Incinerator Toilets

Incinerator Toilets, when you have to do your business in an environmentally t sensitive area.

Incinerator toilets make a lot of sense when you are building a shipping container tiny home or cottage or even recreational vehicle (RV). You don't have to worry about drain plumbing because there isn't any. The toilet sits flat on the floor and there are no plumbing connections to worry about underneath it.

They are also essential in areas where waste water and associated sewage plumbing is not an option due to environmental and practical concerns such as in Alaska, the Arctic Circle and Antartica.

 The toilets are basically small kilns with a toilet seat on top and an insulated door that closes after you finish using the toilet. With the door closed the heating element goes through a cycle and brings the heating chamber up to 1000 degrees for 30 to 60 minutes to turn urine and feces into inert odourless ash. 

In this way the toilet is environmentally friendly because it there is no grey water, its all evaporated. And there is no solid waste which reduces load on the sanitary sewer system. In addition there is no tank or water consumed. For a residential property like a cottage or tiny home This alone means hundreds of gallons of clean water is saved on a monthly basis.Incinerator Toilet key advantage

By far the biggest advantage is that the incinerator toilet can get around the need for a septic system. In new construction you might need $20 - $30 thousand for a sand point septic system from planning approval through construction. A couple of $3000 incinerating toilets are a lot easier on the wallet and saves you the need for pumping out, fixing clogs and maintaining a septic tank. Even so you have to apply for a building inspector to approve your incinerating toilets and exempt you from the need for a septic system. 

Because the toilet uses no water means you need a wax paper liner fitted in the bowl every time you use the toilet. This paper liner is burnt up along with the solid and liquid waste. The fact that the burner catches flame is one reason the incinerating toilet requires time in between each flush. You don't want to have several paper liners flaming up at once. The small incineration vessel would have trouble containing the heat and flame.

Just like a large incinerator the incinerator toilet reduces the waste down to a tenth of its volume in ash. This is a huge benefit since the waste produced by a family of four over an entire week can be reduced to a bit more than cup of ash.Power Requirements

While the incineration is taking place the toilet makes noise because you can hear the extraction fan pulling odours out through the vent stack. Its not especially loud but runs for 15 minutes which is more noticeable than the quick flush of a water based toilet.

Ash disposal is easily accomplished by removing the pan from the front of the toilet and dumping it out. This would likely be something done on a weekly basis for a family and less frequently for a single user

There are versions of these toilets that use a propane gas burner instead of an electric heating element. These types require a code compliant natural gas or propane line to be installed in the washroom. Even these types still require electrical service to run the fan and control electronics.

There is a connection required to vent plumbing, so the toilet will typically will have a 2 inch vent connection coming out the back of the toilet, going through the wall and connecting to the vent stack.

The incinerating toilet vents all the odour in the usual way and the evaporate and vapour from the incinerating process. As well the toilet requires an electrical connection to power the heating element. You can use the toilet while the incineration is running but you have to remember your business will still be sitting there and you have to press the button again after the incineration is finished to process the next load. This might also explain why some people have problems with odour occasionally.Installation

One of the drawbacks is if you have to go again after the heating cycle has started you will have to find another toilet or hang on until the cycle has finished. Also the fact that you need a power connection means new wiring will have to be added in the toilet and it will need to be GFCI protected by code. This is particularly relevant for units that are all metal stainless steel construction to prevent any chance of electrical shock.

The power draw is 1500 to 1800 watts which is close to the maximum for a single circuit in a residential electrical system. Cycling the burner hundreds of times a year represents a significant electrical usage. This might rule out using an electrical incinerating toilet on an off grid solar powered home for example. If used in an RV when connected to external power this is an advantage because it gives you an alternative to have to empty the black water tanks.

Another key drawback is cost. These toilets are typically thousands of dollars to purchase. The price varies based on the options supplied. They require liners for every use which you have to buy from the supplier of the toilet. Liners cost about $55 per 1000 as per 2022 and 1000 should last an entire year. Some companies sell you a template for cutting your own liners out of wax paper. Either way you are going to need hundreds of liners on a yearly basis.Maintenance & Repair

As far as maintenance is concerned the weakest part of these toilets is the big electrical heating element. The element have been known to fail. This is likely due to the damp operating environment of the bathroom causing corrosion in the connections to the element. The greater the corrosion the higher the current until the wiring heats up and turns brittle and breaks. But the most part many people have owned these units for ten, fifteen twenty years without a single fault.

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