Automatic Waterless Toilet Manual 20181123

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Automatic Waterless Toilet Manual

Contents

KK Waterless Toilet

3 3 3 4 8 9

Background

So The How Can Caravan Toilets Make Hot Compost?

Design Changes for Higher Temperature

Installation: Location Installation: Mounting Installation: Venting Installation: Venting

10 11 11 12 15 16 16 17 18 19 20 20

Installation: Power Connection Using your KK Waterless Toilet

Timer Instruction

Composting Medium How Often To Change

Emptying Disposal

Cleansing and Maintenence

Troubleshooting Customer Service

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KK Waterless Toilet Operation and use of the Self Composting Toilet by Kimberley Kampers Background Kimberley started installing self-composting toilets in 2014 with an integrated ventilation system in Kimberley Karavans. Self- composting toilets are very successful in boats but relatively new to caravans and camper trailers. We wanted to understand: • Exactly how these work scientifically • Are there any issues for a caravan installation compared to a boat. • How do we get NSW Govt Department of Health approval Research came up with an excellent document* on composting humanure and safety.

“Complete pathogen destruction is guaranteed by arriving at an internal compost tem- perature of 62 ° C for one hour, 50 ° C for one day, 46 ° C for one week or 43 ° C for one month. It appears that no excreted pathogen can survive a temperature of 65 ° C for more than a few minutes.” So The How Can Caravan Toilets Make Hot Compost? • Separate the urine from the waste (basic fundamental requirement) • Add carbon to the waste (Coir or sphagnum) • Compost aerobically (good air flow) • Boost the base temperature if ambient temperature is below 14 degrees C. The NSW Dept of Health were very helpful and advised that the current model “Na- tures Head” could not be approved for home dwelling without a heater. It can be used in boats and RV’s where approval is not needed. The suggestion was to find a way to install a low voltage heater for an RV applica- “A thermophilic (high temperature) compost pile will destroy pathogens, including worm eggs, quickly, possibly in a matter of minutes. Lower temperatures require longer periods of time, pos- sibly hours, days, weeks, or months, to effectively destroy pathogens.” Although one need not strive for extremely high temperatures such as 65°C in a compost pile to feel confident about the destruction of pathogens, a higher temperature will shorten the time. * https://humanurehandbook.com/downloads/Cornell_Humanure_10_2013.pdf tion to improve the utility for the user. The research document went on to state:

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Design Changes for Higher Temperature The problem with self composting toilets is not the odor (there really is none) but the time to leave the composting material to ensure all pathogens are destroyed and the waste is safe to remove. There are two primary factors that destroys pathogens in the compost. The first is The second factor is time. The lower the temperature of the compost, the longer the subsequent retention time needed for the destruction of pathogens. Given enough time, the wide biodiversity of microorganisms in the compost will destroy pathogens by the antagonism, competition, consumption, and antibiotic inhibitors provided by the beneficial microorganisms from within the compost itself. This is the relationship of the internal compost temperature and time. At Kimberley, we made a new design that could introduce a membrane heater to accelerate the heating process. This would be useful to shorten the time just prior to last use. As most people use the toilet in the morning, the target safe period is 10 hours and 55 degrees C for the composting process to produce safe to empty results the following day. The Kimberley Kruiser already had a system to accelerate this heating process: Air from the drying chalet on a Kimberley Kruiser passes into the composting toilet and is vented out through the roof. The temperature of this air will heat the base of the toilet and increase the thermophilic temperature to the maximum of 65 degrees C. As you can see from the chart, at this temperature, pathogens are destroyed in just over an hour. However for general use with Kampers and Karavans an independent membrane heater is designed to operate and achieve the same result. This design places the membrane heater between the outer base unit and an inside liner. temperature. A compost pile that is properly managed will destroy pathogens with the heat it generates.

The membrane heater is 25W. (using 2 Amps approx.) 4 hours use generates 100W of heat and uses 8 amp hours of battery capacity. You should only need this before emptying or in ambient temperatures below 20 degrees c. Image shows cut away design. The membrane heater sits between the liner and base unit.

