes the rules are in place because the area has a high water level and thus high risk of spreading contamination but in other places it can be perfectly fine to do whatever you want...
There are pros and cons to DIY vs commercial build, like warranty and liability, but if you know what you're doing and can design a good system then DIY is perfectly valid, I'd just recommend reading the Humanore Handbook before starting to be sure of your options you want to go with and to be sure you're doing it properly and know what to do if anything seems off or if you ever simply need to improvise, like know what alternative bulking/cover material you can use, etc.
ZeoCyberG, I've checked my local codes & have a digital download copy. Most states have adopted the international building code rules. I have & continue to research the in' s & out's of tiny house rules...Its really not any different than standard building codes besides the square footage limits which is changing a bit now with the tiny house movement...
You misunderstand how the ICC IRC is used... It provides a general guideline for building codes but they have to be interpreted locally because not everything will apply the same everywhere.
Things like having a high water level effect what you can do with human waste and what building options are actually allowed.
Like in Louisiana, because many areas are prone to flooding, any new building construction can be required to be raised above the flood level.
Even septic systems aren't allowed everywhere because not all soil conditions are right for it...
Other factors like climate/weather effect what best building practices are in a given area.
This all applies to everything and not just Tiny Houses... So don't confuse the allowing of Tiny Houses with everything being allowed...
You are right that there isn't much different besides scale but not all rules are based solely on the house but the land it is on and what area it is in...
ZeoCyberG , iv e actually some with our codes dept. We have hit all areas that are relevant. I think I've got a good grasp on what they will allow at this point. I'm in no way doubting what you are saying...im just saying for my needs iv e cleared in my area with our codes dept and we have had conversations about all these areas. Some areas are more strict than others agreed...
Good, I only caution because I know a lot of people don't check first and may not realize what restrictions there are in their area.
Doesn't help that in some areas, you practically need to hire a lawyer to get through it all... Some of it is for things like safety but there's also a lot of wasteful bureaucracy and outdated stuff that no longer applies.
Some of the codes still in use in some areas have been around for over a hundred years... While some new ones were only created to preserve property values and have nothing actually to do with the function of the house.
It can be maddening but forewarned is forearmed...
Anyway, if you do it DIY I'd recommend doing a custom one as things like the urine diverter and fan are good features.
The worst possible smells comes from urine mixing with the waste and that extra moisture makes it harder to compost. You also have to dump more often with the higher moisture content vs mostly dry compost that can be much more compact and thus take longer to get the bucket full...
While the fan ensures it all gets vented, properly dries out and you don't get moisture issues inside your house, and helps keep bugs out that may want access to the waste... Vented also means even while using it you shouldn't smell anything.
But at the very least invest in a good toilet seat... Will be easier to keep clean and will last longer...
If doing this in a multi-story house, you also have other options like having a basement composting bin so you don't need to worry about winter, etc. and can wait until it's fully composted before dumping...
I was just thinking, even though the bucket doesn't separate the solids and liquids one can make use of a bucket toilet and buy one of those hospital urinals from a drug store and you can separate the two..... and like you said much much less money.
Well.... I think I can say we are all a little bit closer now that we've had " The talk " about poop ! :)
If I ever end up living off-grid I'll definitely go with a DIY bucket toilet system but I'd build mine with a urine separator like your Nature's Head. I live in a dense city neighborhood where composting humanure would likely generate complaints to the city health dept, but I've arranged a simple urine collection system that gives me free liquid fertilizer (with very low health risks compared to feces) and saves fresh water. One web site lists human urine as having a NPK nutrient ratio of 10-1-4, so it's an excellent free source of nitrogen for your outdoor plants. Why buy Miracle Grow when your body makes it every day! ;)
I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years. It is amazing! But I've had no odor when just using one bucket with everything in it either, just a smell of sawdust. :)
From what I have heard pee & poop are to be kept separate to prevent the horrible odor. My Gamma bucket, (brand name, $25.) gets a trash bag, cedar chips in bottom then a composting 5 gallon bag & layer of cedar chips. Lid screws on. When you poop put cedar chips over the poop & toilet paper & screw lid on. When I open the bucket all I smell is the chips or sawdust. When ready to take out: green compost bag goes into a hole in the ground, a little dirt over bag. I'm in town so garbage bag & all goes into dumpster. That is legal especially since it is already composting. I use a urinal & pour the pee into a jug with some h20 in it. When jug is full mix 1 gallon of pee with 4 gallons of water & pour onto grass, trees or bushes. Not on vegetables or fruits. I pour mine down the sewer drain that my motor home isn't close enough to hook up to, yet. Thanks for all your information Aerial.
