FAQs

No. Separating urine from solids is the key to odorless operation. It is the mixture of liquid and solid waste that causes the off-gassing associated with sewage smells. When working properly, your toilet will have a slight earthy smell.

Generally, when the handle gets hard to turn, you have more solid waste than compost material in the solids bin and it is time to empty.

The longer you wait before emptying your toilet, the nicer the job will be. Many boaters leave the solid waste in the toilet over the winter and empty it in the spring.

That may not be possible for every application, but even in as little as one week, much of the solid waste has begun to decompose and only paper products may be visible. For full-time users, it is recommended to wait 6 to 8 hours after the last use, as harmful bacteria found in fecal matter dies after exposure to air.

It is best not to leave liquid waste in the tank for extended periods. Unlike solid waste, urine will smell worse over time and can stain the bottle.

Urine is a great fertilizer for mature trees because of its nitrogen content and can be diluted for plants. It is best to dilute urine with at least 50% water so it does not harm vegetation.

Ideally, the compost section would be emptied in a compost pile or bin. If traveling, it can be disposed of in a bag or buried.

If only urinating, it is recommended to leave the trap door shut in the closed position. When the trap door is closed, urine from anywhere in the bowl will flow to the bottle. There is a small gap in front of the trap door that allows urine deposited there to flow into the liquids bottle.

Generally, while seated, urine will flow into the urine drain holes located in the front of the bowl. Some women may find it better to lean forward or rearward to help direct urine into this area, especially if the trap door is open for a solids deposit.

Helpful hint: If you tend to make both solids and urine deposits at the same time and have trouble keeping urine out of the solids bin, try placing a coffee filter on the closed trap door before going. The solid waste will land on the coffee filter, keeping the trap door clean, while urine can still flow around it to the urine tank. When finished, open the trap door and the filter and solids will drop into the solids compartment.

Any kind of toilet paper will work; however, single-ply paper breaks down quicker. Toilet paper can be deposited into the compost material, but the more toilet paper that is added, the sooner the material will need to be changed.

Some users put all toilet paper into the base, some put toilet paper from urination only into a trash receptacle, and others put all toilet paper into a trash receptacle. There is no wrong disposal method; it is a personal choice.

Your toilet will still function in cold temperatures because, in the short term, the process is drying out solid waste. This is accomplished with substrate, such as coco coir or peat, and the small fan, so drying is not affected by temperature.

Composting, or turning solids into fertilizer, is both time and temperature dependent. Generally, nothing will compost below 55°F. Warmer temperatures speed up composting. When temperatures drop to freezing, the compost will be dormant until heat is reintroduced.

If the temperature reaches below freezing, the compost material may freeze depending on moisture or solid waste content, making the handle unable to turn. Do not force the agitator through frozen or solid compost. If leaving the toilet unattended in subzero temperatures, it may be best to empty the solids and urine tank and start fresh when you return.

The fan draws less than 1.8 amp-hours in a 24-hour period and is designed to run continuously.

You can stand to urinate, but it is recommended to sit. There is not a lift-up toilet seat, so males should be conscious about not leaving liquid on the seat. The trap door must remain closed to be used while standing. With the trap door closed, all liquids will flow to the liquids bottle.

After each use, spray a 1:1 vinegar and water solution in the bowl and down the holes in the front of the bowl to clean the urine trap and help prevent buildup.

If buildup occurs, it can cause a partial or full blockage, causing urine to drain into the compost material. You can also use this solution to spray around the bowl, wipe with toilet paper, and throw the toilet paper into the compost bin or trash.

Do not allow toilet paper to get into the urine drain holes, as this can also cause a blockage in the urine trap.

Do not use: bleach, products containing bleach, abrasive products such as Comet, scratch pads, toilet brushes, magic erasers, toilet bowl cleaner, or other harsh chemicals. Bleach and other chemicals are harmful to the composting process. Abrasive items can remove the protective coating and cause staining.

Recommended products: 1:1 vinegar and water solution, Simple Green, Dawn dish soap, and Lemi Shine.

The fan should be used 24 hours a day. If the toilet will not be used for an extended period, you may want to unplug it because it may dry out the compost material and potentially make the handle hard to turn.

In humid environments where the compost tends to remain moist or wet, we recommend that the fan run continuously. Dry or slightly moist compost is always preferable. Compost that is too wet can lead to odor issues.

If the sticker is missing on your 12V cable, the wire with the white stripe is negative and the wire with writing is positive.

Yes. Either organic sphagnum peat moss or organic coco coir will work well. These substrates leach moisture out of solid waste, which is essential to the drying process and helps prevent smells in the short term.

Composting requires aerobic bacteria. Aerobic organisms survive and grow in an oxygenated environment. Oxygen allows aerobic bacteria to break down waste quickly and without odor. Mixing in peat or coco coir breaks apart feces so aerobic bacteria can access oxygen.

Without oxygen, as in wet systems or wet environments, anaerobic bacteria will thrive, slowing the composting process and producing smell.

Empty the urine bottle because urine can expand and potentially crack the bottle. The compost and toilet will be unharmed in freezing weather, although the compost may freeze and prevent proper operation.

We do not recommend this. Many brands of tampons are made from a mix of rayon and non-organic cotton and are commonly chlorine bleached. These will not decompose.

Organic, 100% cotton tampons will compost, but will take a significant amount of time.

The Spider Handle has three straight arms with black knobs and is designed to be used with your hand. The Foot Spider Handle has three curved arms that provide a larger surface area and is designed to be used with your foot, though it can also be turned by hand.

Both handles work equally well, and the choice is a personal preference. The Foot Spider Handle is wider and adds 1 inch to the width of the toilet.

While many customers do not vent their toilets, we recommend venting the toilet to the outside whenever possible.

A 4-foot ventilation hose comes with the toilet, along with a flange to help with single-walled installations such as boats and outhouses. For double-walled construction, such as typical house or cabin construction, we recommend using 1 1/4-inch PVC through the wall. The hose cuff attaches directly to the PVC pipe to help with installation.

The outside portion of the vent system is not included with the toilet because it differs by application. We offer a Shell Vent for cabin-type installations that attaches directly to 1 1/4-inch PVC pipe. We also offer a Mushroom Vent, which may be helpful in marine or mobile installations where it may be desirable to close the venting for a period of time.