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Frequently Asked Questions
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How do composting toilets work?
Every living organism consumes nutrients and creates waste. To transform Compost is Nature's Waywaste back to nutrients and complete this cycle, nature uses the processes of decompostition and evaporation. As is often the case, nature seems to be doing business in the best way possible.
That's why Sun-Mar toilets are designed not only to harness these natural processes, but to optimize and accelerate them.
Toilet waste is over 90% water content. This can be evaporated and carried back to the atmosphere through the vent system. The small amount of remaining material is recycled into a useful fertilizing soil.
Because no chemicals and no septic systems are used, fragile environments can be protected. A Sun-Mar composting unit is an environmentally healthy choice for recycling human waste.
Do Composting Toilets Smell?
NO! As well as ensuring an aerobic breakdown in the Bio-drum, Sun-Mar ensures an odor free environment by engineering the air flow within the unit to maintain a partial vacuum at all times. Air is being drawn in either by a fan (or on non-electric units by the vent chimney) over the evaporating chamber and up the vent stack. Not only does this evaporate excess liquid, but by continuously pulling air in Sun-Mar ensures no smell escapes from the unit.
Evaporation is assisted on electric units by a thermostatically controlled heater in a sealed compartment underneath the evaporating chamber.
Do Composting Toiletes Require Electricity?
Each Sun-Mar toilet is available in either an electric or non-electric version, this ensures that you will find the solution for any situation.
How often do you empty it?
Never completely. You typically empty some of the compost out of the drum once per year for cottage use, once every few months for residential use. In cases of continuous use, you may extract some compost more often. This always sits in the drawer to cure before being removed - you are never handling any fresh waste when the unit is properly operated.
Do I add any chemicals?
No. The only thing that is added is peat moss mixed with wood shavings, (60% wood shavings, 40% peat moss, or Sun-Mar's Compost Sure peat mix with hemp). Chemicals are, in fact, dangerous to the composting process and should never be added at all.
What happens in the winter?
Nothing. The compost remains in the drum and freezes, so no composting is taking place. The elements will NOT damage the system during the winter months. In fact, waste can be added in limited quantities during the winter for use as a holding tank, if you are only planning to use the unit about once a month.
Can it be used all winter?
Yes. If the area where the composting unit is heated to a minimum 55 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the winter, then composting will occur.
What if no electricity is available?
No problem. Each Sun-Mar toilet is available in a non-electric version.
How do you clean it?
You only have to clean the bowl (in a central system) or the bowl liner (self-contained unit) as you would a regular bowl, except without the use of chemicals. Recommended cleaners are Sun-Mar Compost Quick or hot water that is mixed with baking soda or vinegar.
What kind of plastics do you use in your production?
We use high quality, recyclable, cold-resistant plastics. Sun-Mar engineers use the best materials for each part of the design. We find that this produces a better product than using one material throughout.
How Do You Get the Most Capacity out of a Composting Toilet System?
Different sizes of drums. Common sense tells us that more people means more waste, and for more waste we need a bigger composting vessel. Sun- Mar is the only company that offers a larger solution for a larger problem.
What is the warranty?
The warranty is 25 years on the fiberglass shell and 3 years on all other parts.
What parts wear out?
Like brakes or tires on a car, certain parts eventually need to be replaced. On Sun-Mar toilets, the fan and the thermostat usually fail after a number of years. In both cases the parts are inexpensive and are easily accessible for you to repair.
Is the Fan Noisy?
The fan on our AC models is just as noticeable as an oscillating room fan in terms of noise level. If you are concerned about fan noise being a problem, you can purchase a fan speed control with your unit that will allow you to turn down the fan speed, and therefore the noise, whenever you like.
You may have heard from users of older Sun-Mar units (pre-1998) that their fans were noisy. They were noisier than the current model, as the fan was from a different manufacturer and of an entirely different design. Just another example of how we are always improving your composting toilet experience.
On a central system, how far away from the toilet bowl can the composting unit be located?
Up to 15 feet is usually safe. We have encountered cases that have had longer distances, but in every case we recommend that you carefully follow installation instructions. It is very important that you carefully measure the slope of the pipe in any case.
How many toilets can I hook up to a central system?
You may connect up to 3 toilets to any one system. The amount of toilets is not as important as the number of people using the system.
Can you throw the paper in the toilet?
Yes. The paper is a source of carbon for the compost. You do not need to buy special toilet paper to use in our system, as a properly operating compost toilet will break down regular toilet paper in a short period of time. Of course single ply will break down faster, but it is not necessary - and anybody who tells you it is is probably trying to sell you fancy expensive toilet paper!
