Composting Toilet - Page 2

**cat lover** · #11 (**permalink**) 06-05-2011, 08:48 AM

LOL, outhouses are a comon thing up where we live. Our is really nice, two back to back with a wall in between and real toilet seats! LOL Then one side is where our outside shower is! lol We really appreciate it when the power is out because that also means we have no water.

mom · #12 (**permalink**) 06-05-2011, 08:58 AM

Wow! an outhouse can't even imagine having to use one, or even having to go out there in the night to use it. LOL!

Blessings,
Dawn

**Sammi1961** · #13 (**permalink**) 06-06-2011, 06:15 AM

We have a cottage on an island in Maine. There are only 3 houses on the island and one of our neighbors put in a composting toilet a couple years ago. It is inside his cottage and believe it or not, it doesn't smell at all. He has invited us to come "use" it any time we want but honestly I have not had the courage to do that yet. I still like the "flush" toilet in our cottage. It does save on water and is very eco friendly, especially on an island where the eco system is rather fragile. If we were to build our cottage now, a septic system would not be allowed but as our cottage is so old, it is grandfathered in. Now that our neighbor has taken out his regular toilet for a composting toilet, he will never be able to put a septic system back in. He has been trying recently to sell his cottage but so far no takers. I can't decide if it is the economy or the composting toilet that scares people away LOL

As for outhouses, where I grew up, I had several friends who had houses without indoor bathrooms - they had an outhouse! My great grandmother who died in the early 70's never had indoor plumbing. We have a camp up in Bethel, Maine that has an outhouse. Yup, it is kind of stinky but you do what you have to do and get out. My ds1 took some of his friends up there for a few days as they all wanted to "rough it". They were so freaked out by the outhouse that every time they had to go "poop" they would drive into town to the gas station. I thought that was hilarious! What happened to "roughing it"

**cat lover** · #14 (**permalink**) 06-08-2011, 01:33 PM

Our outhouse has never had a problem with a smell. It is open at the top (about 6 ft up) which lets it naturally vent. The biggest thing is to ALWAYS close the toilet seat when done and that lets the natural vent take place. There still are several houses around here that have no indoor plumbing at all! One old guy actaully fills milk cartons from a spring and there is one place in town tha has a PVC pipe coming out of the hillside where people fill their jugs with water. We do have a drilled well and a hand dug well with a pitcher pump on it for our water.

SandyWeed37 · #15 (**permalink**) 10-23-2011, 03:01 PM

When we lived in Florida we considering buying some form of composting toilet, but making a choice on what brand to pick and to go with the non-electric or electric, or the all electric which turns it all to ash was a overwhelming task. Plus in some places you have to get a permit to use them. I think the act of using one is not much different except for the flush part. But the cost for us was way to expensive and we did not get one. But if I lived in the backwoods I could get used to the idea. Better than a cold outhouse.

RobertaD · #16 (**permalink**) 10-23-2011, 05:34 PM

The Girls Scout camp has outhouses at each unit with the only flush bathroom being in the main lodge.

Can't imagine houses in the USA without indoor plumbing in this day and age.

Roberta

mom · #17 (**permalink**) 10-23-2011, 05:40 PM

I think if I had to make a choice I would use a sawdust toilet. It consists of a 5 gallon bucket, and lid, and sawdust. Cheap and easy!

Blessings,
Dawn

SandyWeed37 · #18 (**permalink**) 10-23-2011, 07:39 PM

I like your idea Dawn, cheap and quick and easy with lid. lol

**cat lover** · #19 (**permalink**) 10-24-2011, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobertaD

The Girls Scout camp has outhouses at each unit with the only flush bathroom being in the main lodge.

Can't imagine houses in the USA without indoor plumbing in this day and age.

Roberta

Had to laugh when I read your post! We live a very rural area; in fact our county is the second poorest county in the state. There are no regulations here except for geting a septic permit. But if your house has no running water that is waved because what would go in it? lol

We have stations where you put in a crisp $1 bill to fill up a large 100 gallon tank to haul water back to your place. For $5 you can get a much larger one filled. Almost all houses have wells as only right in the city where there are maybe 30 houses have city water. Once outside the city the houses are so far apart it will never have city water. We are living in an area where you are so far from a neighbor it is like living in the 1800's. And we are right smack in the middle of the Hoosier National Forest where lots of us out here own our own private land. So that is another reason things will never be as they are in the city. Which is why we have so many new people from cities buying property here to move in. And then you have families that have been here for generations that just don't want to go to the city. We also don't reveive a cell phone signal till you get out onto a main road and lots further into the town 10 miles away.

Just a more relaxed and less stress way of living that we love! lol