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KK Automatic Waterless Toilet Features

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Dimensions

Note: Dimensions can vary slightly due to the rotational moulding of polyethylene plastic. Please note as stated in our instructions the following. • Allow approximately 38 mm behind toilet if against a bulkunit or wall for the bowl to tilt for servicing. • To disengage the bowl from the base, face the toilet. The bowl slides to the left 50mm to disconnect from the slip hinge • Handle and agitator, as well as the fan housing, can be switched to either side.

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Installation: Location When selecting the location for your new Kimberley Automatic Waterless Toilet, be certain to allow enough space behind and on both sides for the toilet to function and be serviced. Be sure that the lid will open fully. You must also be certain that the bowl has enough room to tilt rearward to allow for its removal and for the removal of the liquid tank.

If mounted against a wall or bulkunit, allow a minimum of 4cm between the toilet and the wall. It is necessary to allow adequate room for the hose con- nection and agitator handle. Both of these may be relo- cated to the opposite side of the unit if needed. In some space-restricted areas it may be necessary to offset the toilet to one side or even turn the toilet slightly to one side to allow for extra clearance. With the Automatic Turner and Timer attached, the width of the unit is 48cm . 5.1cm, to the left side of the unit (as you face it), is required to slide the bowl off the slip hinge for servicing the base.

In severely confined spaces, removing the mounting knobs and sliding the toilet away from the mounting location may be a more desirable method of servicing the unit.

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Installation: Mounting It is necessary to secure your toilet to the floor using the two L-brackets. The normal mounting is to position the L-brackets under the base in the recesses in the toilet, as shown on the right. Counter sunk mounting screws are included for installing to a wood floor. To mount the L-brackets to the floor, position the base of the toilet in the previously selected location. Attach the L-brackets to the toilet with the knobs provided. If you choose to mount the L-brackets facing out (not under the toilet) simply mark the holes of the brackets on the floor with a pencil for drill locations. If you

choose to mount them under the toilet, carefully trace around as much of the outline of the bracket as possible. Measure the distance between the bracket and the lines you drew. Now remove the brackets from the toilet and move the toilet out of the way. Carefully position the L-brackets inside of the lines that you drew and mark the holes for drilling. Before drilling any holes in your floor or walls, be sure you know what is behind them! The holes in the brackets are for #12 countersunk bolts or screws. If you are using the screws provided you will need to drill a 1/8 inch pilot hole in the drill marks you made on the floor. If you are uncertain if your brackets are positioned correctly, drill and mount just one bracket. Then reposition the toilet and mount to the one attached bracket. Check the positioning of your other bracket and marks. If all looks good, proceed with drilling and mounting the other bracket. If your markings are off, adjust your lines and proceed with mounting the second bracket. If mounting the toilet to a floor that will get wet frequently, a small amount of sealant should be placed in the holes before installing your screws. Attach your toilet and check to be sure everything works and fits as you intended.

Do not over tighten the hold down knobs as you will damage the threads in the base!

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Installation: Venting The unit must be vented to the outside of your cabin whether it is a boat or RV. This helps keep your bathroom smelling fresh, and allows for proper growth of beneficial bacteria which facilitates the composting process. Installing the venting system will be the most difficult portion of the installation. The aver- age do-it-yourselfer should be able to easily accomplish this if one is familiar with and has the proper tools. Depending on the type and placement of your vent, you may be required to cut holes in the wall, ceiling, or the floor. If you are unsure if you are qualified to com- plete this portion, it may be wise to hire a contractor or handyman to do this for you. Due to the variety of ventilation choices available, the external vent has not been pro- vided. Mushroom vents, solar vents, and our PVC Vent Assembly Kit are commonly used for venting to the exterior. The unit may be vented vertically through the roof, or most common horizontally through the wall, or down through the floor.

