Who can Install and the Tools Required
If the toilet is to be installed in Australia or New Zealand as part of a building application with council approval, a plumber is generally required to sign off on the installation. If you don't have a plumber or builder in mind we may be able to recommend one who has experience with our Nature Loo™ systems.
That said, our waterless toilets can be installed in half a day by anyone who has drilled a hole or connected sections of PVC pipe. So if you aren't getting council's approval of the system then simply follow the DIY instruction manual for the composting toilets and greywater system.
Tools and material required:
- Phillips & Flathead screwdriver
- Electric drill with a hole saw bit
- Jigsaw
- Wire cutters
- PVC non-pressure pipe glue
- Silicone
- Shovel (for bathtub sized absorption trench)
As the ventilation system is powered by 12 or 24 volts you do not need an electrician to connect the fan with the power source. If you are using mains power to run the fan you will need to ensure a PowerPoint is located near the ventilation pipe. If the fan is to be solar powered then follow the instructions in the manual on connection to the solar regulator.
Placement of the Toilet Pedestal
Nature Loo™ "split" systems (e.g. the Classic range)
The Nature Loo™ Classic split systems require a 25cm hole to be cut through the bathroom floor for the waste chute, and space at least 45cm high beneath the flooring where the toilet pedestal/bowl is located. This space is to house the compost treatment chamber. If you do not have the required height, it may be possible to engineer it by creating different flooring levels within the bathroom, or if you have a sloping block by positioning the toilet to be above where there is a void under the floor.
The standard length of waste chute supplied is 55cm. An additional waste chute length and seal can be provided if the height between floor and ground is greater than 55cm plus the chamber height.
With all Nature Loo™ systems, only one toilet pedestal can connect to a compost treatment chamber. If you require multiple pedestals and do not wish to purchase separate Nature Loo systems, please see the Sun-Mar™ Centrex page which allows up to 4 micro flush pedestals to be connected to a single compost treatment chamber.
A Nature Loo™ compost toilet does not need to be installed on the north side of a home, although the full chamber no longer connected to the pedestal should be positioned such that it is exposed to direct sunlight. The area required to install a Nature-Loo™ Classic compost toilet is less than half that of any other factory built composting toilet, except the Sun-Mar™ Centrex compost toilet systems which are also relatively small. This can be very important depending on your sub-floor structure. A footprint of 1m square is all that is required to install a Classic 850 compost toilet.
You will need access to your Nature Loo™ Composting Toilet for changing the chambers. We recommend you prepare a one square meter concrete pad for the In-Service chamber directly below the pedestal, or let it sit on a couple of timber sleepers. The centre of this pad will line up with the centre of the waste chute and pedestal. Ideally, the pad area will have a small incline or fall (20mm over 1000mm, ¾ inch over 3 feet) and fall down toward where the excess liquid pipe will be installed. This aids the draining of the chamber.
Nature Loo™ "self-contained" systems (e.g. the Excelet & Compact range)
Self-contained units are very compact with an exchangeable compost treatment chamber inside the toilet pedestal. The lid of the toilet pedestal is lifted to rotate the compost chambers (see maintenance for more details). The capacity of these systems is less than with split systems but their advantage is that they can be installed anywhere.
The only constraint with location is that the toilet must be positioned on an outside facing wall to allow the 50 mm ventilation pipe and 19 mm liquid drain hose to exit the bathroom. If this is not possible then the 19 mm pipe can be laid into the foundations allowing liquid to escape and the vent pipe can rise vertically through the ceiling.
Ventilation System
The heart of the Nature Loo™ Composting Toilet is the 12-volt fan which runs the Ventilation System 24 hours a day to continuously circulate air through the compost heap.
The air is drawn down through the toilet pedestal, through the compost chamber and then exits via the vent pipe. This set-up ensures that no odours enter the toilet room.
All PVC connections are provided including vent caps and insect-proof mesh. For freight reasons, you will need to purchase a length of 100mm (Classic Range & Compact) or 50mm PVC sewer pipe for the vent and brackets for fixing the pipe to the side of the building. The length of the pipe needs to extend up to 600mm above the highest point of your roof.
- Using Mains Power
A 240/12 volt regulated transformer, extension wire and connectors are all included as standard to run the fan from mains power.
- Using our Solar Kit
If you have purchased our 20 or 40 Watt Solar System you will have all the components required to complete your installation. The 4m of external double insulated cable and 4m of standard cable provided should be sufficient to locate your panel where it will best capture the sun’s rays. However, if you think you will require additional cabling you can purchase this from us.
- Using Your Existing Solar Power
If your house is already powered by solar, you will have a battery bank that will generally be either 12 volt or 24 volt DC. If you have a 12 volt system, just connect the battery directly to the fan. Don’t forget to put a 0.5 amp fuse in line to the fan.
If you have a 24 volt system, ask us for a 24 volt fan which will allow you to run the fan directly from your 24 volt battery bank. The fan will use about 6 amp-hours of power on a 12 volt system.
If you have an inverter, don’t use it. The inverter will run very inefficiently when it is powering only the small fan and you will waste a lot of precious power. It may even flatten your batteries.
Excess Liquid Absorption Trench
The liquid discharge connection must be permanently connected to a small absorption trench as depicted below. This is the standard requirement as per AS/NZS 1546.2.
