composting toilet liquids to black tank?

[Ramsey]

I'm thinking about running a pex line from my composting toilet urine collection tray to my unused black tank below.  Has anyone done this and do you have pictures? The attached bucket fills up quickly and I believe it would be a savings to just run a direct line to the black tank to capture only urine.

[SeaDawg]

This has been discussed a number of times, but I've yet to hear of anyone who has done it. 

Separret waterless toilet offers a drain line conversion, unlike nature's head. I don't "think" it would be terribly difficult to adapt, but I'm not very familiar with the nature's head. 

 

[John E Davies]

There are a bunch of cons to this mod. I personally would rather visit a toilet or outhouse every three days with that little tank, dump it and return, than deal with dumping and rinsing the big black tank, which requires a sewer connection. I routinely dump my grey water at home into the gravel, or when boondocking  in the desert, into a sage brush. With the Natures Head you do NOT need to stop at dump stations for your human waste, why make that more complicated?  You will still need to use a station for your grey tank sometimes, but that is so much less nasty when it is just fresh water with a small amount of soap in it.I suggest a second tank and cap, and call it good.

https://store.natureshead.net/p/28-Nature-s-Head-Extra-Liquids-Bottle.aspx

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

[Ramsey]

I guess my issue is two fold.  Visiting an out house or toilet with a bucket of pee is very much like visiting a dump station with a sewer hose. With this addition, I hope to do that less...ideally making this setup less time consuming and allow me to avoid dump stations or toilets for longer. Secondly, I don't think the black tank will get too gross just because I'm not adding any solid waste and a water rinse should be all I'd need to clear out most of the smell if any developed.

[SeaDawg]

Pee alone still stinks, if left to sit for a period of time.

It is what it is.

If you do this mod, I'd  add some water every use, maybe some sugar. . More water, before dumping. 

[John E Davies]

2 hours ago, Ramsey said:

I don't think the black tank will get too gross just because I'm not adding any solid waste and a water rinse should be all I'd need to clear out most of the smell if any developed.

As long as you pour a gallon of fresh water into the tank after emptying it, that will be fine. But urine does in fact do gross things as it dries, it turns to hard yellow crusty deposits which are not super easy to remove. I use hot water with a strong dose of laundry detergent, and let the tank sit. Cleaning out that yellow gunk from a small PEX line will be a lot harder. Rinsing each time with a couple of squirts of vinegar will help.

I was an A & P tech for many years, if I encountered a mess in a pilot relief tube or the outside venturi, where it dumps urine (hopefully) into the air, I told the owner/ pilot to deal with it, or an unfortunate minimum wage line boy. Urine deposits can mess up an airplane skin.

This has been discussed several times, go over those older threads and then go ahead if you still want to. Just don’t do anything that can’t easily be reversed in case you or a future owner doesn’t like the results.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

 

 

 

[Landrover]

I thought the concept of the natures head toilet was to do away with the standard toilet and not utilize the black tank. More user friendly. I have to agree with JD and SeaDawg you’ll still get the urine smell which would most likely will come from your outside vent unless you constantly pour in vinegar or black tank chemicals. Then your in the same situation as a regular toilet. Find a dump station, hose hookup dump and black tank rinse.  As suggested get a second or even a third pee tank. In my opinion that mod may get old quickly and not worth the hassle. 

[dewdev]

I have been a owner of a Nature's Head toilet in my Ollie for the past 2 years, For 20 years before that, I had a portable toilet in past popup campers. Emptying a portable toilet is gross in itself.

I have never had a odor problem from the urine tank or the Nature's Head toilet smelling. I do empty the urine tank when 3/4 full and rinse it out. We do have a vinegar and water spray bottle in the bathroom and do a small spray on the inside of the toilet after each use. I do believe that Hature's Head recommends a vinegar spray bottle. With myself and my wife using the toilet, I usually have to empty the urine tank after 5 days of use (longer if a toilet is present at a campground).

At the end of the camping season, I thoughly clean the tank and toilet and scrub everything clean.

Emptying a black tank or a portable toilet tank at a dump station is a lot less desirable then a couple of spirts of a vinegar bottle.

Just my opinion.

[Mountainman198]

There is so little external access storage in the Ollie it would be a shame to lose the bumper storage just so you don't have to carry a bottle to the bathroom to empty it. Once you dump the black tank the whole bumper storage should be treated as contaminated and therefore storage of items becomes limited. I would rethink this and either buy a second bottle or carry a larger tote in the back of the truck into which you can empty your pee bottles and then visit the toilet or dump station to dispose of the larger amount all at once

[Ramsey]

I hear you. If I've learned anything, it's that the wisdom of the crowd is usually right. Thanks the feedback!  This mod will quietly be put to rest.

[rich.dev]

Ok time to revive this thread! I know there are mixed feelings about diverting the nature's head urine tank into the Ollies unused black tank. Well, I actually went ahead and did this mod and so far FOR US we absolutely love it, more so for me not havig to dump and clean the 2.2gal urine tank every 2 to 3 days!🙂

Instead of using a ball valve to eliminate any odors from the black tank I used a 1.5" BV1B/UB HepvO Sanitary Waste Valve, and yes we still add some water and vinegar after every use, so there is no odour at all.   

Obviously there are other ways to do this, and maybe a better way, but here are some pics of how I did it, pretty self explanitory so I will not go into much detail explaining it.

Next mod will be to reroute the sink drain to the black tank.

 Large hole was from factory, I drilled the 3 smaller holes.

Edited yesterday at 06:43 PM by rich.dev

[jd1923]

Excellent work @rich.dev! Getting bored at Quartzsite?!

[rich.dev]

7 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

Excellent work @rich.dev! Getting bored at Quartzsite?!

Haha well not quite bored but I now have the time to do some mods! 😀  

[jd1923]

27 minutes ago, rich.dev said:

Haha well not quite bored but I now have the time to do some mods! 😀  

Put a gallon or two of water in the black tank, laundry soap or something, and it will last longer than several gray tank fills!

[rich.dev]

1 hour ago, jd1923 said:

Put a gallon or two of water in the black tank, laundry soap or something, and it will last longer than several gray tank fills!

Great minds think alike John!😊, a gallon of water, dawn dish soap, a scoop of happy camper and a cup of vinegar go in the black tank after a dump before usage, then after each use a few spritzes of vinegar.