What are Waterless Toilets and How they Work?

A standard lavatory consumes many gallons of water every day, depending upon the number of users. You may have thought about saving water with a low flow WC. What if I say that you can get a waterless lavatory. Yes, it is also known as a composting toilet.

It does not require to be flushed. It functions differently than a standard shower. Before I suggest some composting models, I want to explain what it is and how it works naturally. You should read this article carefully to understand how does it work? Here we provide each essential detail about them.

What is A Waterless WC?

It is a well-designed bath that does not flush the waste. It does some processing on human waste to convert it into useful compost. Therefore it is also known as composting toilet.

Which Processes are Performed by Waterless Toilet?

It performs three separate processes which are mentioned as follows:

1. Compost the Human Waste and WC Paper
2. Make Sure the Finished Compost is Safe
3. Evaporate Liquid Waste (Urine)

The third task is performed by some baths, while others require the user to empty liquid waste bin regularly. The frequency of emptying the liquid bin/box depends on the number of users and the number of times the WC is used in a day.

How Do Waterless Toilets Work?

Almost 80 to 90 percent of human waste is liquid, and the remaining portion is substantial. Such baths do some natural processes to evaporate the liquid part and transform the considerable portion. These processes are known as decomposition and evaporation. Therefore such lavatories require an electric power supply to run its fan that throws continuous air through the waste chamber.

The natural decomposition converts the small solid waste into useful fertilizing soil. All the processes happen in the composting chamber. To perform this transformation, it requires a fertile environment for aerobic bacteria. The atmosphere is created by the perfect balance of organic material, moisture, oxygen, and heat into the chamber.

The best part of this process is that it is odor-free. You will never smell any odor from the waterless lavatory. At the end of the composting process, you will get a nutrient-rich fertilizer that does not have any viruses or pathogens. So you can easily use it as a fertilizer for the plants and trees in your garden. As a result, it reduces the need for commercial fertilizers and maintains water quality as well.

Types of Waterless Toilets

Different companies in four different types make the Waterless Toilets. The composting process in each type is different than the other. Here we provide the types of waterless composting lavatories as follows:

1. Continuous Composting Toilets

These baths come with a single container for the collection of human waste. The excrement slowly moves through the box, and the end product becomes the fertilizer soil. It would be best if you fitted the box right below the toilet seat permanently.

There is no need to fully empty the container because you can easily remove the compost when it reaches to the end product chamber. You can easily access the decomposed waste through the hatch given in front of the final hall.

The continuous composting lavatories have two main drawbacks which are given as follows:

1. I) It allows the fresh material and pathogens to deposit on top of the pile to contaminate the already decomposed end-product at the bottom.
2. II) When a fault or problem occurs in this WC, you cannot use it until the issue is completely fixed. Because it has only one single container.
3. Batch Composting Toilets

These facilities come with two or more chambers for the collection and decomposition of human waste. When one room is filled with garbage, you need to remove it and put the second one. Just leave the first chamber aside to continue the composting process. This process will be over, and composting will be successfully done when the second chamber is full.

You should safely remove the end product from the first chamber and put it again under the toilet seat. Now, put the second chamber aside to continue the composting process. This kind of waterless facility is more popular because it is easy and safe to use for residential places.

2. Self Contained Toilets

These composting facilities are made with the built-in waste chamber. There is no need to install the composting chamber under the floor. The self-contained facilities are very convenient to use in boats, recreational vehicles (RVs), and other places where the conventional bathroom is not available or the sewer line does not exist.

3. Hybrid Composting Facilities

The combination makes the Hybrid Composting Toilet of continuous composting toilet and batch composting toilet. It comes with a bio drum in which the waste and peat mix material enters the waste inlet port. It requires to turn the handle given on front to rotate it for mixing and aerating the waste.

You can quickly empty compost from the drum, release the drum locker and rotate it backward. After that, the inlet port in the bio drum will open automatically, and the compost will drop into the finishing tray. After switching, the bio drum locks itself in a top position, and it is ready to receive the new material. Check the best composting toilet reviews here.

Safety Tips for Using A Waterless Toilet

All composting facilities provide a safe decomposition of human waste into useful compost. However, the secure decomposition process requires a perfect balance of pH level, heat, moisture, oxygen, and organic material. It isn’t effortless for the user to take care of the compost chamber environment with accuracy. Therefore we provide some safety tips for you while using a waterless composting WC. If you want to check out more toilet designs visit toiletrated.com.

• Always wear protective hand gloves and mask while handling the end product from composting toilet. It will keep you safe from the infection of residual pathogens.
• Bury the Compost 10 centimeters down the soil.
• Do Not use the compost for vegetables or other eatable things.

Please note that you have to use the sewer line provided in your flat or apartment. If you want to buy and use a composting WC, you need to get permission or approval from your building authority and the local sanitation department in your town.