EXCEL

I own a small island in northern Ontario. Although it is off-grid, we have all the usual amenities (running hot/cold water, electricity, even AC and Dolby Surround). But a traditional toilet wouldn’t do, since it would require an above-ground septic tank, thanks to the Canadian Shield/granite the island is made from, not to mention the issues with servicing an island septic tank. (We only produce grey water, and have a natural filtration bed for that.) This non-electric, no-water composting toi... Read More

I own a small island in northern Ontario. Although it is off-grid, we have all the usual amenities (running hot/cold water, electricity, even AC and Dolby Surround). But a traditional toilet wouldn’t do, since it would require an above-ground septic tank, thanks to the Canadian Shield/granite the island is made from, not to mention the issues with servicing an island septic tank. (We only produce grey water, and have a natural filtration bed for that.) This non-electric, no-water composting toilet solved those practical and aesthetic problems. It works so much like a regular toilet, even city-only types aren’t too weirded out. The unit is mostly used every other weekend or so, from May ‘til October, each year. But we’ve had large groups for a few days, and I’ve lived there for a few months at a time, on occasion, without issue. The bulking material is rather pricey for what it is (about $40/bag), but we usually don’t even go through a whole bag in one season, most years. We don’t have an exhaust fan, and have never had a smelly bathroom…which may be the most miraculous thing about this product! Sometimes, after giving the drum a spin, it can be a bit smelly OUTSIDE, down-wind of the ventilation stack, but not after every drum spin, and never without spinning the drum first. Just a fantastic solution for off-grid sanitation! Worth every nickel!! The only issues I’ve had are guests turning the handle (for modesty - to conceal their use of the toilet, I’m guessing), but doing it wrong, and unloading material into the already-full finisher (that was a fun night of lying on the floor, manually scooping-out the base of the unit); guests putting trash in it; the tendency of the bulking material to form balls (possibly when there’s too much moisture) that maintain their shape, even after drying; and the handle pulling itself back-in while being turned, resulting in some loud cracks, and only a matter of time until a piece of plastic is broken off. (I’m the assigned turner, and even I can forget to keep that outward tension while turning the handle.) I don’t use the finished compost for anything. We have a makeshift compost pile for food scraps and whatnot, and I just empty it there. Never a problem, and no smell. If you are still using an outhouse or chemical toilet, consider a (waterless, non-electric) composting toilet. It’s an upgrade!  Read Less

I bought an excel 120 volt version for my house from Home Depot. We have an indoor plumbing setup, but it has to be pumped out every year or two and @ 20,000 to 40,000 CanD to replace, I decided to try the self-composting version. If we have fussy guests we just let them use the flush toilet. The unit works exactly as they describe in the literature and we have had no issues since we got it. It is literally plug and play. Not sure about the others that are complaining about theirs, as we have no... Read More

I bought an excel 120 volt version for my house from Home Depot. We have an indoor plumbing setup, but it has to be pumped out every year or two and @ 20,000 to 40,000 CanD to replace, I decided to try the self-composting version. If we have fussy guests we just let them use the flush toilet. The unit works exactly as they describe in the literature and we have had no issues since we got it. It is literally plug and play. Not sure about the others that are complaining about theirs, as we have no problems with the step, as it is plenty big, solid and not slippery. One reviewer misunderstood the overflow, which is simply for excess urine. Since urine is harmless to the environment we simply send our tube to pour into the same place the roof gutter drains. It has been in constant use since the early spring with no smell, no bugs, no flies, no mess. There is a very minor sound from the motor, which I can hear in the middle of the night if I pay attention, because where we live there is no street or highway noise. The company's assessment that it makes as much noise as a circulation fan is about right. I cannot complain about the electrical use which is is 20% LESS than what Sun-Mar has advertises. I have an energy monitor (UMF EM100) on mine which shows 3696.20 hours [154 days] and 462.64 KW usage which translates to a lot less than what they said in the advertising. They state roughly 150 watts. We experienced 124.16639 or 20% less their #s. This unit is in a finished, but unheated basement. They say it is better to be in a heated area as it will reduce the heating costs. I may try to disconnect the heater for awhile to see what happens. I may also look into installing the 4" pipe to get rid of the electrical connection altogether, but I have to check it out. Would I buy it again? Yes.  Read Less