Peat toilet (combi toilet) for a summer residence: what is it, how it works, which one is better

For people living in suburban villages, the problem of recycling waste products is very acute. But, since there is no centralized sewer system, each resident must fight the problem on their own.

You can simply dig an ordinary outdoor toilet, with all its smells, a lot of insects, and an “amazing” design - many people do just that. But there is a much better option - a country peat dry closet. This is not only an effective solution to the problem, but also the most environmentally friendly, financially profitable and will save a lot of nerves and money in the future. Let's consider what are the advantages of this particular technology over its competitors.

What is this?

A peat closet is a chemical toilet for a summer residence without smell and pumping. Today you can find ready-made models with the necessary equipment or make one yourself. But before you buy or make it, it’s worth understanding what it is.

Already from the name it is clear that this bio-installation uses peat, a natural substrate. By adding it to fecal matter, many sanitary problems can be eliminated. In the design, separation into liquid and solid particles and subsequent splitting occurs. Ventilation is mandatory in a compost toilet with peat for a summer residence.

Note! In place of the water tank there will be a container with peat. It must be topped up after each use. This is a kind of washing away the results of going to the toilet.

How to choose a peat toilet for your dacha

Factory-made composting toilets are designed almost identically, but there are differences in some nuances. When choosing a model for a summer residence, consider the following points:

toilet seat height, toilet seat size;
volume of the reservoir for the accumulation of sewage;
equipped with an indicator for filling the tank with waste;
permissible load on a plastic toilet seat.

You immediately need to think about where the toilet will be located in the dacha. The length of the drain hose and air ducts for ventilation are determined at the installation site.

Advice! When using a peat dry closet in winter in an outdoor cabin at the dacha, choose heated toilet seats.

Principle of operation

Now it’s time to find out how a peat dry toilet for a summer cottage works. Dry peat, which is placed in a tank instead of water, is responsible for waste disposal and removal of the characteristic odor. The tank is equipped with a spreading device, which is operated by a handle. Such dry toilets for summer cottages are often called: powder-closet, composting or dry.

Its capabilities are based on the ability of dry peat to absorb odors and absorb liquids. Liquid residues that are not absorbed by peat are dumped into a tank located under the seat, and from there they are removed using a hose into a hole on the street.

Solid particles of fecal matter are processed by peat bacteria, which perfectly decompose organic matter. After their operation, peat dry toilets do not smell, because a certain substance that has no odor moves into the storage tank. It is allowed to be placed in the compost heap. The use of such waste for the purpose of fertilizer is possible 1-2 years after composting.

Odor extraction is a must. Since the process of bacteria working in peat is not instantaneous, you need to get rid of the amber at this time. For this purpose, a peat bio-toilet for a dacha is equipped with a pipe no less than 2 meters high, without elbows. But sometimes natural draft is not enough, in which case it is worth installing a fan. In this case, such a high pipe is not needed.

The principle of operation of a peat dry toilet for a summer residence

How to use a dry toilet

How to properly use the dry closet described above for a summer residence? To ensure maximum operating comfort and absence of odors, you will first need to perform the following work:

Using a special locking lever, we divide the device into two components;
turn the container for collecting sewage so that the drain pipe is directed upward;
pour a special disinfectant liquid into the opening of the pipe. It is this that helps fight unpleasant odors, effectively absorbs them and ensures perfect cleanliness in your garden closet. The amount of liquid poured into the container must meet the manufacturer’s requirements;
we assemble the structure, install a container for tap water on the lower reservoir and snap the locking lever to prevent it from moving;
pour disinfectant liquid into the drain tank. This procedure is not necessary, as ordinary water can be used. But the vast majority of toilet manufacturers claim that with a special liquid these devices work much longer.

Before using the toilet for its intended purpose, you must also pour a little disinfectant liquid directly into the bowl of the device. To do this, you can use either a pump or perform the procedure manually.

Advantages and disadvantages

Having understood what a peat toilet is, you should find out what the pros and cons of using it are.

Among the advantages:

Slow filling of the tank. If the toilet is used by 2-3 people daily, then the tank needs to be emptied approximately every 2-3 months.
Peat is inexpensive and has little consumption. It is odorless, but on the contrary, removes unpleasant odors, without the need to use special deodorizing agents.
Easy to empty. After processing by peat bacteria, such a dry toilet is emptied directly into the compost heap.
If the ventilation is functioning normally, there is no smell.
Peat toilets for a summer residence can be installed outside in a wooden booth or directly in the house, leading the ventilation pipe outside the house.
If the plastic used in the design is frost-resistant, then the dry closet will survive the winter without any problems.
This installation is energy-independent; moreover, its operation does not require water, a sewage system or waste disposal.
Affordable purchase price, ease of operation, mobility.
Environmentally friendly.

