Installing and Using a Worm Composting Toilet System

In June 2020, shortly after building our yurt, we installed a worm composting toilet system, also called a vermicomposting toilet system, to receive the waste from our yurt bathroom. This video follows the process from the initial installation to updates and changes made over the course of 20 months using the system.
Plans used from: www.vermicompostingtoilets.net...
December 2022 Update on the Worm Composting Toilet System - • Worm Composting Toilet...
Music by:
Dan Lebowitz
Vexento - www.soundcloud.com/vexento
We also have an Instagram: greenheartfamilyfarm

[@Raj-yy7xx]

For a Grey water leach field soak zone, plant lotsa rows of Comfrey and Reeds, which can be periodically cut and added to your compost piles to produce nutrient rich, green manure, free fertiliser. The plants suck up the nutrients and water, so residual water is cleaned, and the plant growth matter becomes harvestable and reusable.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Great ideas, thanks! :)

[@alycat9789]

I agree! This is the exact situation where I would create a wetland system. Great habitat for wildlife as the vegetation filters nutrients from greywater!

[@susyinajacuzii]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video. I was feeling so overwhelmed with this project but after seeing you go through the process, it has put my mind at ease immensely. You rock!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you for such a nice comment!!

[@nelsonolivera8059]

Thank you for being generous in showing the problem shooting. I am familiar with the worms and I would add a escape for the water about a foot by the top of the tote so the worms would have a semi dry area at the top. Also, on the first tote they will need moist/wet at the surface as the water recedes at the bottom. Thank you for sharing your adventures with us!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you, Nelson!

[@apinhmi]

Worms will die when filled with water

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

Thanks for the reinforcements he already knows that but for the rest of us; Worms will die if they are too wet if they're too dry if they're too hot or too cold: they have four enemies so you have to protect them from all four enemies: heat, cold, floods, and dryness.

[@rumyanakoprinkova3295]

@@howtogetoutofbabylon8978 ...също, както и при човешките същества😀

[@elizabethneville3086]

What lucky kids, growing up with such a handy dad, who encourages them to help! 😊

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We're trying our best to be encouraging! Sometimes it's tough when it's either unsafe or sooo slow :)

[@kimiishikawa5268]

Excellent video, by the way! I love that it is content-dense and covers everything from initial setup through the follow-up and contingency plan, including the positives and challenges. So helpful!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Glad it was helpful and that you liked it, thanks for the kind words and questions :)

[@sammysemi9408]

If you cut your discharge line back a little bit and put a t in place you can put two valves on your composting line and then swap your valves back and forth every month to be able to make sure that the worms don't die

[@unclebenny9028]

Excellent idea!

[@davidmiddleton7029]

@@unclebenny9028 As has been mention, valves run the risk of getting blocked if solids are flowing past them -not pleasant if it's blackwater....

[@jsilver4394]

I love this idea and want to do this with my tiny home. How did you convince the health department/municipalities to do this? I know a lot of people do it under the radar, which is always an option. I called my local health department and they said alternative grey water/septic systems are not allowed in the state of Virginia. I want to challenge that, but have no idea where to start. We are living in a new world. The old is falling away and new, regenerative practices that are in harmony with the earth is the way forward. Thanks for posting this video!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks for the kind words! I hope you go for it; I'm really enjoying being able to DIY handling our waste. I'm not sure what your best path forward on dealing with authorities and permissions would be, sorry, and I try to avoid discussing that side of things completely on the channel.

[@jsilver4394]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm I totally get it! Thank you!

[@unclebenny9028]

I'll discuss it... The jokers that run the "department of making you sad" (thx jack spirko) would love to make you think you're part of their act and should pay all their hefty design and install fees... Worked for a bunch of them... It's one big club and they love to make you pay to be in it... Don't be a pay-triot... If you're struggling in this department, go listen to Alphonso Faggiolo or Steve Emerson talk for a while... That should help you start thinking about how to get out of the mental black hole they've got you in... You CAN do BETTER than any government approved structure or system! Even if it's only better for you, that's enough and that's the end of it!

[@bfroutdoors]

Working on our off grid cabin site, considering this for our toilet. Thanks for the video!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

That's great, please come back and comment with what you build!

