Compost Head - my take on Natures Head after a month

[ranger58sb]

Guests never had a problem with the system because I was very selective about who came onboard (the secret to eliminating head problems).

I think another useful secret is a prominent sign that says "You clog it, you fix it!"



-Chris

 

[Cargile]

Peter another option is ttps://www.leesan.com/shop/cinderella-freedom.aspx
They make an incinerating one that takes a 2 1/2” vent pipe and runs on propane with trivial electrical draw.

at 4300 pounds sterling it gives a whole new meaning to "I'll be on the throne".

 

[mvweebles]

at 4300 pounds sterling it gives a whole new meaning to "I'll be on the throne".

Yes, I saw that. But the bigger buzz-kill for a boat is the 180g of propane per usage. That's around 6 oz, Would blow-through a 20 lb propane tank (which actually holds 15-lbs of propane) in about 40 'flushes.' Under 2-weeks. Also requires air inlet from outside the boat, not just the vent.

Maybe there's a diesel fired one out there? At least my wife won't complain about sitting on a cold seat.

Thanks for this Hippocampus - good to see what's out there.

Peter

 

[Bob Cofer]

Actually made the change to a Nature's Head last weekend. Level 5 boat yoga and a little blood and skin left for the boat gods.

 

[cardude01]

We’ve had a NH on our boat for about 5 years now. It works great for a couple-type boat, but not as well for more than that because the urine container fills too quickly IMO.

The biggest pro for me is the lack of smell and the simplicity. There really is nothing to break or work on, other than replacing the little computer fan every few years. I keep a spare on hand.

Another big pro for me is it eliminates the need for pumpouts, which is a time saver and was always a gross ordeal for me.

One con is taking the urine container up the the marina to dump, but it’s really not a big a big deal, and we have two containers so it’s easy to swap out. And when offshore obviously we just dump the urine overboard.

Another con is you really can’t put the toilet paper in the toilet because it doesn’t seem to ever break down and clogs things up. So if it freaks you out to have a TP bin then it’s not for you.

Most boaters don’t get the concept, and I’ve quit trying to convince people how well they work. The ones who do get it immediately have usually battled stinky marine black water systems and are tired of dealing with all of that nastiness.

 

[Peter B]

Contemplating this whole thread - and it's subject, it occurs to me the biggest issue is, that no matter who we are, high-born or low-born, we all have to "eat, sleep, and defaecate, as 007 said to Dr No, in that iconic scene.

The scene which to my horror, had that statement edited out in the recent re-run of Dr No we had here in Aussie. The thought police at it again..? Really..?

But yeah, getting back to what I was saying. How much easier life would be if we were all androids - but we're not...so the search for the perfect way to manage this issue goes on...and on...and on...best of luck all...I don't have one to worry about now. Boat head I mean - I still have to do the other 'unmentionable'...

 

[nobles9596]

Urine actually is sterile until it exits the body and mixes with room air

 

[ssobol]

Urine actually is sterile until it exits the body and mixes with room air

These organizations disagree:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659483/#:~:text=Adult%20human%20urine%20is%20not,and%20disease%20in%20undiscovered%20ways.

https://www.healthline.com/health/is-urine-sterile

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25766599/

 

[mvweebles]

Sterile is a lightning rod word. I've recently landed on "nontoxic except in very high concentrations."

 

[ssobol]

Sterile is a lightning rod word. I've recently landed on "nontoxic except in very high concentrations."

Nontoxic to whom/what?

Your statement may be true for humans but not for other things.

 

[catalinajack]

We’ve had a NH on our boat for about 5 years now. It works great for a couple-type boat, but not as well for more than that because the urine container fills too quickly IMO.

The biggest pro for me is the lack of smell and the simplicity. There really is nothing to break or work on, other than replacing the little computer fan every few years. I keep a spare on hand.

Another big pro for me is it eliminates the need for pumpouts, which is a time saver and was always a gross ordeal for me.

One con is taking the urine container up the the marina to dump, but it’s really not a big a big deal, and we have two containers so it’s easy to swap out. And when offshore obviously we just dump the urine overboard.

Another con is you really can’t put the toilet paper in the toilet because it doesn’t seem to ever break down and clogs things up. So if it freaks you out to have a TP bin then it’s not for you.

Most boaters don’t get the concept, and I’ve quit trying to convince people how well they work. The ones who do get it immediately have usually battled stinky marine black water systems and are tired of dealing with all of that nastiness.

A pump-out is more gross than lugging a urine container to be dumped? Really? Pump-out, let's see. Unscrew the cap, a guy attaches the fitting, out goes the poop, cap goes back on. No fuss, no muss. And, if your holding tank system is well-designed, no smell there either. Fact is, I can open the three-inch bung on top of my tank and there is hardly a whiff of anything and that anything is only mildly smelly. A fart is far more offensive.

 

[cardude01]

A pump-out is more gross than lugging a urine container to be dumped? Really? Pump-out, let's see. Unscrew the cap, a guy attaches the fitting, out goes the poop, cap goes back on. No fuss, no muss. And, if your holding tank system is well-designed, no smell there either. Fact is, I can open the three-inch bung on top of my tank and there is hardly a whiff of anything and that anything is only mildly smelly. A fart is far more offensive.

