Choosing The Right Toilet For Your Tiny House
Let’s be real, toilets are a part of our lives, and as it may be an uncomfortable subject for some, if you’re making the move to a tiny house, you’ll need to start thinking about your toilet. Most tiny house dwellers are environmentalists, minimalists, and often trying to find ways to go green. Your choice of toilet can most definitely impact all of those things. So how do you go about choosing the right toilet for your tiny house? Lets take a look at all of your options below, so you can decide which is right for you!
Toilet Options For Your Tiny House
The very first thing that you should do before deciding on your new toilet, is whether or not your tiny house is going to be off-grid.
If you plan on having your tiny house connected to a septic tank, or sewage system, then your choice of toilets are next to endless.
Looking to go off-grid? Below we listed all of your options for tiny house toilets, if you don’t plan on being connect to sewage! Take a look!
Camper Toilets
Aqua-Magic Rv Toilet On Amazon
If you have ever been inside of a camper, or recreational vehicle, then you have experienced the camper toilet. These toilets use very little water per flush, and wash the waste down to a holding tank, typically underneath the home.
If you plan on using an RV toilet, keep in mind that you will need to empty your generated blackwater into a septic or sewage system. This is the type of toilet I have in my travel trailer. It works great, but dealing with a blackwater tank is a huge pain.
The tanks need emptied more often than you would think, and the amount of chemicals used to treat the tanks can be overwhelming. This is why I would consider composting toilets for your new tiny house.
Easy-To-Make Tiny House Composting Toilet
The easiest and most cost efficient toilet design for a tiny house would have to be the homemade composting toilet.
You can make this toilet from simply building a frame, placing a toilet seat over a large bucket, and then adding sawdust to the waste after every use. You can then take your gathered waste, and transport to a compost pile, where the waste can break down naturally.
It is recommended that you create a urine diverter, so that you can keep your liquids away from your solid waste. This will help you cut down on any nasty odors that may come from the unit.
The process of maintaining a composting toilet may take you some time getting used to. Remember, you will need to keep a steady supply of sawdust on hand, and have a nice large area for a compost pile. Besides those two things, this is the most inexpensive way to use the toilet without having any running water.
Composting Toilet Options For Your Tiny House
Maybe you want something a little fancier than a toilet seat and a bucket. This is where active composting toilets stand tall.
Composting toilets can be purchased anywhere from $800 to $2500, and will do all of the work for you! First, lets learn more about the two different types of composting toilets you can purchase.
Before purchasing a composting toilet make sure you understand the difference between remote, and self-contained.
Self-Contained Composting Toilets
Self-contained composting toilets will compost the waste within the container located on the inside of the toilet. The downside to this, is that they tend to be quite large.
On the inside you’ll find fans and heaters in order to keep the unit at optimal temperatures for composting, and also to keep odors at bay.
Below are a couple options you have for self-contained composting toilets that you can purchase right now!
Natures Head Self-Contained Composting Toilet
Natures Head Self-Contained Composting Toilet On Amazon
The new design from Natures Head, is one of the most reliable, and efficient self-contained toilets for the price.
The toilet itself only weighs 28 pounds, it uses 12 volts of electricity to run the inner components to compost the waste. The best part….It’s super easy to clean.
If you are looking for a high quality product, that gets a ton of great reviews from previous customers, then consider Natures Head Self-Contained Composting Toilet for your new tiny house. You can learn more and read reviews by clicking the link above.
Sun-Mar Non-Electric Self-Contained Composting Toilet
Sun-Mar Non-Electric Self-Contained Composting Toilet On Amazon
The self-contained composting toilet from Sun-Mar is the easiest way to convert your waste into safe fertilizing compost, with zero odor! This design is perfect for anyone building a new tiny house off-grid.
No need for running water or septic tanks with the Sun-Mar composting toilet. The compost sits in a reservoir, breaks down, and is super easy to clean! To learn more about this product click the link above!
Remote Composting Toilets
Remote composting toilets work a little differently from self-contained. If you have a remote composting toilet, you can use a more traditional looking toilet that sends the waste to a separate container for composting. These containers are typically on the outside, or underneath the tiny house.
Also, you will need running water for the remote composting toilets. Even if the amount of water used is less than a pint per flush, it’s still something to keep in mind.
You may find the process of maintaining, and cleaning these units involving. The initial cost of purchasing/installing these units may be expensive, but I can assure you it will be the most efficient and cost effective way to enjoy a toilet off-grid.
The only downside to these composting toilets, is that the commercially available toilets may be a little big for an already existing tiny house. If you are building a new tiny house, then plan out space for the type of toilet you are going to purchase.
The Dry Toilet
Another great toilet option that you have if you aren’t hooked up to running water, or don’t plan to use sewage or septic, is the Dry Toilet.
Like the name, dry toilet, it uses no water, it looks very similar to a normal toilet, but it weighs next to nothing.
On the inside you’ll find a small rechargeable electric motor that sits underneath the toilet seat. Every time you flush the toilet the small motor twists the lining to create a new “bowl”. From there the waste gets wrapped up within the liner, and held in the toilets receptacle.
When all of the liners have been used from the cartridge, the whole cartridge of liners will fall into the garbage bag. You can then replace your liner cartridge, and repeat the process.
The dry toilet is definitely one of the easiest and eco friendly toilets you can invest in if your tiny house is off-grid. Let’s take a look at a few Dry Toilet options you can purchase right now!
Basicwise Portable Camping Toilet
Basicwise Portable Camping Toilet
This small portable camping toilet from Basicwise is one of easiest toilets to maintain if your tiny house is off the grid. If you find yourself not worrying too much about the look of your toilet, then this dry toilet may be a perfect option for you.
It uses 8 pound toilet bags to collect the waste, only weighs about 6 pounds, and will cost you around $60! Take a closer look at this dry toilet by clicking the link above!
In Conclusion
As you can see, the way you live your tiny house life, will directly impact the choice of toilets you’re going to have.
Connected to sewage or a septic tank? RV toilets, or any regular toilet could work for you!
If you plan to be off-grid, then the composting toilet is going to be the very best option. They may be a little pricey, but they will save you a boat load of money in the long run.
If you don’t feel like spending a lot on a toilet, then build your own, like the one in the example above!
Hopefully this article has helped you to decide on which toilet is right for your tiny house! Let us know what kind of toilets you use in your tiny house, and how they work for you!
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