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Installation: Venting

Reversing the Fan and Filter Housing If installation of the ventilating hose is more favorable on one side of the unit than the other, the fan/filter housing is inter- changeable with the filter-only housing. This is accomplished by swapping sides with the components and their respective housings. Attaching a mesh fabric or screen (not provided) over the opening is necessary to prevent the entry of insects into the system. Any mesh fabric such as window screen or nylon netting will provide an adequate insect barrier. If a sharp 90 degree turn from the fan housing is needed, a PVC elbow (not provided) may be used to achieve a proper configuration. In this case, the vent flange provided with the toilet would be placed on the inside wall around the opening to the vent with the flat side to the wall. On many boats, the pump-out fitting can be removed and the mushroom vent mounted over the existing hole. The venting hose provided with the unit will attach directly to the adapter. Clamping the hose to the fan housing is not necessary on the connection for the unit, and normally not necessary on the exterior connecter. With an overunit connection, you may find it necessary to clamp this end depending on the amount of support provided for the vent hose. If the hose is supported properly, you will probably not need a clamp. The vent hose must be attached to the housing which has the fan inside it. The unit is designed to pull fresh air through the unit and ventilate it outside. If you disassemble the fan housing, always check to be certain that the fan is blowing out of the vent before re-attaching the vent hose. Installation: Power Connection

As with all electrical connections, be sure your unit is on a fused circuit. The fuse should be no less than 5 amps and no more than 10 amps (12V). A fuse holder and fuse are provided for use in a non-protected 12 volt system such as direct attach- ment to a battery. The fan may also be powered by a 240 volt source with a Power Transformer (AC Adapter) that reduces the power to 12 volts. If the system is being powered by the 240 volt Power

Transformer (AC Adapter) disregard the fuse, fuse holder and single pin cable as they are intended for use ONLY with a 12 volt power source. No fuse is required when using the Power Transformer (AC Adapter).

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Using your KK Waterless Toilet

The waterless, urine separating design contributes the extraordinary holding capacity. The composting section holds approximately 60 to 80 uses. The time frame to empty the solids bin varies with number of people and the time period. The toilet is designed for 1 to 5 people full-time. Generally, two people full-time people’s usage will require emptying approximately every 3 weeks; additional people will shorten the time. If using just on weekends with 2 people, that can extend time to 2 months or more. Just a couple of days of non-use extends the period of time. Usually, the level of the compost will not increase; if it does it will be minimal. The urine bottle holds 6 Litres and will require more frequent emptying; two people might need to empty after 3-5 days.

Before use, it is necessary to add compost material to the base of the unit. You can buy this from Bunnings in a “brick” form. Large zip plastic bags are an inexpensive manner for storing the medium. To fill your toilet or refill it after emptying, place one brick in a bucket or zip bag and add water for it to soften and expand. Drop this softened

material (sphagnum peat moss or coconut fiber) into the base of the toilet. The sphagnum peat moss should rise to the level of, or cover, the agitator bar in a horizontal position. The sphagnum peat moss should be damp and crumbly, never wet or soupy. If your sphagnum peat moss or coconut fiber is dry, add a small amount of water. When not in use, the lid of the toilet should be in the closed position, preventing the entry of insects and allowing proper ventilation. The peat moss must be regular/organic sphagnum peat moss, no additives. DO NOT use MIRACLE-GRO peat moss. Adding used coffee grounds results in added moisture and keeps the compost loose so that it mixes better Do not add additional medium after solids usage. Doing this will result in too much sphagnum peat moss or coconut coir in the unit and will limit your time of usage before emptying.

