FAQ and hints
How does a separation toilet work?
First of all: NO, it doesn't stink 😉 With a separation toilet, urine and faeces do not come into contact with each other. This reliably prevents the development of unpleasant odours. Only when urine and faeces come into contact with each other certain enzymes are activated, resulting in the notorious " pit latrine smell" of former days. With a separation toilet, flushing is not necessary. Dry faeces do not smell and the urine tank is reliably sealed by a mechanical odour trap (this is only available from BioTioo). The urine tank can be easily cleaned after use with a spray bottle and a very small amount of water - that's all.
How is the BioTioo actually "flushed"?
There are two bins in the BioTioo. The front tank collects the urine. The rear container contains a granulate of natural coconut fibres. These biodegradable fibres have the property that they can absorb a lot of moisture and then only gradually release this moisture again. To "flush" after the "number 2", the handle on the side of the toilet is turned 2-3 times. This immediately covers the faeces with coconut fibres. This prevents unpleasant odours from rising, and since the faeces are completely covered by the coconut fibres, they begin to dry immediately.
In the urine area, flushing is normally not carried out in a separating toilet. Reason: The contact of urine with cold water causes urine scale formation. Limestone and other dissolved substances in the water combine with the urine and uric acid acting as a catalyst to form a lime-magnesia composition that is insoluble in water. However, urine scale deposits can be removed with a mixture of water and vinegar or vinegar essence. This mixture can also be used to clean the urinal after using the toilet or in the evening to prevent urine scale formation.
Is special toilet paper required?
NO, normal toilet paper from the home can be used. Also paperless cleaning with water is no problem. However, as this adds more moisture to the coconut granulate, the fan should then be in continuous mode in order to ventilate.
Can the BioTioo replace an ordinary portable toilet?
Yes, absolutely. The housing of the BioTioo is already prepared for fixed installation in the motor home, caravan, boat or Tiny House: There are prepared mounting holes on the back of the housing and on the base for screwing the BioTioo to the wall or floor. A slimline fastening kit is in preparation so that the two fasteners between the toilet bowl and the housing can be conveniently reached when the unit is mounted on the wall. Since the urine tank and the solids container can be conveniently removed from the top, there is no need for a service flap in the outer wall. By the way: the solids container can be conveniently removed upwards, the housing remains as a unit in the vehicle. Competing models require the toilet to be disassembled each time the solids container has to be emptied. And then the toilet bowl has to be put down somehow / somewhere in the vehicle ...
What are the emptying intervals?
With a separation toilet, there is a differentiation between emptying the urine tank and emptying the solids container. The BioTioo urine tank has a usable volume of 9.9 litres. An average adult produces 1.5 litres a day. This results in an emptying interval of about 6.5 days when used by one person. For two people, the urine tank must be emptied after 3 days. This is also in line with practical experience. The solids container has a usable volume of about 12 litres. The drying process in combination with the agitator compresses the faeces considerably. Since faeces contain up to 80 % water, the solid container must be emptied after approx. 14 days when used by two people, from practical experience. Since the faeces do not smell at all after drying, the solids container actually only needs to be emptied as soon as it is full. In case of occasional use, the dry faeces can remain in the coconut granulate. There is then no need for emptying. ( This is a significant difference to the conventional chemical toilet!!!).