Do-it-yourself dry closet for a summer residence - step-by-step instructions for creating a peat version

Advantages and disadvantages

This type of toilet has several advantages:

• He has mobility. Since there is no need for sewerage and a water drain, you can install such a toilet in almost any place you need.
• Cheap installation and use. Packets of peat for filling are commercially available. For a small family, one such package can last for a year.
• During operation, an unpleasant odor is not formed. This is due to the deodorizing ability of peat.
• It is possible to use such a toilet not only for giving, but also in many cases where its mobility is important. One example would be when a home is undergoing renovations and the sewer is temporarily shut off. In this case, a peat toilet may be one way to solve the problem.
• Consumables (peat) do not harm the environment.

Peat is a natural material that can later be used to fertilize the garden

Recycling waste to form compost, which can then be used as fertilizer.

However, they have some disadvantages:

1. When using the toilet, it is necessary to ensure ventilation and drainage of fluid.
2. Problems may arise during operation during the winter period. For example, peat can freeze at low temperatures.
3. A peat toilet is a fairly mobile option, but a portable dry closet is even more compact.

A portable dry closet is a more mobile option that you can take with you on the road.

Closets without a cesspool: the main varieties and their features

A sewer pit is considered the simplest and most budgetary way to solve the problem with a toilet in a personal plot. But even in this case, there are limitations in relation to structures of this type. The installation of pit latrines is limited to the following conditions:

• the soil of the summer cottage consists of limestone or shale soil;
• groundwater passes too close to the surface;
• toilets are expected to be used by a large number of people.

All these factors do not allow organizing a toilet based on a cesspool on the territory of a suburban area. The way out of this situation will be the construction of latrines of a completely different type, based on a different principle of action.

play closet

Backlash closet - a type of toilet connected to a sealed cesspool. The otkhodnik is located behind the foundation, with which it is connected directly or by means of an inclined pipe. It is equipped with a hatch through which it is conveniently cleared of waste. The bottom of the container is tilted towards the lid so that waste accumulates next to it

Unlike a traditional pit latrine, a walk-in closet can be installed inside the house. This eliminates the need for additional insulation of the structure. This type of toilet is suitable for permanent use in homes without a sewer connection and is built without the possibility of further movement.

Auxiliaries for dry closet

In addition to the basic fluids, from time to time, cleaning, deodorizing and anti-freezing additives for water and drains are injected into the upper and lower chambers of the toilet. Good examples of such drugs are the following drugs:

Deodorant dry closet liquid Biola

Concentrate based on components decomposed by nature. Does not harm the ecology of the site and human health. Removes unpleasant odors in a very short time. Therefore, Biola is used not only by the owners of dry closets, but also by the owners of country houses with amenities in the yard.

For a standard dry closet with a sump volume of up to 50 liters, a single injection of 100 grams of the drug is sufficient, which are dissolved in 3 liters of water and poured into the upper tank or immediately into the lower tank. The procedure is repeated if necessary.

• Composition — surfactant complex, aromatic additive, targeted additives, dye, water
• Does not contain environmentally harmful substances: phosphates, phenols, acids, alkalis
• The product is available in liter bottles.
• The price of the drug - from 400 rubles

Fermentation accelerator for composting dry closets

BIOFORCE BioToilet Comfort - a biologically active drug that increases the concentration in the lower chamber of the dry closet. Accelerates the process of fermentation and splitting of solid fractions of organic waste. In fact, this drug cleans the lower chamber from solid deposits, separating them into liquid and gas. It is recommended for use in case of increased load on the dry closet (unexpected arrival of guests, and so on).

• The BioToilet Comfort package contains 20 sachets, each of which is designed for a volume of up to 20 liters.
• The sachets are dropped into the lower chamber or dissolved in the cistern
• The cost of packaging is 2200 rubles.

Thetford Bathroom Cleaner

means for disinfection of the toilet bowl, sump, which has an antistatic effect and whitens the treated surfaces. Helps to maintain hygiene in places where dry closets are used. Unlike chlorine-containing preparations and acid-based products, Bathroom Cleaner does not harm the seals and the polymer body of the dry closet.