[@Hephthehomie]

This was so incredibly informative and well done. Thank you for sharing your journey and teachings! 🙏 more life!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, Noah! :)

[@hijjhggffffgu]

thank you for this video, so much useful information for people who are considering to start sustainable living on the land

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Glad you found it useful! I'm still planning on making a follow-up video later this year with updates about how the system is working.

[@robynnewton2080]

Tina's lil giggle at the end! 💜

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We like to laugh and joke all the time; it doesn't always come through well on video, though :)

[@jampackedfamilycountrylivi8022]

Very interesting video. We have a few families planning to do something like this in our area. I will need to pass this video along to them!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

That's great, please come back and let me know if you guys install one!

[@davejones4269]

Have you thought about planting water reed over your outlet? That’s what they do in the UK, and then you get the added benefit of the Biomass that you could use for thatching outbuildings, or as part of your composting system, or even for kindling in your fires just a athought. Ps great instructions. I’ll be following them

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks! I'm very open to water loving plants to plant into the outlet. I'll look into water reed; is there a specific species name I should be looking for? Thanks again for the kind words, and please let me know if you do build a similar system.

[@michaelreed9733]

Just a suggestion, what I did with my grey water I ran it into a concrete box I poured. About 2' x 2' x 3' deep ran the incoming pipe into it at the top . Then about a foot up off bottom ran the pipe out the other side to my drain field . That way it will catch solids that come down pipe an can clean it out .

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

That's a cool setup, thanks for sharing the details, Michael.

[@kimiishikawa5268]

...I am also wondering why you haven't planted into the mulch bed to help with water uptake in the drainage area? It seems like that would help, especially in your rainy climate (I am hoping to build in New Mexico)

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We've recently planted a few water irises, and we're interested in doing more, if you have any suggestions. I just want to be careful not to take it too far and block up the drainage our of our tanks with spreading roots, so we're proceeding with caution.

[@tobiasrall1110]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm Reed, cattails, sedge and iris are some common plants for greywater systems, because they naturally occur in wetlands. Those plants accelerate filtration by providing habitat for microorganisms in their root network that help breaking down the sewage and improve aeration of the system. Clogging of the drainage holes could be a problem though, but I think there are solutions for this. Check out this article: wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructed_wetland

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

@@tobiasrall1110 Thank you for the helpful information, Tobias!

[@davidmiddleton7029]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm grey water and pipes into soakaway wetland area could be wrapped with weed suppressant membrane to stop/reduce roots clogging pipework? that's what we've done

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

@@davidmiddleton7029 cool, thanks for the idea!

[@TheShorterboy]

you need a stirrer for the tanks breaks up solids and moves water around and allows it to flow

[@Svullosvinto]

Great video! I was wondering, how did the setup with the second tank go? Would love to see an update video at some point!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you! Second tank is working very well, better than the first; update coming in the next couple months is my goal!

[@Svullosvinto]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm Glad to hear that! Looking forward to seeing it!

[@denisefriese7522]

Thank you for all the detail and especially the follow up with problems.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, Denise! Glad it was helpful; I'm a few months into the tank now, and so far, so good. The next few months will also bring the ideal weather for the worms, so I'll plan to bring another update later this year with how that is going.

[@howtogetoutofbabylon8978]

Thank you for a phenomenal video I've always said that 80% of the solution to problems is knowing that it has been or CAN be done!!! I'M HOPING HAVE OTHER VIDEOS ON HOW EXACTLY DID IT WITH THE STACK PIPE LOCKED IN WITH ROCKS...

[@paaperclip33]

Great video! So detailed! System looks great. Can't wait to see video with updates!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, really appreciate the kind words. I will keep operating the system and noting how things work, and I'll bring an update when I've got more to share with how the two-tank system is going.

[@davebrail7663]

Thanks for the follow-up updated information on improvements for the system. 👍

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks! Planning to share more later this year.

[@ImASurvivorNThriver]

This was great ‼️ Thanks for sharing.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you!

