Wanted - Airhead Composting Head

If anyone has an Airhead Composting Head in good condition that you are looking to get rid of please let me know. We want to replace our fully functioning Jabsco electric head with a composting head.

Thanks!!

Seabreeze,
Mine is not for sale, but I just wanted to say good choice. I have been living aboard for five months with an airhead and am very happy with it. Bit of a learning curve for me. I used the coffee filter method but they didn't break down and wrapped around the agitator. The second month I used no filters and about one and a half bricks of cocoa. I am now averaging about six weeks between emptying. No smell when using and minimal smell when emptying. In fact overall less smell by far than my other seawater head with holding tank.

Woodscrew you are exactly right! We had one on our last boat and loved it. We just bought this boat and it is the first significant improvement I want to make. No smell, No pumpouts. I know they aren't for everyone which is why I posted to see if someone has one they want to get rid of. I'll be happy to pass on my electric head with a new motor.

Don't you still have to handle the liquids? We drink a lot of beer.

Shrew we drink a lot of beer too! The Airhead has two chambers - the largest one for solids and a removable one for liquids. The liquids container is quickly removed for emptying - in our case daily due to beer consumption output!! In our last boat we would simply pour the liquid into the the bathroom sink each day since it was a direct overboard discharge. Urine is sterile so we didn't worry about it. If you are concerned about that you can easily carry the opaque container off the boat and dump. We had a second liquid container in case we needed it. It is a great system.

Airhead - $1029, C Head - $659. Why are you specifically asking for an Airhead? I am going compost route also. I have looked at the C Heads which are made about an hour drive south of me. Haven't seen any other brands. On price alone I would choose C Head.

friz, when I bought our last Airhead I shopped them carefully and also spoke with people who had them as well as the manufactorers at the Annapolis Boat Show. AirHead and Natures Head were by far the two best built and highest quality units. I liked the AirHead better than Natures Head personally but both are great units. My opinion of the C-head was that it was a glorified bucket with a seat. Some really like them so they must work. I liked the Airhead so much after 3 years of use that I will go with it again.

Glad to hear the positive reviews. I've spec'ed composting toilet (Natures Head) on a new build - that was based solely on positive reviews of both Air- and Nature's-.

friz said:

Airhead - $1029, C Head - $659. Why are you specifically asking for an Airhead? I am going compost route also. I have looked at the C Heads which are made about an hour drive south of me. Haven't seen any other brands. On price alone I would choose C Head.

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And you'd get exactly what you pay for. While neither the AirHead Airhead Toilet and the Nature's Head Nature's Head Composting Toilets are true composters, but are desiccators that separate urine from solid waste, they have fans and vents to provide the air needed to dry out solid waste, which is needed because solid waste is 75% liquid. Peat moss etc absorb a lot of that moisture, but not well enough without a steady supply of air to the box.


The C-Head C-Head otoh, has no fan or vent. It does separate urine from solid waste, but it just stores it along with peat, coir or other "filler" that absorbs liquid, making it essentially just a litter box...ok for a campsite or a "floating camping" size sailboat, but that's all. There was quite a lengthy discussion on cruisers.com awhile back about the relative merits of "composters" in general and also each brand/version. Someone who's a regular poster to both sites wondered aloud whether clumping cat litter would work in a C-Head. He was joking but I'm a cat (feline, not double hull boat) owner who uses a litter made from corn that's started me seriously wondering how well it would work in the C-Head 'cuz unlike clay litter, it's 99% dustless, there's -0- odor, and best of all--unlike clay litter--the scoops can be flushed down the toilet.


So if you want a "composting" toilet, buy a real one, not a litter box.



--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

We purchased a Natures Head a few years ago because the bowl was "elongated" instead of "round" (common conventional terms relating to toilet shape) and Air Head had only a "round" bowl. The two products are functionally almost identical.

What is done with the used toilet paper on these heads?

Sorry but how frigging gross.

I have used Raritan Marine treatment systems in various forms for almost two decades. During that time I have never had to deal with human waste after the fact.

I love my current hold n treat-electroscan system.

I cannot imagine crapping in a pile of peat moss and having to deal with it later. That is one of the reasons I quit camping and bought a boat.

ksanders said:

Sorry but how frigging gross.

I have used Raritan Marine treatment systems in various forms for almost two decades. During that time I have never had to deal with human waste after the fact.

I love my current hold n treat-electroscan system.

I cannot imagine crapping in a pile of peat moss and having to deal with it later. That is one of the reasons I quit camping and bought a boat.

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Thanks for sharing...now back to the topic

Steve said:

What is done with the used toilet paper on these heads?

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Some boats with tanks separate the used paper into a bin with plastic bag liner for later disposal. Could be that`s how it`s done.

SeaBreeze said:

In our last boat we would simply pour the liquid into the the bathroom sink each day since it was a direct overboard discharge. Urine is sterile so we didn't worry about it.

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Do some more research on this old wive's tale. Urine is not sterile, not even close. Pouring it down the sink where you brush teeth, clean face, etc.?

MurrayM said:

Thanks for sharing...now back to the topic

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Actually from the OP’s standpoint looking for a composting system, and Pegs great description my comment is perfectly inline with the current conversation.