• Available in half liter spray bottles
• Cost - from 350 rubles

Which peat toilet to choose for a summer residence

When choosing a composting dry closet, pay attention to the following characteristics:

The dimensions of the product must correspond to the room allotted for installation.
Pay special attention to the height of the toilet seat and consider the needs of all family members.
The frequency of cleaning depends on the volume of the storage tank

It is important to take into account the number of people who will use the product, the frequency of use and the desired frequency of cleaning.
Particularly convenient models with a fill sensor
This option allows you to set exactly when the system needs cleaning.
Seat load. Typically, finished models are designed for loads up to 125 kg, but there are products that can withstand weights up to 250 kg.

Consider some popular varieties of finished peat devices.

Ecomatic

This is a Finnish peat toilet with a large storage tank. The model uses a mixture of peat and sawdust as a filler. Also on sale is a domestically produced Ekomatic model. It has all the advantages of a Finnish product. In addition, the domestic model is equipped with a thermal seat, which increases the comfort of using the device in the winter season. The price of the dry closet Ecomatic is in the range of $ 250-350.

Piteko

A Russian-made peat toilet does not need to be connected to a water supply or sewerage network. The compost bin has special flaps that facilitate its unloading. Also, the model has a special filtering system. The price of this product ranges from 91.7-116.7 dollars.

Biolan

This is another model of domestic production. The device has two chambers (for liquid and solid waste). Features of biotoilets Biolan in an improved drainage system. These are quite expensive modifications, the price of which is in the range of $300-325.

How to make a toilet in the country with your own hands: a drawing and step-by-step instructions for creating a peat toilet

Peat toilets are no less popular among summer residents, as they can offer many advantages to many owners of suburban areas. The method of sprinkling waste with a peat substrate is justified by several advantageous advantages at once:

1. Peat has a good absorbency in terms of odors. With it, you can forget about the unpleasant moments associated with the operation of the restroom on the street.
2. Due to the high level of hygroscopicity, the substrate absorbs moisture well, so that the frequency of cleaning the drive can be reduced. In other words, the toilet can be used for a longer period of time without the need to empty the storage tank.
3. The processed mixture can be used to fertilize the site, since peat, even in its pure form, contains bacteria that help turn organic waste into nutrient compost for the soil.

How to choose

When choosing a suitable option, you need to pay attention to the various features of the proposed models:

• When choosing, you need to consider for what purpose a composting toilet is purchased for a summer residence. If we are talking about a small family that rarely comes there, then a small amount is enough. Here a tank of 10-15 liters can come up. If there are always a lot of people there, it makes sense to buy a model with a large tank, for example, 100-150 liters or more.
• It is necessary to take into account what maximum weight the toilet seat can be designed for. Since the toilet is mobile, its strength is lower than that of a stationary one.If there are people with significant weight in the house, the device should be selected in such a way that it is easy to support it.
• If you buy inexpensive models, there is a risk that cheap plastic parts will quickly wear out and break. When buying such an important thing for a long time, it will be reasonable to be guided, first of all, by high consumer qualities.
• If the toilet is planned to be installed in a certain place, then when buying, you need to take into account its dimensions.

If there is a need to move the toilet, it is better to choose a more compact and mobile model.

Different models can use different types of ventilation

For example, stationary models may require a hood.
You need to pay attention to the quality of the material from which the toilet seat is made. It is convenient to use a plastic that does not cool immediately even in the case of low temperatures.
When choosing, you need to consider where it will be installed: indoors or outdoors.

This affects the features of ventilation and liquid drainage during operation.

