That one is easy - the small size of the bowl - like many marine heads, the last marine head I had was the electric Par with an elongated bowl - kind of miss that. However, I'm constantly reminding Geoff that he needs to design, build and offer the option!
The other is the urine collection - one needs to decide how best to deal with that situation, which I think was covered in the review. As to Phillips posting, we don't use the liners and consider the coir, just a consumable. Innovative, quality engineering and manufacturing cost money - other wise you could just use a bucket. The standard marine head certainly isn't a bargain to use and maintain. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Norm of Bandersnatch Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 9:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] Was Heads now Composting heads Very nice report! Thank you very much. I would like to ask if there are ANY negative aspects that have been encountered. Or perhaps, what was the least positive aspect you find about the Air Head? Norm S/V Bandersnatch Lying Julington Creek FL 30 07.72N 081 38.4W > [Original Message] > From: Jeff Barfett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[email protected]> > Date: 2/5/2008 10:58:15 PM > Subject: [Liveaboard] Was Heads now Composting heads > > Hi Norm! > > Thinking about a Airhead composting toilet - here is a review I did a few > years ago and a few other emails I had archived on the subject. This letter > was written to counter Peggy Hall's misconceptions about the Airhead - keep > that in mind as you read this. Get back to me if you have any further > questions (I you will...) > > Jeff on Southern Nights > > > > I have been using the AIRHEAD toilet for 3 years now, first I find the unit > very satisfactory over the marine head / holding tank scenario that it > replaced on my boat. The urine storage situation is manageable and even if > you have to pump it to an onboard tank, it is much more reasonable than have > a black tank. Urine is sterile as it leaves the body (verified by my > Urologist) I see no issue in pumping this overboard if you have the same > options with other marine systems as they can't sterilize urine any more > than what it leaves the body - but laws are laws.... > > The system is engineered so that the urine is diverted and isn't > contaminated, so e-coli isn't an issue. > > Most users of the Airheads these days are using Coir, instead of peat, > "coir" is the short name for coir fiber pith, the residue of the process > that extracts the long fibers from coconuts. Those long fibers have been > used for floor mats, basket liners, and lots of other things, but until > recently, the residue was just tossed into piles. In Sri Lanka, some of > those piles are a hundred years old! Coir acts very much like peat and has > high lignin content. Lignin is an organic substance that, with cellulose, > forms the chief part of woody tissue. It is the lignin that provides the > longevity. Coir is an organic material that breaks down very slowly. It > holds water and nutrients beautifully. And it will not waterlog. > > This Coir is purchased as 2 X 4 X 8 bricks, which are compressed 8-to-1 it > weighs 1.5 pounds. One brick expands to make between 2 to 2.5 gallons worth > of coir bedding material. 2 bricks make enough for the initial load and a > few quarts extra. So, you can store a few years worth of material in a very > small space. > > As for adding peat, I find we only add a quart of the medium > about once a month. We find that the composting action and the drying > process require one to add water to the pile once a week to keep it from > drying too much. > > With 2 of living aboard, we get about 2 months of usage before having to > recharge the unit with more Coir. In the holding tank days, we got maybe 15 > days between pump outs. > > The Airhead uses 12volt power - it has a small computer fan which creates a > negative pressure in the tank and is exhausted to the outside. The fan > consumes .050 amps / about 1.2 amps per 24 hours. Also helps a little in > ventilation of the boat as a bonus. > > The system utilizes a 1.5" vent and as far as I know, always has. While we > are on this subject the air coming out the vent, doesn't smell anything like > a vent on a holding tank, the smell is more like a dense forest smell. Ever > been close to your holding tank vent when someone else 'flushes' the toilet? > > As far as the composting working only above 70 degrees, Geoff Trott, the > originator of this system has studies to show that even with the air > temperature of 35 degree's in the room where the toilet sits, the core > temperature of the composting is above 65 degrees and is still active. The > drying and the composting are still going on. Geoff really likes to educate > people on how the composting process works. > > Airhead recommends if you store the boat unused for the winter that you > leave the compost over the winter to continue the process and to recharge > during decommissioning in the spring. > > Composting toilets are not for everyone, like all things with boats, it has > its own compromises. I find that this process is a lot more earth friendly > that the alternatives. This system makes great compost; it doesn't stink and > if left to completely finish the composting process, will kill off any bugs. > > One of my best boat maintenance days was when I determined the Airhead was > a permanent solution for ME, and was thrilled recapturing the space that a > 40 gallon holding tank took up, 30' of $8+ per foot of stinky hose, a number > of valves,a macerator pump, wiring, switches and sealing some of the holes > in the bottom of my boat. > > One of the unfortunate situations on my boat was the problem of the sewage > hose running uphill to the tank, which always left something in the lines > and created a situation of replacing hose every 18 months to keep the stench > down. > > No financial interest in this company, just a happy user and one of the few > that seem to have actual usage history and facts. > > Geoff Trott is the engineer/designer and manufacturer of this system. Norm, > I think you would like him. > > END - Other archives to follow > > I wouldn't contradict Peggy Hall either but those that don't know should > know that the Airhead has an ingenious way of allowing the urine to run off > and into a separate removable tank at the front of the unit. This never > allows the urine to get into the composting bowl or affect composting > action. That leaves only the moisture of the solids to deal with in the > peat moss. As this is turned after every use with a hand crank the > breakdown action of the peatmoss and the continuous fan are enough to > compost the contents very effectively. I have an Airhead on my boat and am > very satisfied with it. No connection with the company, just a very > satisfied customer. The guy who runs it, Jeff something or other is very > knowledgeable and easy to work with. For me there is no contest when I > think about holding tanks, holes in my boat, electrasan gadgets etc vs the > simple no moving parts, no holes in the boat Airhead. > Best, > > Michael C. > Portsmouth Downeast 30 > > I have had Airhead composting toilets on both my 36' sailboat and my 52' > Malahide trawler. They have worked very well. They need no power when hooked > up to a solar power vent. There is little odor. I think they are a very good > solution for the marine toilet function. I can't understand why anyone would > have a traditional holding tank and thru hulls on their boats. I took mine > out years ago and have used the Airhead composting toilets with fewer > problems and better results. Just my opinion which is based on a couple > years of actual use of the product. I have no business relationship with the > Airhead Composting toilet business- just a very satisfied customer. > > Dave H > Malahide trawler Tsmyne Too > Connecticut > > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