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The primary concept of our composting toilet is the separation of liquids and solid wastes! This will allow proper composting action and assist in feeling comfortable with a new piece of equipment. Allowing the overflow of urine into the composting chamber will cause unpleasant odor and prevent proper compost action. Seated usage is recommended. While seated, the unit may be used with the trap door in the open or closed position. Whether male or female, the user’s liquids and solids will be directed to the correct locations from this position. With any bowel movement, the trap door must be open. Male stand-up usage is less acceptable as splatter may result. In the event that the unit is used in a standing position, the trapdoor must remain closed in order to prevent mingling of liquid and solid wastes. Toilet paper is typically placed in the toilet. Since paper products do not decompose as quickly as solid wastes, they will be visible long after the solid matter has broken down. Eco friendly single ply brands will compost the quickest. Baby nappies, wipes and tampons should not be placed in the solids bin. Many brands of these items are made from a mix of rayon and non-organic cotton, and are commonly chlorine-bleached. These will not decompose. Most users keep a small spray bottle (included) filled with a mixture of water and 2 oz of white vinegar nearby to spray off the bowl in the event that some solid waste adheres to the bowl. Spritzing of the bowl also assists in cleansing the urine passages.

All urine has an odor. It will not be noticed with normal use. It will be present when the storage container is open to the air for emptying. For persistent urine odors in the container, add a few ounces of white vinegar, and/or a few drops of Dawn dishwashing soap to reduce this odor. The urine container is now designed so that if it overflows, it will flow into the bottle retainer and not the toilet liner.

This is the reason there is a gap in between the two. After solid waste addition, the sphagnum peat moss or coconut fiber must be agitated 2-3 revolutions slowly in order to mix the waste into the compost and promote the composting process.

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Turn the automatic turner on with the switch and it will turn for approx. 6 mins. It will then turn at the programmed time of day for a similar length of time. If you put the unit in storage, it is safe to leave this on and operating. It uses minimal power. Contents of the solid waste container must be kept moist, not wet, and remain separated from the liquid waste. When the toilet is functioning correctly, the composted matter will have a musty or soil-like odor and the visual appearance will be very similar to that of the original sphagnum peat moss. It is not normal for the compost to be wet or for there to be odor problems If the compost is staying wet and you have odor problems, the solids tank is becoming contaminated with urine and steps must be taken to prevent this. If this persists, and you are unable to determine how it is becoming contaminated, please contact us for help. Vomiting and diarrhea are unlikely to affect the function. However, there is a heater matt designed to help desiccate the solid container when

there is excessive water. After vomiting or diarrhea, turn on the heater matt for 24 hours and turn on the second fan. Once it has desiccated the material to a moist but not wet state, then turn both of these off. There are 3 buttons and a timer: Button 1 activates the turner for instant rotation Button 2 activates the heater Button 3 activates the boost fan The timer (separate instructions) will set the daily time for automatic activation and the length of time. Pull the spring loaded controller away from the side of the unit to separate the liner and the rotating shaft. Then lift the liner straight out.

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Timer Instruction

• Timer Type A Start with a clean timer To clear any programming and reset the time press the ‘C’ button for 2 seconds. Unlock the timer Press the ‘C/R’ button four times. This will clear the lock symbol in the bottom left corner. Set the current time 1. Unlock the timer 2. Use the ‘D+’ button to set the day, ‘H+’ button to

Set desired on and off times 1. Unlock the timer 2. Press the ‘P’ button once.The display will show ‘1 on’, this is the time of the first program to turn on. Set the time by ‘D+’ ,‘H+’,‘M+’ button. 3. Press the ‘P’ button again. The display will show ‘1 off’, this is the time of the first program to turn off. Set the time by ‘D+’ ,‘H+’,‘M+’ button. 4. You may set up to 16 profiles. Leave the programming menu by pressing the ‘clock’ symbol. Set the timer to Automatic mode. 1. Unlock the timer 2. Press the ‘Manual’ button to switch between “On” (manually turn the device on), “Auto” (follow your preset timer profile) and ‘Off’ (manually turn the device off).