There are still some disadvantages to this solution for a country toilet, including:

The need for constant monitoring of the peat stock in the tank and the reserve for refilling.
The peat scattering system distributes the material unevenly, sometimes you have to add it on top. In order for fecal matter to be disposed of successfully, it is necessary to thoroughly sprinkle it with a dry mixture.
A peat toilet for use in the country has a high-mounted drain hole where a hose is attached. Liquid waste also has an odor, so sometimes you have to drain it manually - by tilting the dry closet.
Solid waste accumulates under the hole. They have no smell, but do not look very nice, so you have to push them to drain.
The storage tank has large dimensions - its capacity is from 60 liters. This makes it impossible to transport it alone.
A composting toilet must be equipped with natural (2 meter pipe) or forced ventilation.
You can move them, but often it is undesirable to do this, because you need to install an exhaust pipe.

Compost toilet for a summer house

Advantages and disadvantages

Like any product, a peat toilet has its advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the main ones:

Advantages.

When installing any device that handles human waste, water is needed, which means additional costs for connecting communications. In our case this problem does not exist. Water is not needed when using this type of toilet.
Compared to other dry toilets, a peat toilet allows you to clean the tank less often than competitors.
Waste after recycling not only does not pollute the environment, but allows you to save on fertilizer and bring benefits to the household.
The price of the entire sewerage system is lower than its competitors.
The only consumables required are peat, and this is a good saving on the maintenance of the facility.
Almost complete absence of odors, thanks to the design and built-in ventilation.

Flaws.

Installing a ventilation system can complicate construction work.
Installing drainage creates additional problems when installing a toilet in a country house. Qualified specialists are required to work with the structure.
After installation, the toilet cannot be moved to another place if it is a permanent structure. Read how to make a beautiful toilet stall with your own hands.
Compared to other competitors on the market, it takes up more space.

Despite the presence of certain shortcomings, they can be attributed to installation features and can be quickly resolved by qualified personnel.

Stationary peat dry closet

The design of the peat toilet discussed above involves its portability, but there are stationary models. Such a country toilet is called a continuous compost toilet.

Note! This option cannot be called cheap, but the initial investment pays off. At the same time, you do not need to worry about organizing a sewer system or installing a septic tank.

The operating principle of a continuous peat dry closet is similar to the mobile model, but there are certain features. The bottom of the storage tank has a slope of 30⁰, inside it there are pipes that are cut lengthwise. This system ensures the constant presence of air and eliminates clogging of the air duct. Thanks to this, the lower chamber is always filled with oxygen - in this case, the bacteria work faster. From time to time you need to add peat to the tank; there is a loading hatch for this. You can rake out the processed compost through the bottom hatch.

Stationary peat dry closet

How to install a peat toilet in the country

The installation of a peat toilet at the dacha begins with unpacking the product and studying the instructions. The toilet seat is temporarily placed in a permanent place, holes are marked: in the wall for the drain hose and on the ceiling for the ventilation pipe.

After installation of communications, the product itself is installed. The toilet seat is fixed to the floor with screws. Peat purchased separately in a dacha bag for a peat toilet is poured inside the tank. The ventilation pipe and drain hose are attached to the outlet pipes. By turning the handle, the peat spreader mechanism is tested.

During installation, the most difficult process is arranging effective ventilation. For an outdoor booth in a dacha, the question is not critical. When installing indoors, correctly calculate the diameter of the air duct:

a pipe with a cross-section of 40 mm will be enough if the residents of the dacha use the dry closet approximately 20 times a day;
if the number of visits to the toilet reaches 60 times, install two air ducts with a diameter of 40 mm and 100 mm;
when the amount of use exceeds 60 times a day, additional exhaust fans are installed with air ducts with a diameter of 40 mm and 60 mm.

The exact installation rules are specified in the instructions for each toilet model.

Buy or make it yourself?