Peat dry closet device

From an aesthetic and visual point of view, a dry closet is not much different from a conventional toilet. Its design allows you to use it with comfort and convenience. Peat dry closet for a summer residence or other structure, has the following design:

• Upper container. It serves to store a mixture of peat in it. A feature of the structure is that water is not used during operation. By pressing the handle, which is equipped with the upper container, the mixture is poured into the lower container. The upper chamber in this case serves as a flush system.
• The lower chamber, or storage tank. The average volume of a waste container is approximately 100-150 liters.This volume is enough for the full use of the toilet by a family of 3-4 people. The lower capacity is necessary for the collection and accumulation of human waste: feces and urine.
• Seat. Located above the lower chamber. Its main purpose is to create comfort and convenience during the operation of the structure.
• Ventilation. Like any room where there is a sewage system, a dry closet must be equipped with a ventilation system. For this, the owners use a special pipe for ventilation. The ventilation kit for each model includes a clamp and a ventilation pipe.

Construction of a toilet for a summer residence: a drawing with dimensions for a structure of the "Birdhouse" type

The construction of the Birdhouse consists of wood, which can be sheathed with any other type of material. The construction of a single or gable roof is allowed. This type of closet is mounted as an elevated structure above a cesspool.

Typical project of the "Birdhouse" with dimensional parameters:

When installing the structure of a wooden toilet, it is necessary to control the placement of surfaces vertically and horizontally. For these purposes, it is recommended to use the building level.

How to build a peat toilet for a summer residence with your own hands?

Do-it-yourself peat toilet (scheme)

For those who decide to build their own composting toilet at the cottage, it is imperative to observe the rule that says that such a device should be placed as far as possible from sources of drinking and industrial water, as well as water bodies (if any are nearby). Do not allow drain from the toilet to enter the water.An exception here can only be fully sealed toilets, which guarantee safety for the environment.

A peat dry closet can be built independently, having an airtight container available, which is most often used as:

• Barrels;
• Buckets;
• Bucky;
• Sealed (waterproof) cesspools.

The choice of the container used depends on the required volume and the number of people using the peat dry closet.

Scheme of a simple peat toilet

Homemade device consists of:

• Capacities;
• Box (most often wooden);
• Booths (“birdhouse”);
• Peat box;
• Seats.

The simplest homemade dry closet using peat is a wooden toilet seat with a vessel attached to it, which serves as a receiving container. To build this simple dry closet, you will need the following materials:

Compost toilet on a bucket

• Bucket-shaped container (volume - about 20 liters);
• Wooden block with a square section (5 by 5);
• Plywood or chipboard (thickness - one and a half centimeters);
• Nails (self-tapping screws).

A set of tools for construction will consist of:

• Roulettes;
• Electric jigsaw;
• Hammer;
• Screwdriver.

It is better to start designing a simple device by cutting out parts of the right size:

Set of tools

• Legs (four bars 35 centimeters long);
• Side walls (two plywood rectangles 52 by 30 centimeters);
• Front and rear walls (two plywood rectangles 45 by 30 centimeters);
• Lid (plywood rectangle 45 by 48 centimeters);
• Strap for loops (45 by 7 centimeters).

The next step is to assemble the device:

• To the legs, which should protrude five centimeters on one side, the walls are attached (with short sides); Schematic of a peat toilet
• A bar for attaching loops is screwed to the legs from the side of the back wall;
• A cover is attached to the bar with the help of loops;
• A round hole is cut in the lid, corresponding in size to the diameter of a bucket (or a small twenty-liter barrel);
• The design is polished and treated with an antiseptic;
• Directly above the hole is a homemade or purchased toilet seat.

By the same principle, you can make a peat toilet with other containers. The difference will only be in volume and location. A compact peat dry closet with a bucket can even be placed in a country house, and for a larger toilet, most likely, a separate building and equipped drainage will be needed.

Peat toilet device

Peat toilets made by yourself are not much different from purchased ones, except for the complexity of the device. In order to better understand the system of establishing a structure, one should carefully study the constituent parts and elements. So, peat toilet for a summer residence consists of such details:

• The seat is shaped like a box in a makeshift device, and the purchased toilet looks like a toilet seat. In a home device, an old chair can be used, which is upholstered with plywood or other materials, for example, chipboard or fiberboard. Also, with your own hands, you can create a small box in which the container will fit.
• Container for sewage, which is installed under the toilet seat. In purchased structures, plastic containers are arranged, and in private ones, a bucket or basin is used.