[@GuildofKnightlyArts]

Seems like you could just do the same thing with a regular septic system. You can acquire a large tank from Lowes as well as corrugated drain pipe for a regular drain field. The only difference is that the tak would be filled with the medium conducive for worm life and propagation.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I'd definitely be interested in using a larger tank for another version of this system. Thanks for the ideas!

[@slipkid35]

I would imagine that a bona-fide septic tank would be considerably more expensive than using the re-purpoposed totes

[@deathbywedgie]

Thank you for this generously helpful and informative video! I'm considering the same setup, and it gives me even more confidence that you're in Oregon too. 😁💙

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Awesome, glad it's helpful, Chad! Come back and let me know if you pursue it. I'm still planning on putting out a follow-up later this year. The second tank is running significantly better than the first, so we're even happier with things now.

[@deathbywedgie]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm Glad to hear that! The changes you made on the second one certainly seemed promising.

[@taavetmalkov3295]

Hello from Estonia. good stuff in video. inspiring, Be well you all!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you, Taavet! :)

[@jimdoyle8224]

Thanks for the informative vid mate I am planning on doing the same thing here in OZ so I will be looking forward to a follow up vid. Cheers.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Great, thanks Jim! Just to give you the most recent update; all is well with the new tank so far. We have started using a bidet in the last few weeks, reducing the amount of toilet paper we put into the system. I'm due for my monthly inspection of the tank this weekend, but I don't expect any surprises. Keep in touch with your plans and when you get started!

[@jimdoyle8224]

Cheers m8 will do, I'm planning on setting up a few cabins on my block and putting this type of system in, so when I get going I'll keep you posted.

[@susanrogers917]

You both are doing great and it's not redneck it's using what's available ❤

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, Susan :)

[@l0gic23]

Thumbs up and +1 subscriber. Also, rang the notification bell. Can't wait to see an update video! Thanks for this video and more on the subject.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you for the kind words! I'm going to be working on the follow-up soon, my goal is to get it out in December 2022.

[@daltongangoffgrid9376]

So neat!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks Dalton family!

[@sachinsalunke1954]

Thank you for genuine video

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you!!

[@tonysu8860]

Interesting. From the beginning, I was wondering what you were going to do when each "tote-bin" gets full. But, if you have 2 or more bins then you can always switch over to the other and I guess if it's taking a year and a half to fill a bin, then that should be enough time for the old bin to properly decompose and it wouldn't be so onerous a job to shovel out the compost. It would just be a mistake to be filling both bins simultaneously and eventually when you need to empty a bin, it could be an onerous job with unprocessed defecation. Was also curious whether you've had any problems with clogged pipes. Even if the grade is proper (IIRC 6 degrees minimum?) that's an awfully long horizontal run even if it's straight and without building clean-outs would mean that if a pipe got clogged you might need a drain snake over 50' long. I suppose it would also depend on how much water you're willing to flush to ensure the waste goes all the way down the pipe and won't dry in the pipe. Anyway, congrats. Looks like a very cool system with some benefits if you can use the compost or can make it safe to simply give back to nature. Some similarities to sumps that simply pump the waste into a sewer or treat the waste with chemicals... If your worms can keep up with your requirements, it's a great solution. BTW - If your bins are largely underground by filling all around the bins, I doubt that any termperature extremes would harm the worms, even if temperatures were to spike well above 100 degrees F or drop below 40 degrees F for more than a few weeks. The ambient termperature isn't important, it's the bin temperature which should remain temperate because the ground should be like a giant heat sink that prevents extreme termperatures in the bin, even if sun shines directly on the bin tops. If you're really anxious about the temperature in the bins, you can simply leave a thermometer in the bins. Some electronic thermometers will even retain the most extreme reading for later inspection.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and glad you like the video.

