Cottage Q&A
QUESTIONWe are looking at putting in a composting toilet. Everyone but me thinks we need a separate building for it. Are they truly smell-free?
Kathy Dryden, Forest Lake, Ont.
ANSWER
There's no reason to fear an indoor composting toilet. If it's properly installed and maintained, you'll enjoy the odour-free, sweet smell of success. David Del Porto, co-author of the Composting Toilet System Book and founder of the Massachusetts-based Ecological Engineering Group, notes you can, however, expect some smell from where the exhaust pipe vents above your roof. Del Porto recommends extending the pipe a minimum of 60 cm above the highest point of the roof and away from trees or foliage. "In this way," he says, "a wind coming from the windward side of the house will not cascade down the leeward roof line and bring odour to the ground." Angela West, technical service manager of Sun-Mar, a Canadian manufacturer of composting toilets, points out that improper installation is often the reason a toilet smells and says it is essential that the vents of self-contained, non-electric toilets be as straight as possible, and that electric systems employ 45° elbows and total curves not exceed 270°. And, if odour remains an issue because of the physical location of the bathroom, for instance, you can purchase filter boxes that fit onto exhaust pipes to mask and absorb the odour. These aren't available at hardware stores, so order directly from the manufacturer of your composting toilet. They'll set you back about $40. Regulations regarding installing composting toilets vary by province; in Ontario, permits are not required for self-contained units, but are necessary for flush composters in a central system.
Steve Brearton
* Published in the November/December 2006 issue of Cottage Life