Container with peat for a country toilet

• A vessel for peat in a dry closet can be picked up from old items, while making sure that the material of the container is durable. You can install a separate bucket with a scoop and pour peat into it, or consider manual sprinkling.
• Compost pit - equipped in street buildings.

All elements are components of a peat toilet in a summer cottage. First of all, decide on the location of the building, which should be located away from the house. For the construction of the toilet, you can use different materials that remained after the repair. This will reduce the cost of purchasing new ones.

Peat dry closet - the principle of operation and device

In the peat dry closet, in the part where the usual one contains water, dry, finely ground peat is poured. This the tank has a device for spreading substance, which is driven by a handle. After using the toilet, turn the handle, the peat will spread over the surface, blocking the waste, which will significantly reduce the smell. Because of this feature of the work, a peat dry closet is also called a powder closet. Another name is composting toilets, as waste can be placed in a compost pit. True, this class includes another type of dry closets - electric, which dries excrement.

The next name is dry dry closets. Again, the name is associated with a method of waste disposal - powdering with dry peat. As a result of processing, the substance is also dry (or almost dry).

Peat is poured into the container at the top

Due to the high absorbency of peat, it absorbs part of the liquid component of the waste, and the rest is drained into a special tray below. From there, the liquid is discharged through a special drain hose.He is usually taken out into the street, into a small pit.

The solid part of the waste is processed by bacteria contained in peat, which decompose organic matter. After processing, the container contains a mixture that is almost odorless. It can be safely poured onto a compost heap, that is, peat - an ideal dry closet for a summer residence. But the waste should lie on the heap for at least a year, and preferably a couple of years.

The structure of a peat dry closet

Since complete processing takes time to eliminate the characteristic smell of waste, a pipe must be attached to the peat dry closet (there is an outlet pipe, in some models plastic pipes are included). If the thrust is natural, the pipe is only straight, without bends and bends, at least 2 meters high. If desired (if natural draft is not enough), you can put an exhaust fan. Then the requirements for the pipe are not so strict.

Advantages

If you need a dry closet to the cottage is one of the best options are just a sea of ​​​​pluses:

• The reservoir is filled slowly - if 2-3 people live, the container must be taken out every 2-3 months.
• Peat consumption is small, it is inexpensive.
• Easy disposal - the container can be emptied into a compost heap, the contents are a homogeneous brown mass, without a sharp or specific smell. It can be leveled with a rake, the mass is rather loose, after a couple of weeks it overgrows with herbs.
• There is no smell with normally working ventilation.
• You can put it both in a separate toilet house and in the house.
• Quietly tolerates freezing (if the plastic is frost-resistant).

Peat dry closet for a summer residence: this is what a device for spreading peat looks like

All in all, a very good choice.Usually both the owners and neighbors are satisfied - there is no smell, problems with processing. But you can't do without cons.

Flaws

The weak point of peat dry closets is the peat spreading device. First, so that the peat spreads evenly, first turn the handle in one direction, then in the other. Secondly, it is not a fact that it will be evenly scattered. Often it is necessary to pour peat from the scapular reserve under the "hole". It is in this place that he gets the worst, and all the waste is concentrated here. It is necessary to sprinkle them, so you also have to manually fall asleep.

Other disadvantages of peat toilets are:

• The drain hose for draining liquid waste is quite high. Until the required level of liquid is accumulated in the pan, a significant period of time passes. And liquid waste also smells. To reduce the smell, you can periodically drain "in manual mode" - by tilting the bio-toilet towards the drain.
• Solid waste accumulates under the hole. In order not to take out the tank ahead of time, the pile has to be moved away. There is no special smell, so it is not very uncomfortable.
• The waste container is heavy. It's hard to take it out alone. If there are no assistants, you need to choose a model that has wheels. This makes it easier to transport the container.
  Sometimes it is necessary to add peat manually
• The need for ventilation. If this is a detached house, then even in the heat there are usually no problems - there are usually enough slots in the structure for additional ventilation. If you put a peat dry closet in the dacha itself, in the house, you need a fan. In hot weather, so that there is no smell, it must work all the time.
• This type of dry closet requires a permanent installation.You can transfer them if you wish, but this is not a mobile option.