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Initial Setup
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Action |
Description |
Why? |
| ADD |
3-4 gallons of peat mix (half the 30 litre/8 gallon bag provided) to the drum. |
Provides Carbon base and initial mass for compost. |
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ADD
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1/2 Microbe Mix packet at startup, other 1/2 in two weeks (or on next visit if in cottage use). |
Adds necessary microbes which will break down the compost. |
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SPRINKLE
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About 1/2 gallon of warm water into the drum. |
Moistens carbon base |
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PLUG IN
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Power cord on unit to get fan and heating element working (electric models only). |
The unit is ready for use |
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SPRAY
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"Compost Quick" enzymes into drum before and after mixing. Coat the evaporation chamber with it before using the unit. |
Speeds start up of compost by acting as a catalyst to assist bacteria
Prevents possibility of start-up odor in the evaporation chamber |
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RAKE
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Loose peat moss from the evaporation chamber until the compost is established, which takes approximately 6 weeks. |
Until the compost is active, some peat mix may fall through the screen or drum door into the evaporating chamber. |
Ongoing Maintenance
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Add..
1 cupful (or 2 handfuls) of Sun-Mar Compost Sure (or 50/50 mixture of peat moss and non-cedar wood shavings) to the Bio-Drum after every bowel movement. This usually represents one cupful per person per day of use.
If you have a central unit, peat mix only needs to be added when you do your rotations at the end of the weekend (cottage use) or once every 2nd day (residential/weekly use).
Why?
- Maintains the carbon/nitrogen balance
- Absorbs Liquid
- Helps oxygen penetrate for aerobic composting
Turn Handle...
to rotate the drum 4-6 complete revolutions, three times a week when in use, or, if used only at weekends, only on departure.
Why?
- Mixes and oxygenates the compost
Unplug...
the unit if you are leaving for a period of more than a few days. If you are leaving one weekend and coming back the next, you may unplug the unit.
Consider installing a timer to shut the unit off after 48 hours to evaporate excess liquid. If you are leaving for a period of more than few days, or the compost appears dry, add approximately 1/2 gallon of warm water before leaving to keep the compost moist.
Why?
- unplugging unit will conserve power and keep compost from drying.
- addition of water helps keep the compost moist
Empty...
some compost into the finishing drawer when the drum is 1/2 to 2/3 full. It is 2/3 full when the compost reaches a level about 2-3 inches below the drum door when the door is open.
To empty some compost into the drawer, pull the drum locker button and rotate the handle counter-clockwise (to turn the drum clockwise). Turn at the same speed you would normally do for mixing.
If necessary, use the rake to level the compost in the drawer. If there is not enough compost in the drawer, turn the drum backwards (clockwise) again 1 rotation.
Leave the compost in the finishing drawer to finish for 3-4 weeks or until you next need to remove compost from the drum.
Why?
- Moves some compost to the next stage for finishing
- Ensures that the drum does not get too full
- Provides Extra Time for composting to be completed.
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Annual System Startup
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What Do I Do At the Beginning of the Season?
Empty...
any compost that had been left in the finishing drawer, and use the rake to clean out the evaporation chamber, paying special attention to the back two corners of the unit (or left hand side if it is a Centrex family unit).
Why?
- Your fertilizer is ready.
- This is a good time to remove peat debris from the evaporation chamber.
Remove...
additional drawers of compost (if there is more than 6 to 8 inches of compost in the drum). This is done by releasing the drum lock, and rotating the drum opposite from the usual direction (turn handle counter-clockwise) to extract compost into the drawer.
Since it will have been sitting over the winter and decomposing in the fall and spring, it will be finished and may be removed immediately, without any extra time needed to finish the compost in the drawer. Several drawers may be removed in this fashion if necessary.
Be sure to leave 6-8 inches of compost in the bottom of the drum to start off the season with a "starter batch" of compost.
Why?
- Frees space in the drum for the new season's composting.
Add...
1/2 gallon of warm water.
Why?
As an option for optimal composting:
Add SUN-MAR "Microbe Mix" or unsterilized black earth from a garden center. We do not recommend using topsoil as it may contain fly larvae, and may not contain all of the bacterium required. SUN-MAR "Compost Quick" enzyme can also be used as a compost accelerant.
- Even though the compost still has microbes in it, you may want to start the year by replenishing microbes.
- Compost Quick helps to accelerate the action of the microbes.
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