There are many drawings for creating a powder closet based on this operating principle. But it’s really easier to buy a ready-made one, because the price of such mobile-type installations is low. When buying a peat toilet for your dacha, the question will definitely arise, which is better. Therefore, we offer a rating of the best models from trusted manufacturers:

Ecomatic

This Finnish dry dry toilet is designed for the use of peat with sawdust. Such a mixture will provide access to the oxygen necessary for the process, since it is present between the particles of the mixture.

Many Russian consumers consider this high-quality dry toilet too expensive, and in this case its aesthetic appeal does not matter. But there is a significant advantage: a more spacious tank - from 110 liters.

Finnish dry toilet Ecomatic

Piteko

The dry closet for a peat garden from this manufacturer is much more compact, due to a less capacious tank. The key feature is the separation of fecal matter into liquid and solid particles. The design of the Piteko peat dry closet includes convenient doors for unloading compost.

Dry toilet for a peat cottage Piteko

Biolan

This Finnish dry toilet is quite expensive, but extremely effective. It has 2 chambers into which liquid and solid masses are separately discharged. The basic configuration includes an exhaust pipe; the dry closet is equipped with an improved drainage system. The maximum tank volume is 300 liters.

Finnish toilet Biolan

Reviews

According to many consumers, for seasonal use in a country holiday setting, it is advisable to purchase the simplest and most mobile models that have a minimum set of functions, which allows you to avoid spending money on water supply and sewerage, as well as connecting electricity.

When living year-round in a private household, it is advisable to give preference to more modern, stationary structures that are resistant to temperature changes, do not require frequent emptying of the tank, and are also equipped with a system for saving peat filler.

Right choice

There are enough designs and manufacturers of such installations for the dacha, but how to choose the right peat toilet for the dacha? You need to pay attention to the necessary comfort of use; to do this, consider the following parameters of the toilet:

Dimensions of the structure. The country dry toilet must correspond to the size of the room in which it will be installed.
Required storage capacity. But everything is not so simple here, because certain models have a limited shelf life of compost. If it is exceeded, the quality will drop significantly and an unpleasant odor may appear. On the other hand, a tank that is too small will require regular cleaning, which is also not very convenient.

When choosing a dry closet for a peat garden, you need to pay attention to the features of its design:

The presence of a signaling device on the tank will eliminate the need to periodically check its fullness.
If you have a dispenser, you can scatter the peat more economically.
The presence of a distributor increases the efficiency of use.

The composition for filling into a dry toilet in the country is also important. Options with ash, sawdust and other bulk components will not give the same composting effect as peat does. It is considered the most effective consumable in powder closets.

Note! If the mixture is peat-sawdust, this guarantees aeration of the composition.

Toilet maintenance

The costs of maintaining this sewer system in the country are lower than those of competitors. There is no need for a huge amount of special liquids and chemical reagents, or additional communications. All you need is to install the toilet itself and purchase a peat mixture. The only small difficulty that owners of a dry closet will have to face is cleaning it. But with a little skill, everything is done within a short period of time. If this is a mobile version, cleaning is carried out once every few weeks or more often, depending on convenience. And if a permanent structure for a summer residence is installed, then cleaning is carried out once or twice a year. To avoid wasting time and effort, you can call professional specialists or use a sewer pump at home.

Tip 3: For proper ventilation and complete odor elimination, it is better to keep the toilet lid closed.

Peat models can turn waste into fertilizer

In recent years, electric dry closets have become very popular. The only downside of this model is its cost. The main advantage is the processing of fecal matter and toilet paper into fertilizer.

For this toilet to work, it must be connected to the electrical network. The bottom tank has two parts: one for liquid waste, the second for toilet paper and feces. Liquid waste goes directly into the compost pit through a special waste hose.

A second container is used to create fertilizer. After each emptying, the waste must be covered with peat. Thanks to the ventilation system, toilet paper and feces are dried. When the bottom tank is full of waste, toilet paper and peat, it is poured into the compost pit. To obtain natural fertilizer, the waste must be filled with a little water.

Why do you need peat filler?

People who bought peat filler for a dry closet do not think about the number of useful functions that this mixture performs. You need to know everything about the capabilities of this product in order to use them with maximum economic benefit and efficiency.

The main objectives of peat mixtures for dry toilets are:

Inhibition of the development of pathogenic bacteria and insect larvae in waste.
Removing the unpleasant odor of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in the bathroom.
Liquid absorption.
Biochemical processing of organic substances by bacteria.