[@TheEmbrio]

Cattails and irises in a shallow rocky small ’bassin’ along the ditch, near the overflow, adds nice living roots, aeration, decompaction, complimentary to woody material that can over time (quite quickly) mat and become dense and slimy.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We tried a few water irises and they are doing wonderfully! Thanks :)

[@user-le4em9pl8l]

Hello, for me extremely excellent video, great that you go back and see progress or lack of, changes in design, so many videos you see and never find out what really happened good or bad, However Question.. there is a tractor in the video so digging is easy and it seems you are working just as hard to put in the worm farm as you would standard tank with leach field, can you discuss the reasons why you would choose worms over standard septic type system, thank you for sharing your experience, we are moving in the same direction and am trying to learn as much from others as I can.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks for the kind words! For one thing, I really wanted to try a worm composting toilet system because I think it is so interesting. Second, even though we used equipment to excavate, it was less excavation and less materials than a standard septic tank. Hope that helps, thanks!

[@shirleya-z794]

I would think not adding toilet paper to the toilet would improve the tanks processing ability. It's also a really small tank for more than a single occupant. I also think it would be a good idea to put the gray water discharge into a bucket catchment before it empties into the ground. I have a gray water system and used a home depot bucket (5 gallon), drilled holes in it, filled it with rocks, then put the outgoing graywater pipe into the bucket with a layer of dead or freshly picked ferns on the top (depending on the season). once every few months I scrape off the top layer and replace it with a new layer of ferns (that's just what I have easily available in my yard). It has worked well but even with a screen in my kitchen sink I get a lot of sludge build up in that bucket which I would imagine is what is going to happen inside that pipe you wrapped in landscaping fabric.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you for your thoughts; I like that idea about the greywater filter bucket.

[@xavierm1018]

Nice work, I saw some videos adding worms to the grey waters; in order to clean it a little bit before goes to the ground. I am looking for that design and your video shows up. I don't know which is your case, but home depot have a toilet dual flusher. For #1 release half of the tank and #2 release the whole water tank.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, Xavier! We don't have a dual flushing toilet, but based on my experience and discussions with others using a worm composting toilet system, reducing the amount of toilet paper we use will help more than reducing how much water we flush down the toilet. I've ordered a bidet and we're going to see how that goes. I'll address it in a follow-up within a year or so based on how things have been going!

[@iknowheis]

In the West Bank and Old Jerusalem, the pipes are very old and small. They don’t flush their toilet paper. They keep a plastic bag lined bucket with a lid sitting next to the toilet and that is where the toilet paper goes. It can be burned for disposal.

[@wobbles47]

Thanks, very useful video. What are you thoughts about rigging up a cleanout fitting to easy redirect waste back into tank 1.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I'm planning to have a press fit fitting ready to switch back and forth as needed. I assume by a cleanout fitting you mean including a valve? I would love the convenience of that, but I was concerned that anything with a valve would be vulnerable to backup when we're talking about sewage flow. I'm definitely open to ideas on that. But since my plan is to just switch the flow once or twice per year, a simple solution with two separate fittings will probably be just fine.

[@teddyapproved]

Technically, this is a composting septic not a composting toilet. I like this idea and you did a great job of showing the build, but we don’t have running water on the property that I just bought so we’re probably gonna have to do the old composting bucket toilet so we don’t waste water flushing.

[@jasonkleppin460]

Well thought out system and inexpensive. I was thinking that if you had a Y pipe off the main line then 2 separate lines with valves then it would be less messing around when you switched tanks.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We've considered a Y-pipe system, but I am concerned that a valve directing solids may create blockage issues. I'll keep it in mind going forward, but right now it looks like I will alternate the tanks at most once per year.

[@michaelwilkinson1868]

How do you alternate the tanks? Also, did you use 3" or 4" pipe for your pipe going from the yurt to the tank? Lastly, what size pipe did you use for the vertical drain in the IBC container?

[@isabellekeyzer]

i think the middle pipe is not enough drainage for the width of the bin. I have a compost bin and the bottom is perforated. Of course it has less water than when it comes from toilets. I also think you could lack green matter and may not have enough air inside

[@margaloosboy257]

choice one family 👪 good job

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

thanks!

[@plumbingdoctorgh7993]

Thank you very much I want to start vermicomposting toilet I need more details thanks

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Glad you found it helpful, thanks!

[@jhaire79gmail]

is there an update on the first tank? great video thanks

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks! I'm planning to make an update later this year.