Yes, separating can greatly reduce any potential odor. I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years. Though I've not had any issues with odor in a bucket with everything mixed either. Like you said, just a sawdust smell.
:) "Hopefully Most adults are capable..." I had to laugh really Loud on that one! :) Keep on Ariel!
thanks for this! What I still don't get is how do you dispose of the bucket contents? Can human waste be safely added to garden compost?
You're welcome! The short answer is yes, eventually. You might enjoy reading the The Humanure Handbook - amzn.to/2CbACi3 for tons more info on how all of that works.
I've done both. I started with a bucket bench in my tiny house. The problem I had with it is at night when I was half asleep and trying to go pee; it was hard to discern if I was actually sitting on the toilet seat or the bench. Kind-of unsettling. So I purchased an Airhead and have been happy with it since. I can peacefully go pee in the middle of the night knowing I'm on the actual toilet. Also, if you live in a place where you have to throw your hunanure in a trash can, bucket-style compost in a trash bag will cause major leakage in your trash can. Not so good if you're sharing trash service with someone. Something you never have to worry about with a compost toilet.
There are pros and cons to both systems for sure! The seat location problem in the night is kind of funny. :) Maybe you just needed a really small box so the only place you could sit was on the seat. :)
Do you separate solid and liquids?
I used to have a bucket toilet and I hated it. It was stink and sloppy. One time I was trying to dump it and my fingers slipped and it splashed back at me. Its gross and stink but Id do it all again just to get out of the city. I would build a semi detached toilet room for it though.
Were you adding plenty of peat or sawdust? I don't think it should be splashy if you're doing it right.
Hmm... stinky while in use? Or just when you were dumping it? if you'd do it again anyway, have you read the Humanure Handbook? You might enjoy it.
This was back in the early 80s and I had no idea at the time how to use sawdust. We had a woodstove for heat. I was unprepared for that life as it was thrust on me and I was only 20. I have been studying a lot cause Id like to live in a tiny house so Id be more prepared this time.
Ah, gotcha. Best wishes for a smoother time this go round!
Thank you. I admire your achievements.
Ariel, Thanks for covering this topic. Do you use peat moss or something similar in your bucket toilet? Someday I hope to full time or part time live in a camper and have been researching composting toilets. I like the idea mentioned below of a two bucket system.
I have seen some composting bucket toilets set up with a urine diversion similar to what the Natures Head has as well. So one seat, but separate liquid and solid buckets. And I might go that route just so I can continue to have a good urine supply to use as fertilizer which I've been doing (diluted ten to one with water) on all my flowers, herbs, and veggies for years.
Que espécie de energia você utiliza para aquecer sua casa.
A eleticidade é de um painel solar e às vezes um gerador de gasolina no inverno, quando não há muita luz do dia. Para aquecer sua casa, ela usa lenha (ela tem um pequeno fogão a lenha) e ela também tem um aquecedor de propano para usar quando ela estará longe da casa por um longo tempo. Água quente e geladeira funcionam com propano.
Woods stove, with a propane heater as a backup. I've got a whole playlist on that topic - th-cam.com/play/PLahYrM1qHHGNacFKackN8sLHq_lnteAFh.html
I saw that you use vermiculture with your other toilet. Do you use that with your bucket loo as well?
I haven't in the bucket just because I empty it so much more often. But there are still a lot of worms working in the pile outside!
@@FyNyth how long would they need to live in the bucket to make it worth it?
Great , informative video Ariel thanks and you made me smile whilst you were filming this but hey everyone has ta go lol. Just wanted to clarify something... you say do your doo doos be one or be it both then cover it with sawdust but then I read that someone said they had made a diverter in their bucket loo and you commented by saying it would help you with your urine ( keeping it seperate)for composting and it would help the smell because that's when a smell can happen when the 2 are mixed? Is there a smell Ariel after putting sawdust on top or does it seep through eventually smell wise with the 2? Some other comments mentioned they had a pee bucket and poop one? I just want to be sure before I buy or don't . Thanks
Glad it's helpful! I discuss several composting toilet setups here. The Nature's Head that I have diverts the urine or you can build a home made diverter for a bucket toilet. The most standard bucket toilet keeps everything on one container. As long as everything is covered by sawdust or whatever cover material you are using, there should be no odor. See the other videos on my channel for more details on the Nature's Head, or check out this channel's videos for more details on the standard bucket setup which they have been using for 9 years now I believe. th-cam.com/users/growinginfaithfarmsearch?query=toilet
Do you use lime? How are the odors combated? I've seen little fans on some tiny home toilets, but I'm wondering if the actual composting process deodorizes itself?