Bacterial additives to dry mixtures contain special strains of microorganisms that process human waste to form sludge and water. As a result, even the possibility of the appearance of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide odors is eliminated.

During the activity of bacteria, high molecular weight organic substances are processed into low molecular weight ones, which are an excellent substrate for the production of natural fertilizers. Immediately after cleaning the peat toilet, the resulting biomass cannot be used in the garden - it must undergo a composting process for at least 1 year.

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Improving sanitary and hygienic conditions

Odor and insect remover

Obtaining environmentally friendly fertilizer

Use of recycled waste in the form of compost

There are other general economic uses of peat filler for dry closets.

The mixture can be used as:

Substrate for storing root vegetables in the cellar.
Animal potty filler.
Above-ground protection of plant root systems in winter.

All options are popular due to their security.

Peat filler can be sprinkled on both tree trunks and flower stems to retain moisture in the soil and prevent the growth of weeds

There are many more useful ways to use peat filler in the country than you might think. These mixtures not only perfectly cope with their functions in dry closets, but can also be used for additional household needs.

Models and prices for finished devices

Dry toilets for summer cottages are divided into three main categories:

Liquid toilet

Model	Mister Little Mini	Campa Potti MG	Portable 10 (Enviro)	ZENET OS07	Visa Marin 319
Price, rub	5900	3444	3000	2950	4900
Dimensions, mm	420x370x340	383x427x330	350x430x320	350x410x310	410x420x370
Weight, kg	5	3,6	4,5	3,5	5
Drain type	Piston pump	Hand pump	Hand pump	Hand pump	Piston pump
Tank volume, l	18	12	10	10	18
Load, kg	250	250	250	250	250

Peat is poured into the toilet manually after use

Model	Piteco 505	Compact Elite	BIOLAN Komplet	BioComfort	ROSTOK Standard
Price, rub	5490	4400	22500	8900	6900
Dimensions, mm	710x390x590	650x380x600	850x600x780	670x420x650	790x615x820
Weight, kg	8,5	6	15	8,8	11
Peat supply	manual	manual	manual	manual	manual
Tank volume, l	44	40	140	40	100

Electric toilet

Model	Separett Villa 9011	BioLet Mulltoa 10	Danfo Pacto
Price, rub	34800	88500	63450
Dimensions, mm	541x456x672	660x550x740	220x820x560
Container size, l	23	30	30
Consumption per day, W	60	50	—

Any of these products can be installed quickly and almost anywhere. A comparative analysis of popular brands of dry toilets is presented above.

User preferences in choosing dry toilets

If we compare the differences between a peat dry toilet and a liquid one, it is obvious that the latter are much more convenient to use. Liquid (or chemical, as they are also called) dry toilets involve the use of water.

To process waste in liquid composting toilets, it is necessary to use chemicals that eliminate odors and help break down feces.

Therefore, it is not recommended to pour the resulting waste into the ground, as this will damage the soil and, as a result, the plants. Recently, manufacturers have begun to produce safe additives that do not harm the environment. These additives are many times more expensive than regular ones, making these toilets expensive to use and expiring two weeks after opening. The maximum volume of such toilets is 24 liters, and the tank will need to be emptied quite often.

On various forums, asking the question: which dry closet is better, peat or liquid - reviews of Piteco 905, at least 70% of forum users will note the advantages of a peat dry closet, because it benefits the environment and saves money for the owner.

Liquid dry toilets: design features

The most modern type of closets that do not require connection to the sewerage system and water supply system can be called today liquid products, which are sold ready-made and do not require any effort for installation, operation and maintenance. Therefore, we will tell you how to use just such a dry closet.

Such designs consist of two containers made of durable, resistant to aggressive influences and environmentally friendly plastic, installed on top of each other. The lower one is used to collect sewage and is equipped with a special valve that prevents the spread of unpleasant odors throughout the room. Also, many modern models of such closets have a filling indicator, indicating the need to service the container.

Additional information: Non-volatile septic tanks without pumping: advantages and disadvantages

Ordinary tap water or a special washing liquid is poured into the upper reservoir. It can be equipped with pumping equipment to automatically fill the container from a tank or water supply system. To completely eliminate the appearance of unpleasant odors, the container is also equipped with a hermetically sealed lid.

The whole structure as a whole looks compact and even aesthetically pleasing; it can be quite comfortably used not only in any room of the dacha, but also outdoors, since the product is light in weight and does not create any problems in transportation.