# Composting Toilets.



## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

Friends! Seriously - just don't go there! (Pun intended) 

When we arrived in our house after a couple of weeks the fosse was overflowing/blocked/******ed! We had the Camera send people over to inspect it, and they said it would have to be dug out by hand, as they could no way way get their pipes round to where it was located to drain it. That plus the fact that it was buried somewhere in the back and no one is too sure where it even is gave us a problem. The only solution they could suggest was to build a new one. This had several draw backs: Very expensive. Our soil is only 8 to 10 inches deep then you hit rock. There is no way to get a mechanical digger into our garden without craning it over the house. Building it would destroy our vegetable garden at least as far as this season is concerned! 

Queue the composting toilet. I did the research and looked at loads of reviews and found the one I wonted. Not cheep, I talked them downs to €1500 and that included everything to get it going plus 6 months of supplies. 

Once it arrived it turned out it was a re-badged product. I am not sure of the legality of or forum rules regarding ripping into a company here, so until I get feed back I won't name them. Any way very long painful story short, it does not work. It might work in a boat house where you are there on and off over the summer, and that's all the use it gets. But as a solution for two adults using it full time - it isn't a solution. 

It is the most disgusting stinking horrifying thing I have ever had the misfortune to come across in all my years. It has to go AT ANY COST! As the not the 9 O'clock news one joked - "I would gladly sell my house and everything in it" to get rid of this disgusting contraption. 

As far as I can tell it is a scam. It must be. There is no conceivable way that the company that makes these, and the resellers don't know about the problems I am having. 

And here's another thing. All those great reviews I read were under the name of the re-badge company. Look for reviews under the original badge, and you find nothing but horror stories all of which back up my experience. Most of which include disagreements with the manufacturer. They know damn well their product does not work, but they continue to sell it under a different name. Not until it lands on your door step do you find out the real manufacturers name. And not until a few months later do you discover everything you read about it is untrue. 

We have tried and failed for 6 or 7 months to get this thing working. It will not - I cannot! 

Se we are going back to the Camera to see if we can be connected to the mains. They said it was not possible, but I think I might have found a way - but we would need to get under the ruins next door.

Never ever ever consider a composting toilet. Not as a full time alternative to a flush down toilet. They are not. They will make your life hell.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Eish....... sorry (but not surprised) to hear of your problem. 

You do know there's a mini digger in the area that'll pretty much fit through a garden gate?


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> Eish....... sorry (but not surprised) to hear of your problem.
> 
> You do know there's a mini digger in the area that'll pretty much fit through a garden gate?


Unless it would go through a standard width doorway there's no getting it into our garden!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Mattskii said:


> Unless it would go through a standard width doorway there's no getting it into our garden!


I rather think it would...... it really is a dinky little machine. 

Send me an email or give me a call if you need his number........ he only lives up the road from me.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> I rather think it would...... it really is a dinky little machine.
> 
> Send me an email or give me a call if you need his number........ he only lives up the road from me.


Thanks matey. I'll see what our options are. Last resort would be to dig up the veggie garden though


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

You could always keep doing what you've been doing until now and then get the digger in when the veggie crop is more or less finished.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> You could always keep doing what you've been doing until now and then get the digger in when the veggie crop is more or less finished.


It's a thought, but I still don't think we can get any digger in the garden. Hell, I have to lift the wheel barrow over the wall to get IT in and out of the garden! lol


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## Centralbound (Aug 16, 2013)

I have to admit to the odd uncharitable forum moment when I say to myself _what were they thinking_ but the truth is you deserve credit for sharing the crappy moments, and I recall you have had a few. Take a deep breath, but maybe walk up the street a bit first...

Firstly, you should post the original brand of the rubbish product so other newcomers might save themselves from a horrible experience. This is fair do's. Forumer TM had a bad experience with a car dealer and named and shamed, although I forget the name, perhaps he can remind me. You were done, it's helpful to others to know what not to buy.

Chances are slim the câmara will dig a sewage pipe under a neighbour's property, ruin or not. But I would go and see them, explain how you were screwed, mention any other sob stories for good measure and just maybe it will spark a bit of interest in helping you out. Worth a try.

TM is correct re modern mini-diggers, a metre or so of clearance. If you have an existing fosse, find it and use it as a starting point. It should not be hugely expensive either but some things have to be paid for and they amortise over several years. I would use a Portuguese for the fosse itself so you have the paper in hand for any future questions. You don't want to be much more than 12-15 metres from access for the pump tractor to empty it. 

But try the sob story first, and boa sorte with that.


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## christopherdouglas (Nov 13, 2008)

*Fosse problems!*

All a bit 'poo' really.
Yes, you've got to name the guilty party. May just save a lot of others peeps from 'going' down the same path.
Sorry. Enough of that.
Incidentally, on the same ish subject, does anyone know the width of a Fosse emptying truck?
Our lane is 8'7" at its narrowest and there are a couple of bends so 8' is probably our max! And, it's neighbours walls, not hedges!
Ta,
Chris


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Centralbound

It'll give me great delight to remind you the car dealer that ripped me off for more than a thousand Euros when he refused to honour the 12 months guarantee was Seven Sport Automoveis who are based in Condeixa A Nova near Coimbra and who have the website sevensport.net. 

They're absolute scoundrels! 

Chris,

The one that empties mine is about 7' across and is towed by a tractor with the same wheeltrack. 

Mine is supplied by my local council and last pump out cost me €40 and it took him 5 tank loads to empty it. 