No lime. Especially when you are separating liquids and solids like both the Nature's Head and some home made bucket toilets, there is no odor. But even if not separating, each "deposit" is covered by your composting medium (sawdust/peat moss/coconut coir/etc) and the only odor when you open it, is either a mild moist dirt smell or sawdust scent. No outhouse/portapot kind of smell. And yes, as the waste composts, the whole mass just turns into a beautiful rich dirt. :) You might enjoy reading The Huminure Handbook for lots more details. amzn.to/2BnyZAT
GRATITUDE
What kind of shower do you use
The shower in my house is very standard, just small. But since I carry all my water by hand, I choose to shower at the gym instead.
Fy Nyth understand that I lived in a tiny home for 7 years loved it going back but have used the gym shower to have fun have a great time it's the best way to live as a single person
Have you ever lived in the city (as I do) and used the bucket method? I'm wondering if I could use this method & save on my water bill? Yes ... I am serious. My water bill is SKY HIGH. Just wanted to get your opinion. Thanks! :-D
I have not ever lived in a city. I don't see why you couldn't, it would work anywhere. But you might want to check local rules about human waste disposal... Though you might be able to use a bucket, and only empty it into the toilet once it got full, reducing the total number of flushes and therefor the water us?
I agree completely. If it's cheap and it works, why not?
Thanks for wading in to this very important discussion. After spending a considerable time going outside, the idea of going inside is weird and especially into water and a pipe is disgusting. It concentrates waste and actually makes it more toxic and stays that way much longer. The best and quickest way to let nature compost and use our waste is to go out side and only cover with a bit of topsoil.The top layer of soil is the most ecologically rich part and can completely break down the waste in a matter of days depending on season/climate. Burying it deep slows the process because subsoil is much less biologically active. The problem arises when there are too many people in too small of a land base. The bucket idea is a great second best choice and one can fence off an area and add lots of different compost to it. After a year or so the resulting compost Can/should only be used on woody plants and not in a vegetable garden or low growing fruit area just to be extra safe.
Also it is beneficial, in terms of smells and to speed decomposing, to separate the urine out. Which is excellent diluted and used as fertilizer and even a form of pest control and is currently being used experimentally at some commercial farms.
Yeah, and that is basically what a composting toilet does, blend a little soil/sawdust/coconut coir/peat moss into the waste and especially with the addition of worms like I use in mine, the waste breaks down into useful dirt quite rapidly. And the urine is super useful, when diluted, as a plant fertilizer. I've been using it that way for years!
Fy Nyth returntonow.net/2018/01/22/farmers-collect-urine/
So, as I say "I'm in charge of my own sh**". Lol Now that's being responsible!
Great information, Ariel. The bucket toilet gets my vote. Is there a charge for where you get your wood shavings from? ... and curious how much wood shavings you get and how long that amount lasts?
No, I've always been able to get them for free from local woodworking shops. But I think you can usually buy big bags from a feed store too if you don't have any shops like that around. I don't have a good handle on how much I would use as I am not currently using the toilet at my new place full time.
Thank you, Ariel ... much appreciated. :-)
Ariel, this young family of 4 loves their composting toilet ;-) Also, check out their small bath/shower with a seat in it ... I think this is just awesome. I love the idea of even a small tub to be able to sit in, and soak if you need to ... also useful for other things too. I thought you'd enjoy. :-)
th-cam.com/video/GQ6cKZ3Zf9A/w-d-xo.html
13:36 if you want to just see the tub.
Ariel you are so funny 😂 it's a touchy subject to explain but you handled it well 👌 Go the bucket I say, it's easier, less expensive n it work's better! 😃
So glad to hear you've visited your new property and your getting organised there , I'm so excited for you!! Wow, I didn't realize the powers to be in America recycled, for your drinking water 😞
Atm in Australia we don't use that system so my husband says, n I hope we never do!
Love your humour Ariel!! 😄🌏xx
Interesting topic : )
I'm glad I have a septic system.
And I'm very glad I don't! :)
Thank you so much for the info...👠👠👠
You are so freakin cute talking about poop.
Ok , I thought I was so mature. Yet I was giggling like I was six years old throughout this video. So, that shows the scope of my sense of humor. Great info tho Ariel...! And thanks for the ( unintentional?) laughs :-)
Well, it's a real topic every day for any live person, but most do find it funny or gross. :)
keep it simple .i would do the bucket too.
oh lord i busted out laughing at 5:20 and 9:20 !!!!!!
thank you for another great video !