• Timer Type B Adjusting CLOCK

Press and hold ‘CLOCK’ and then press ‘DAY’, ‘HOUR’, ‘ MIN’ to adjust clock. Press ‘CLOCK’ over 3 secs, to swich between 24-Hour- format and ‘PM’&’AM’ format Start programming the timer 1. Press the ‘PROG’ button. LCD screen shall show ‘ON’ 2. Press ‘WEEK’ to slect any of 15-combination of Daily- program

3. Press ‘HOUR’ ‘MIN’ respectively to set timer. 4. Press ‘PROG’ to finish this progam setting. LCD screen shows’ OFF’ 5. Press ‘PROG’ again will move to next timer progam. 16 programs can be set. 6. Press ‘CLOCK’ to finish the whole program setting. Countdown Function 1. In clock mode, press ’CLOCK’ and ‘PROG’ together over 3 secs, LCD shall show ‘d’ on the left. 2. Press and hold ‘CLOCK’ and then press ‘HOUR’ ‘MIN’ key to setting countdown. 3. Press ‘MANUAL’ to start countdown. Press ‘ PROG’ to stop. 4. In countdown mode, press ‘CLOCK’ and ‘ PROG’ togeter over 3 secs to go back to clock mode. Auto time deflection correction, weekly 1. In clock mode, press ’CLOCK’ and ‘RECALL’ together over 3 secs, LCD shall show ‘7d’. 2. Press ‘WEEK’ key to adjust automatic time deflection (+/-30 secs). 3. Press ‘CLOCK’ to back clock mode. Sleep mode 1. In clock mode, press ’HOUR’ and ‘MIN’ together over 3 secs, LCD shall shut down. 2. To active the timer, press ‘R’ key.

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Composting Medium

First off, it’s important to know that coconut “coir” is preferred as the “composting medium” compared to peat moss. Coconut is easily renewable (it’s coconut husks) while it takes millions of years for peat to form. Coconut coir has to have water added to it and then be crumbled up before use. It expands tremendously as water is added. So here’s the dilemma: add too much water and you’ll have a foul seepage around the crank handle; don’t add enough and it will absorb water from the waste deposits and expand and overfill the compartment so that the handle won’t turn. Use just 1 cup of water per 1 kg brick , and initially fill the composting bin about 50mm short of the agitator . It’s also important to use less coconut in the initial fill than peat moss, as coconut swells as it absorbs water and peat doesn’t. How Often To Change Once you get the procedure down and aren’t having to clean up a mess because of too- watery coconut, it takes about 30 minutes to change it. People ask about the “yuck” factor of dealing with emptying the urine bottle and changing compost. You will find both to be far less objectionable than emptying a chemical or maceration toilet. Replacement seals and valves also cost considerably more than the coconut you use. Finally, dumping urine or changing coconut are relatively quick jobs compared to the alternative.

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Emptying The liquid waste vessel will contain approximately 6 litres of urine. The translucent material of the container allows easy visualization of the liquid level. To empty the liquid waste container: 1) Release the latches located at both front sides of the unit which secure the bowl to the base, 2) Raise the bowl to an angle of approximately 45 degrees, install the cap, and remove the bottle, 3) Dispose of the contents in an appropriate manner. The urine bottle maybe emptied into a conventional toilet or other appropriate facility. Many books and articles have been written on the benefits of using diluted urine as a fertilizer. Generally in Australia we will empty behind a tree in the general environment . Should overflow of the liquid waste container occur, the liquid will remain confined to the container base so long as the overflow is not excessive. The liquid tank should be emptied frequently and rinsed with water with detergent or vinegar added. Allowing urine to remain in the storage container for extended periods is unwise as this will result in increased odor production. With the bottle assembly removed, lift the seat unit several inches and slide it to the left to disengage the slip hinge. (You may need to unhook your vent hose and power supply if it is necessary to move the bowl to the side.) Remove the knobs from the mounting brackets at each side of the base and the base is now ready to empty. The simplest method to empty is to lift the liner straight out and place a plastic kitchen bag over the opening. The bag should fit tightly over the rim and allow you to invert the liner and empty the contents into the bag without spillage. This is especially useful as removing the toilet is unnecessary. It is unnecessary to clean the interior of the solid waste liner as composting will continue from the residual matter clinging to the sides. Cleaning the base unit, especially with any chemicals, may inhibit its ability to generate the good bacteria that is breaking down the solid wastes. Simply empty, put in more sphagnum peat moss. It is best you do not leave the liquid wastes in the tank for extended periods. While everyone is different, some urine will smell bad if allowed to sit for extended periods.