Sorry you are so offended by my urine container, which is smaller than a milk jug, and doesn’t require any lugging. And, I even carry it in a fancy black bag that my wife made so it doesn’t offend the delicate. [emoji57]

 

[Delta Riverat]

Pump outs are included in my berth rent. No extra charge.


Just fill out a request, drop it in the box and some guys take care of it and I don't even see them when they do it.

 

[Mako]

A pump-out is more gross than lugging a urine container to be dumped? Really? Pump-out, let's see. Unscrew the cap, a guy attaches the fitting, out goes the poop, cap goes back on. No fuss, no muss. And, if your holding tank system is well-designed, no smell there either. Fact is, I can open the three-inch bung on top of my tank and there is hardly a whiff of anything and that anything is only mildly smelly. A fart is far more offensive.

Very true. A properly designed holding tank uses aerobic bacteria, as opposed to what your household septic system contains. Thus little smell.

 

[mvweebles]

Very true. A properly designed holding tank uses aerobic bacteria, as opposed to what your household septic system contains. Thus little smell.

I keep hearing tell of this unicorn of a head system. I was unable to score one. I always needed one more $1k something. Came a point where I stopped throwing good money after bad.

For those out boat shopping, what percentage of boats that you step aboard have "That Smell?" Not septic smells, but something distinctly boat?

Peter

 

[BruceK]

The replica, and I guess the original,of Capt. James Cook`s Endeavour had boards with appropriate butt size size holes, at the stern. Not sure how you concentrate "on the job" with the boat pitching and your butt getting sprayed (auto bidet saves paper?) but it saved a lot of issues (? and tissues).
I really don`t get the problem with urine going overboard. More concerned about people in the local Olympic pool, motionless(so to speak, fortunately),with vacant distant gaze.

 

[rslifkin]

I keep hearing tell of this unicorn of a head system. I was unable to score one. I always needed one more $1k something. Came a point where I stopped throwing good money after bad.

For those out boat shopping, what percentage of boats that you step aboard have "That Smell?" Not septic smells, but something distinctly boat?

Peter

Quite a few. And on those where I found out what the smell was, a few turned out to be head related, but the majority were either some hidden bilge grime festering and smelling, or general mold or other grossness in hidden areas of the boat. Cleaning the heck out of the aft bilge on my boat when I replaced the water tank got rid of the occasional smell it had. And the sludge that came out of some parts of that bilge (36 years of no direct access for cleaning) was downright nasty.

 

[catalinajack]

Sorry you are so offended by my urine container, which is smaller than a milk jug, and doesn’t require any lugging. And, I even carry it in a fancy black bag that my wife made so it doesn’t offend the delicate. [emoji57]

Cardude, my point was that a traditional system is no more offfensive than your urine jug.

 

[mvweebles]

Cardude, my point was that a traditional system is no more offfensive than your urine jug.

I agree with you CatalinaJack, and I'll go one further. Certainly no one could argue emptying the solids' bin on a compost head is easier/less offensive that a pump-out.

I started this thread to give an objective point of view. There are pluses, minuses, limitations, and costs to each system. For me, the simplicity and reliability of a compost head are compelling. Just as there is no question a compost head requires more intimate handling of waste, there is no question that a marine head system relies on a relatively complex system of onboard components and of course an external pump-out that is both accessible and operational. I did have a mild case of "ick factor" jitters but with mind-over-matter, I went Compost Head. Ours is a good use-case, and so far I'm happy with the decision.

Peter

 

[ssobol]

... I really don`t get the problem with urine going overboard. More concerned about people in the local Olympic pool, motionless(so to speak, fortunately),with vacant distant gaze.

That's what all the chlorine that is dumped in daily is for.

 

[cardude01]

Cardude, my point was that a traditional system is no more offfensive than your urine jug.

Understood. It’s all good.

 

[Cargile]

Very true. A properly designed holding tank uses aerobic bacteria, as opposed to what your household septic system contains. Thus little smell.

How does aerobic bacteria know which tank it is supposed to be in? My home has a septic tank system. No smell. Maybe it is full of the good bacteria?

 

[rslifkin]

How does aerobic bacteria know which tank it is supposed to be in? My home has a septic tank system. No smell. Maybe it is full of the good bacteria?

You don't smell a septic tank because the gases aren't vented to anywhere you'd smell them. But a septic tank cannot possibly have aerobic bacteria in it, as there's not enough oxygen for them to survive. You need a well vented tank for that.

 

[dannc]

You don't smell a septic tank because the gases aren't vented to anywhere you'd smell them. But a septic tank cannot possibly have aerobic bacteria in it, as there's not enough oxygen for them to survive. You need a well vented tank for that.

Well, it is vented via the house plumbing vents, but there sure is not O2, or much of it, in the septic tank. Having said that, when I get our septic tank pumped out, the chambers are opened and does not really stink. Kinda surprising.

Later,
Dan

 

[Mako]

Interesting change in technology. My dad lives on the river and the govt paid him to replace his septic tank with a new one which has a blower running to pump air into it. Apparently much better for the environment.