[@robbyoutdoors54501]

Thanks for the video. I have been contemplating doing such a system at an offgrid cabin I plan to build in northwest Ontario, Canada. It would be seasonal/light use and I would probably go with a low flush toilet. One question I had was the smell but, I see that has been answered. The next question I have is: do you think if you would have waited about a month before use it would have made a difference? I have been to the site you got the plans and saw they mentioned the same; wait a month.. The next question I have is: have you removed any of the "compost" from Tank #1 yet? The next question I have is: how is the new improved drain field system doing with the rock and perforated pipe with screen over it doing? Better? Worse? No change? I am contemplating using those septic field drain pipes that are surrounded by packing peanuts and mesh for both grey water drain field and the system I put in. I subscribed because I would love to see follow up videos as I myself begin this journey.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Hi Robert, thanks for the comment and questions. Waiting a month after starting the worms may have helped a bit, but we seeded the system with quite a few worms. I could see that time period being much more important if you just started with handful of worms; they just need time to build up in population. These systems are designed so that you don't remove any compost; as the worms process material, it becomes water soluble and flushes out in the liquid through the bottom drain. Woody material and our waste goes in the top, the worms process, and liquid comes out the bottom. The new greywater drainage with the perforated pipe is a huge improvement so far. It's most noticeable during heavy flow like when the washing machine is draining. Hope that helps, and good luck with your cabin!

[@kristenvincent3622]

This is super informative thanks for sharing! I’ve been using a large wooden separator tank with a baffle system for about 5 years, full time, a family of two. I’m constantly worried that we are going to hit “full” and have a black tank type backup issue. This could be a viable alternative for our final house septic system, which needs revised/replaced due to a bovine incident. I wonder how it would work with a “normal” septic tank for access instead of the IBC tote (seeing as that’s already buried but not fully hooked up)

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks! I'm not sure exactly how well a septic tank would work; it would depend where the outlet is located. A key part of the worm system is that the outlet is very close to the bottom of the tank so it doesn't fill with liquid and drown the worms.

[@ghostwriter310]

Thank You for your time making this video. I have a property in the country in Southern OR. I am considering a similar waste system. If you have a minute, could you update on the 2 IBC totes how they are performing and is your system still functioning satisfactorily? Do you have any sugeestions for someone like me jsut starting to build one? thanks again!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Will be making an update video in December 2022. Thanks for the questions, I'll do my best to thoroughly address them in the update!

[@danreed4920]

Switch over to RV toilet paper. More cost but it breaks down much quicker than ordinary toilet paper.

[@fineartonfire_5327]

I was also use stainless steel window screen instead of that cheap weed barrier. That’d hold up allot better for your use.

[@fineartonfire_5327]

Hi oh also need some valves. So you can just swap back n forth between tanks when ya want. Then maybe cycling on a schedule would help ya allot.

[@conkers126]

This is great, I’m just looking to do the same system. Are there any updates? Is it still holding up ok? Would you recommend this system for 2 people full time?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, Peter! I think one tank would do great for 2 people. Our system is working very well; I'm hoping to put together an update soon!

[@kimiishikawa5268]

I am wondering why you used weed blocker fabric instead of the fine mesh that Wendy Howared recommends? Do you think that might have been part of the blockage problem?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Hi Kimi, it could certainly be an issue; I simply used what was available in the hardware store. If you have any links or exact brand and product names, I'd be glad to check them out and share them.

[@kimiishikawa5268]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm I plan to use nylon or fiberglass window screen. That's what the docs looked like to me...

[@TheEmbrio]

I wonder if your gravel layer at the bottom of the ibc tote is correctly drained. Looks like you want to drain vertically even the biological layer, but not many holes at the bottom where the leachate collects between the rocks. Will watch again to make sure. If i’m right, many of your issues are from there. Also read my comment about plants being your solution to graywater clogging. Cattails and irises. Your perforated pipe should be level, or else all or 95% will go to the end of the pipe... it’s ok but not your plan to spreqd it out.

[@JackRT2502]

Thanks for your video, I've always wondered how worms can be used in the tiolet system. My question is is your toilet a water flush toilet. We have a compost toilet but it isn't a flush system

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

It's a normal flush toilet. Thanks!

