Having a fully functional toilet is the hallmark of civilization, you can say, but it’s still a pain point for many. In the countryside, remote locations, in areas with poor plumbing and public utility infrastructure, off-grid toilet have become an excellent and sustainable solution for all user profiles.
Let’s see how you get the best one for your money below.
What does an off-grid toilet need to feature?
Now, to choose the right off-grid toilet, you better have a clear picture of what these do and how. Their main mission is to ensure full sanitary amenities to the people who are not connected to the local sewers, yet are in need of a functional toilet on a permanent or more sporadic basis. To laymen, these may conjure an image of an old outhouse, but off-grid toilets have come a long way from these old-fashioned solutions.
What sets off-grid toilets apart from apparently similar solutions is the fact that they come with sophisticated septic tanks that are purposefully used to compost organic components in the disposed waste. Your off-grid toilet will also come with a custom mechanical system to help you handle the waste more easily.
Factors to consider
Not all off-grid toilets are made the same, despite all of them coming with the same core functionality described above. Some will be more suitable for you depending on how you plan to use them beyond these core functions.
The first thing to consider is the site of your future off-grid toilet. If you are using it in a warm and humid area, this toilet will have to be different from the one recommended for colder regions. The good news is that either your supplier or the accompanying documentation will give you enough information on what average temperature range is supported and if a toilet can support you across seasonal weather variations.
You will also want to consider the utility costs involved in using an off-grid toilet. This includes electricity and water bills as these need to be factored in for the successful long-term use of an off-grid toilet.
The capacity of your future off-grid toilet is yet another essential consideration. If you are buying it to be used next to a trailer or a holiday house you visit only sporadically, a small-capacity toilet will easily meet all of your needs. If you need a permanent alternative to a regular toilet installation and your household houses at least a family, larger capacities are clearly a must.
Once you have decided on the weather resistance and capacity, you’ll have to consider the ease of installation. The more complex this process is, the better your mechanical and building skills should be. Otherwise, you better ask the provider to provide you with a ready-made solution that does not require any assembling work.
Finally, consider the maintenance requirements for your off-grid toilets. This will depend on how “dirty” you want your hands to get while dealing with maintenance, knowing that some of the toilets are pretty much operationally independent, while others require more heavy lifting on your side.
If you have a clear idea of your priorities in choosing an off-grid toilet just for you, give HomeBiogas off-grid toilets a spin, as the range of products on offer can help both the veteran and less experienced users alike.