There are other less “hands on” solutions for a cruising or trawler sized vessel.

Composting would literally be my last choice. I cannot imagine having to deal with urine, or poop like that.

There are other good solutions and pointing that out to the OP is just fine in my opinion.

Oh, and I am a guy that has spent hundreds of nights on the hook onboard my several ocean going cruisers from 24 feet on up, over a period of almost two decades.

ksanders said:

Actually from the OP’s standpoint looking for a composting system, and Pegs great description my comment is perfectly inline with the current conversation.

There are other less “hands on” solutions for a cruising or trawler sized vessel.

Composting would literally be my last choice. I cannot imagine having to deal with urine, or poop like that.

There are other good solutions and pointing that out to the OP is just fine in my opinion.

Oh, and I am a guy that has spent hundreds of nights on the hook onboard my several ocean going cruisers from 24 feet on up, over a period of almost two decades.

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Sorry, but I don't agree.

Perhaps you should just skip past threads on this topic because history shows you only chime in to poo poo the idea of desiccating heads, not to add anything relevant to the conversation or exert an effort to learn why other people like them.

It would be as if I popped into every thread about Yanmar engines for no other reason than to slag them.

A "storm in a toilet bowl". Distant relative of the "storm in a teacup".

MurrayM said:

Sorry, but I don't agree.

Perhaps you should just skip past threads on this topic because history shows you only chime in to poo poo the idea of desiccating heads, not to add anything relevant to the conversation or exert an effort to learn why other people like them.

It would be as if I popped into every thread about Yanmar engines for no other reason than to slag them.

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murray, people come here to hear opinions about systems, and as an experienced mariner I have my opinion.

I prefer actual flush toilets to pooping on a pile of leaves, or peat moss, and having to stash my crap filled tp in a sealed can to hide the smell.

Further I would never ever even consider buying a boat with a composting head, and I think its prudent to warn people contemplating the move to that kind of system that they will be seriously hurting their boats resale value.

sorry, but thats my opinion, and like you I get to express it.

"What is done with the used toilet paper on these heads?"

TP is ignored , the compost has no problem breaking down the paper , less hassle than passing it thru a macerator where it holds open flap or duck bill valves.

WE have a used Natures Head that worked very well,, if your interested PM.

SeaBreeze said:

friz, when I bought our last Airhead I shopped them carefully and also spoke with people who had them as well as the manufactorers at the Annapolis Boat Show. AirHead and Natures Head were by far the two best built and highest quality units. I liked the AirHead better than Natures Head personally but both are great units. My opinion of the C-head was that it was a glorified bucket with a seat. Some really like them so they must work. I liked the Airhead so much after 3 years of use that I will go with it again.

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Thanks for the first hand analysis. As I said I haven't actually seen other brands. I must say though that the Air Head, from photos, has a lot more design than the C Head.

HeadMistress said:

And you'd get exactly what you pay for. While neither the AirHead Airhead Toilet and the Nature's Head Nature's Head Composting Toilets are true composters, but are desiccators that separate urine from solid waste, they have fans and vents to provide the air needed to dry out solid waste, which is needed because solid waste is 75% liquid. Peat moss etc absorb a lot of that moisture, but not well enough without a steady supply of air to the box.


The C-Head C-Head otoh, has no fan or vent. It does separate urine from solid waste, but it just stores it along with peat, coir or other "filler" that absorbs liquid, making it essentially just a litter box...ok for a campsite or a "floating camping" size sailboat, but that's all. There was quite a lengthy discussion on cruisers.com awhile back about the relative merits of "composters" in general and also each brand/version. Someone who's a regular poster to both sites wondered aloud whether clumping cat litter would work in a C-Head. He was joking but I'm a cat (feline, not double hull boat) owner who uses a litter made from corn that's started me seriously wondering how well it would work in the C-Head 'cuz unlike clay litter, it's 99% dustless, there's -0- odor, and best of all--unlike clay litter--the scoops can be flushed down the toilet.


So if you want a "composting" toilet, buy a real one, not a litter box.



--Peggie
"If you can't explain it to a six year old, you don't completely understand it yourself." --Albert Einstein

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I don 't mean to argue but your first and last sentences are contradictory. Maybe I am mincing words.

Also your statement the C Head has no fan or vent is not quite what the C Head web site states:

The following items come standard with the C-Head.
Stock or Custom portable toilet housing (primary container)
Five gallon solid waste collection container with a built in churn
Churn handle
Gallon jug with EUD or P-tank option
Ventilation hose and attachments
Sealing lid - covers and seals the urine diverter (not shown)

Finally, do you know if the ventilation fan runs 24/7 with these units?

For the record I have absolutely no vested interest in C Head. I am merely trying to justify spending an extra $400.

Well Kevin, I think you are just displaying a personal/cultural bias which many other people don’t share.

Did you know that in Germany many toilets have “inspection shelves” where your poop lands (above the water) so as to give you the opportunity to view its contents and consistency before getting flushed away? In other countries your poop would fall into a pit below the house and methane is used to cook food in the kitchen.