If we talk about the degree of convenience, this is a good choice, but only if it is possible to put it somewhere permanently. You can move the device, but each time you need to install an exhaust ventilation pipe.

A complete sewerage system at their summer cottage: mini-septic tanks

Agree that in the cold season or at night, no one with a special desire will want to get up and go somewhere outside to go to the toilet. Dry closets and powder closets will not help much either: after a while you will have to clean them and spend time on this. The most suitable option in such a situation would be to install a mini-septic tank on the site.

Types of mini-septic tanks

There are several types of mini-septic tanks, among which there are both autonomous and requiring a constant supply of electricity. Such septic tanks will be more environmentally friendly and safe for groundwater, as the filtration in them is much more thorough. The disadvantage of such a septic tank is the constant supply of electricity, which can lead to exceeding the limits when paying for electricity. The rest is just pluses. A mini-septic tank of this type will purify wastewater by 80-90%, which will allow it to be located near wells. You will also be pleased with the absence of an unpleasant smell.

An autonomous mini-septic tank will require pumping, so it will have to be located near the road so that the sewer machine can reach it with a 15-meter hose. It is impossible to have such a septic tank near the wells: there is a high probability of contamination of groundwater.

Do-it-yourself autonomous mini-septic tank

Each summer resident can make an autonomous mini-septic tank with his own hands.To do this, you will need to buy 2-3 large barrels in the store (200-300 liters each, more can be), as well as pipes of medium diameter. After that, you will need to make holes in the barrels for the barrels, as well as drill small holes in the bottom and in the walls so that the sewage leaves faster. Holes can only be made if there are no water-type wells nearby, and also if groundwater occurs at a depth of more than 5 meters. Then you should dig a hole for these barrels (tanks), on the bottom of which you will need to pour large pebbles and crushed stone to improve filtration. The next step is to connect the barrels to each other with pipes and bury them in the ground.

It is almost impossible to make an electric mini-septic tank on your own without specialized education. Therefore, it’s better not to risk yourself and your loved ones - buy an electric mini-septic tank in a specialized store if it suits you better.

It is worth noting that a mini-septic tank is the most expensive option of all presented. You will also have to spend money on equipping the bathroom inside the house, as well as on removing pipes to the street.

Which toilet is better: backlash-closet with a cesspool

If you still have not decided which toilet for a summer residence is best for you, then think about the next option in the form of a backlash closet. The backlash closet is an ordinary village toilet with a cesspool underneath, only it is a modified version of it. The main thing in the backlash closet is proper ventilation system.

This type of toilet is being built in the same way as the old village toilets, so there should not be any problems with this.What is its advantage over the usual village toilet? The play closet has ventilation directly from the cesspool, so there will be practically no unpleasant smell in the closet.

The disadvantage of such a closet is the constant need for cleaning, which can only be done manually, with all the trouble of this process. It will not work to pump out this mass with a special machine, because it is too viscous. Cleaning is recommended at least once a year, preferably 2 times, especially with constant use by 3 or more people. When erecting a backlash closet, a ventilation pipe is removed from the cesspool, it must be covered with a lid. This is done so that water does not get into the cesspool from rains and when snow melts.

Minuses

1. If the storage tank is overfilled, it can cause some problems to be carried out due to the fact that it becomes heavier. This problem is solved by choosing a model whose lower tank is equipped with wheels for transportation.
2. The need for additional work on the organization of outlets for ventilation and the outlet pipe itself. Although, this problem can be solved by choosing a model with a drainage system provided.
3. When sprinkling waste, uneven laying of a layer of peat on them is possible, as a result of which it is necessary to carry out an additional action to level the bedding with a scoop.