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Disposal The recommended procedure for disposing of the contents of the solid waste liner is placed in a proper composting bin to allow it to fully decompose. When traveling, this may not be practical. The contents of the solid waste liner may be safely placed into a conventional rubbish bin if it has been allowed to compost fully. When fully composted, the solid wastes may be used to fertilize non-ingestible plantings. Placing human waste compost on edible plants or vegetables is not recommended. Full-time users have some special circumstances to deal with. Full-time use does not allow enough time for the solid wastes to compost. The most recent waste, although mixed with the already composted material, will not be decomposed. In this case, purchase a second liner and store this liner is safe place for 21 days to fully and finally compost. To achieve a fully compost state when preparing to empty, turn on the heater and the second fan for the last 24 hours of the process. Without doing this, fecal bacteria (present in fresh human wastes) may still be present. We recommend taking precautions such as the use of gloves if you may come into contact with waste material that is not fully composted. With the heater and second fan on for 24 hours, emptying the solid waste should be possible after only 4-6 hours after the last use. However, please check. Another method for dealing with non-composted wastes (if space allows) is to purchase the “extra liner” option and swap out the liners. The extra liner comes complete with all the necessary hardware, and agitator. Solids that have not fully composted for at least a year are not suitable for use on ingestible plants.

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Cleansing and Maintenance

A quick spray of water and white vinegar or a natural cleaner from the squirt bottle (Bunnings has these) is all that is needed to keep your unit fresh between uses. If necessary, a moistened paper towel (no synthetics) is excellent for cleansing the interior (as well as the exterior) of the head. For more intensive cleansing or dried-on matter, a paper towel moistened with a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water may be used, and disposed of, in the same manner, after cleaning. Bleach, ammonia, and other commercial cleaning compounds should never be added to your waterless toilet as they will interfere with the composting process and may lead to unpleasant odors. These cleaners maybe used to clean the exterior surfaces. Maintenance requirements for the toilet are very minimal. All metal parts (bolts, hinges, latches, knobs, agitator, and trapdoor components) are either stainless steel or brass. Filters on each side of the base should be removed and cleaned yearly or when emptying the solid wastes. Each filter is secured to the housing with 2 Phillips-head bolts. Remove the bolts, clean and replace. Caution should be taken so that the fan is reinstalled with the airflow exiting the unit. The full-size molded-in seat of the head is designed for safety and comfort and requires no special care.

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Troubleshooting Fan not working. If using 12 volt battery, check for voltage. Check the fuse. When the fan is running, make sure the fan is blowing outward. If the fan is still not working, contact Kimberley or your distributor for a replacement. Compost seems too wet. If too wet due to prolonged diarrhea, add a small amount of coir brick or sphagnum peat moss. If wet due to excessive condensation, also add a little sphagnum peat moss. Make sure excessive wetness is not due to someone urinating directly into the compost section. This can also contribute to an unpleasant odor. The compost area should have only a musty smell. If a sewage odor is present, please contact Kimberley for consultation. Compost seems too dry. If the compost is dry or hard, add some water and turn the agitator after the sphagnum peat moss has absorbed the moisture. Cold Conditions. Composting works from 13 degrees C and warmer. The warmer it is, the faster it composts. When the temperature drops to freezing, the compost will be dormant until heat is introduced to the area. Turn the heater on to raise the temperature in the toilet. Fruit flies or gnats. If your toilet incurs fruit flies or gnats, add five cups of natural Diatomaceous Earth to the compost. This can be purchased at Bunnings. Agitator handle turns with difficulty. If the compost gets dry, the handle may not turn easily. Adding used coffee grounds results in added moisture and keeps the compost loose so that it mixes better.

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