Many people don’t like the idea of desiccating toilets, but your opposition to them seems pretty intense. We all are allowed an opinion, just like when in a series of posts several years ago you were totally against me emptying my pee container overboard, but you supported a proposal to build a dual condensate/diluted bitumen pipeline through the Coast Mountains that would parallel our river for almost its entire length to my hometown, storing over a billion litres of diluted bitumen in tanks on a ridge near town & the river estuary which is also close to a newly discovered fault line that runs up the centre of Douglas Channel, and over one supertanker a day (which actually means two - one coming and one going) through two Z shaped narrow channels just to get into Douglas Channel.

Now that’s weird!

(For those that don't know, the pipeline & supertanker port proposal was denied.)

Friz to answer your question "Finally, do you know if the ventilation fan runs 24/7 with these units?"



The inline fan that came with my Airhead was a small computer fan which had a very low power draw. I placed an inline switch with mine so I could turn it off whe I wanted. I found that I left it running 24/7 during the season then shut it off during the off season. I probably ran it more than needed but it pulled so little amperage that I didn't worry about it. Best thing, we never had an odor.

Steve said:

What is done with the used toilet paper on these heads?

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Just had a nice chat with Geoff Trotta (founder & CEO of AirHead...we've been buds for 20 years)...he told me that toilet paper can go into the solids bin. It's absorbent, so it helps to dry out the waste. Although any TP is ok, it's best to use quick-dissolve TP because it breaks down a LOT faster. Also helpful to be a bit sparing with whatever TP you choose.



I can't see any reason why the same wouldn't apply to Nature's Head.


--Peggie

Also your statement the C Head has no fan or vent is not quite what the C Head web site states:

The following items come standard with the C-Head.
Stock or Custom portable toilet housing (primary container)
Five gallon solid waste collection container with a built in churn
Churn handle
Gallon jug with EUD or P-tank option
Ventilation hose and attachments
Sealing lid - covers and seals the urine diverter (not shown)

Finally, do you know if the ventilation fan runs 24/7 with these units?

I took another look at the C-Head website and I stand corrected about the vent...it does have one. But after thinking about it, it would have to be vented because all organic matter generates gasses (CO2, which is odorless, in aerobic conditions) as it breaks down...they have to be able to escape. But I could find no mention of a fan.

But I did find this advice about toilet paper:
With the churning system, we
recommend putting the toilet paper in a
bag lined, small waste basket with a lid. If
you choose to put the paper inside the
toilet, use 5x5 inch paper towel squares
or flushable wipes. The flushable wipes
will also replace a bidet system which is
not practical with the C-Head considering
the small size of the urine bowl.

Which may be the worst advice I've ever read because paper towels take forever to break down and dissolve, even in water, and wet wipes don't break down at all...they'll live forever in a compost pile.


--Peggie

BruceK said:

A "storm in a toilet bowl". Distant relative of the "storm in a teacup".

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I believe the original phrase was "Tempest in a Teapot," Bruce. "Outrage in an outhouse" also seems to apply here.


--Peggie

imagine

ksanders, I think the most important word in your posts is IMAGINE. That is precisely what you are doing. Imagining how a composting head works. I am sure you are happy with your system. But seacocks, hoses, valves, high current draw, tanks, and all the other complications associated with a flushing head are not for everyone. Not to mention the potential for flooding/sinking with seawater heads and/or overboard discharge. No boat will ever sink from a composting head. Generally I try to comment on things I have actual experience with. Also the kind of advice I am most likely to follow- based on a trusted person's experience.

woodscrew said:

ksanders, I think the most important word in your posts is IMAGINE. That is precisely what you are doing. Imagining how a composting head works. I am sure you are happy with your system. But seacocks, hoses, valves, high current draw, tanks, and all the other complications associated with a flushing head are not for everyone. Not to mention the potential for flooding/sinking with seawater heads and/or overboard discharge. No boat will ever sink from a composting head. Generally I try to comment on things I have actual experience with. Also the kind of advice I am most likely to follow- based on a trusted person's experience.

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Not a darn thing wrong with me posting my preferance for a normal marine head.

Not a darn thing wrong with me posting my opinion that anything “non standard” or “out of the ordinary” on a boat that is for sale reduces the value of the boat in the marketplace.

Not a darn thing wrong with me posting that in two decades of talking about boats, both online and in person, the ONLY time anybody has advocated for a composting head was the 10 or so people that seem to do so here on Trawler Forum.

What I do know about is buying boats. I have bought six ocean going boats. I know about marine sanitation systems. Not to a point as some like Peg, but I have dealt with holding tanks, macerator pumps, several brands of heads, along with several versions of marine treatment systems.

You can listen to my opinion or not, but I’d say I have the earned the right to express it, just like you, and just like the rest of the members here.

So how about you advocate for the bernefits of the system you prefer instead of advocating against me expressing my opinion? Please.

HeadMistress said:

I believe the original phrase was "Tempest in a Teapot," Bruce. "Outrage in an outhouse" also seems to apply here.
--Peggie

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You could be right! "Storm in a D Cup" comes to mind too.
Or as Shakespeare titled a comedy play: "Much Ado About Nothing"