Whoever you book the service with should be able to give you vehicle dimensions when you book.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

Ha ha, crappy indeed! 

We purchased a 'Biolet' Standard toilet. This turns out to be a Mulltoa product being sold under a different name. 

I purchased mine through a the Portuguese reseller, which is basically a web site. The site hides the truth about how the thing needs to be installed and set up, and the guy who works there basically BS'd me at every step. 

To be fair, I can't see how any composting toilet from any manufacturer can possibly do what they claim, having seen how this one is supposed to, and why it doesn't. So although I am singling out this particular product as a failure, I would not use that information as reason to purchase one of the alternatives, just steer well clear! 

We are going to the Camera in the next couple of days, will see what they say. Last time they came they said we would have to dig a new fosse as they could not get their pipes round to where the old one was buried. Or where they thought it might be buried. 

Oh well, will hope of the best. There must be a solution. Whatever the cost!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Matt

You'd be far better off having someone/anyone other than the Camara build or fix the fosse for you simply because of the cost issues.

My guess is the guy with the digger who lives just up the road from me will be able to come in, excavate where necessary and build/rebuild the fosse for you all at a sensible price....... probably less than you paid for the composting bog.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

Is they guy you are thinking of Steve from Figuera? If not, maybe you can PM me his details so I can at least get his opinion on it. 

I know Steve has a mini digger, but it would not fit the garden. If this guy has the latest Micro-digger, then it might just squeeze in. They are about 762mm wide, (According to CAT) and the doorway to the garden is 800mm wide. 

Please let me have contact details for the guy you suggested, I will explore ANY option at this point.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Ja, it's Digger Dave from Figuera........ do you have his contact details?

If it won't fit through the gate, can you not knock down a bit of garden wall to get the machine in and out and then repair the wall when the job is done?


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> Ja, it's Digger Dave from Figuera........ do you have his contact details?
> 
> If it won't fit through the gate, can you not knock down a bit of garden wall to get the machine in and out and then repair the wall when the job is done?


Can't do that. On the right side it's the kitchen wall, on the left side it is the annexe wall. Can't be removed. We would have to build a wooden bridge through the door way, as it descends through 5 steps which turn a corner as they go through he door. We would have to build the bridge over the garden wall as it is over foot think and very old and I would rather not destroy it. 

I don't have Dave's details, could you send them to me please? 

Thanks mate.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

travelling-man said:


> Ja, it's Digger Dave from Figuera........ do you have his contact details?
> 
> If it won't fit through the gate, can you not knock down a bit of garden wall to get the machine in and out and then repair the wall when the job is done?


Yes, I know Dave - I am getting my names mixed up!! lol

Will contact him now. Thanks mate


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## christopherdouglas (Nov 13, 2008)

travelling-man said:


> Centralbound
> 
> Chris,
> 
> ...





travelling-man said:


> Centralbound
> 
> Chris,
> 
> ...


Brilliant, thanks. Don't actually have the tank yet :-/ but no point putting it in if we couldn't get it emptied 

Now to find a digger. I know that they come in sizes that will fit down the road!

All the best, cheers,

Chris


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Chris

What area are you in?


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

OK, Dave's digger is too big to get into my garden! 

I need some bright ideas fast!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I seem to remember we had a conversation about this very thing before you bought  but either way, if Dave can't come up with a way to get the digger in, I guess your only other options are to get get busy with a pick and a shovel yourself or hire someone else to do it for you. 

OR 

To consider one of the filtration systems that are sold in other parts of Europe but cost is probably around the €2k mark (or possibly more) and they need annual servicing so that's another cost....... and of course, if you can't get a digger in there, you probably can't get one of these units in either. 

FWIW, A few years ago, I was offered a franchise for these units but decided the costs were too high for me to make any profit.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Just thought of another option for you. 

The blockage could well be in the pipe somewhere between the toilet and the fosse so you could open a hole in the pipe and shove one of these down there to try and blow the blockage clear: 

jetter sewer unblocker | eBay 

Then concrete an inspection hatch over the hole for future use.


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## Mattskii (Oct 28, 2009)

Perhaps there is a specialist company can come in and see if my existing one can be repaired? I'll do some searching. 

Argh!


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## christopherdouglas (Nov 13, 2008)

travelling-man said:


> Chris
> 
> What area are you in?


Cova de Beira. Alcaide actually


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

That'll be too far for my man to travel to but I'm pretty sure you'll find someone local and probably an ex-pat with a mini digger.


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## christopherdouglas (Nov 13, 2008)

travelling-man said:


> Chris
> 
> What area are you in?


Though, not there at the moment. Back 24th August.
Chris


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

christopherdouglas said:


> Though, not there at the moment. Back 24th August.
> Chris


You're missing some GREAT weather!


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## Tellus (Nov 24, 2013)

Even in Sweden problems are the same or equal..only rocks - no chance for digging.
Separett could be a fast solution without digging - no composting but separation of fluid and hard stuff.
Separett - Weekend
some guys use it in its RV and it works...


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## christopherdouglas (Nov 13, 2008)

travelling-man said:


> You're missing some GREAT weather!


Thanks :-/

My phone keeps telling me that too!

I'm in Somerset at the moment, 20:27 and a balmy? 17°.
Apparently it's 31° in Castelo Branco 

And yes Ta, we'll find something local. Seeing the town council when we come back over, pretty sure that someone will have a brother who knows a man . . .

Regards

Chris


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