[@Adnancorner]

if you can find sheep fleece for insulation, it would be much better.

[@julienvailles2986]

Great video, thank you very much! I'm planning to do the same, we are 6 people and living in Ireland, quite cold, I'll need to have proper insulation to keep them warm! How is your second toilet going? Did the amount of waste of your first toilet went down a good bit?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thank you, Julien! So far so good with the second tank. We started using a bidet to reduce the amount of toilet paper going into the tank, and that seems to be helping. The first tank is reducing in volume; I'm due to check on that again this month. I'll make a follow-up video later this year with all the details. Hope you subscribe and keep an eye out for that. Please come back and let us know when you build your system, too!

[@julienvailles2986]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm Thanks for the update! :) Good idea for the bidet, I'll think about it, the paper is clearly a concern when I see the amount we consume. I'm looking forward to your next video, keep up the good life👍

[@davidmiddleton7029]

@@julienvailles2986 Hiya, we've just installed this system on our croft in the highlands of Scotland, so, if you want, i can keep you updated?

[@julienvailles2986]

@@davidmiddleton7029 Yes absolutely it would great, we have about the same climate, how many people are going to use it? Thanks in advance and well done for getting this in place 👍

[@davidmiddleton7029]

Well, about 4 people, but not constant use - mostly for holidays and things

[@williamhunt5325]

Wow, great video! What county in Oregon permits vermicomposting? I have property in Lane and Deschutes, they won't permit it. Thanks!!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, glad you like it. We won't be discussing anything around permitting, sorry!

[@bruceevans341]

How do you harvest the worm castings when your system becomes full?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

No harvesting; worm castings are dissolved in water and pass through the exit pipe at the bottom of the tank.

[@Andersonew]

🪱 Earthworms don’t drown in water, they emerge when it rains only to migrate and I found them thriving in my aquarium’s under gravel filter for years… 🌱 🌱

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Earthworms absolutely do drown, we have found them dead and drowned in one of our original food waste composting bins and it was quite unpleasant.

[@Q5000]

Was hoping you were going to follow up with how it worked out with 2nd tank.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Update should be coming soon, thanks for asking :)

[@noname-xt2io]

have you taken the temp inside the bins after insulation? seems like with all the activity going on in there it would get hot

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I haven't taken temps but I've never noticed it seem 100F+ like a traditional compost pile; if it was getting that hot, the worms would be dying. I'd guess the internal temp varies between 40 and 90 depending on the season.

[@noname-xt2io]

yeah thats what i was thinking, it would be like a compost pile..guess not

[@ziad_jkhan]

So the system requires two such tanks for a family of four and it processes both toilet and gray water?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

For a family of four plus guests, as our system has worked, two tanks is needed rather than one. If I ever build an entirely new system for a different residence, I think I will look into a larger volume tank rather than dealing with separate tanks. I am very happy with our current system, though.

[@Azariah-pv2xv]

How big would you recommend for a 2000 flush a day

[@user-ic5bh4gp2i]

Put spray foam around the tank

[@timothymarshall6709]

Maybe if the worms don't like the light give them sunglasses

[@unclebenny9028]

Is there a species of worm that's better suited to this application?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We're using the plain ol' red wriggler. They seem to be the standard composting worm. Not sure if there are other species seen as better or worse?

[@oyajiblues]

Utilize the fertilizer?

[@3bouldersurban653]

Aren’t you concerned about roots growing through the perforated Gray waters and waste pipe?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

That's the kind of maintenance I'm expecting to need to do every few years, and don't mid it. So far, I've had to pull some residue out of the greywater pipe due to buildup from dishes/shower/etc., but haven't had issues with roots.

[@charlenequinilty7252]

How often do you have to clean out

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

If everything is working correctly, never. We should only have to provide occasional woody material and leaves.

[@unclebenny9028]

So they divert their gray water and had problems with accumulation... Daz did no separation and very few problems... I'm thinking it needs to go in the tank...

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I've never heard of Daz, if you can share more information I'll look for it and check it out, thanks.

[@unclebenny9028]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm his vermicomposting flush toilet (VCFT) system is in new south wales... kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKTck5-hodxqbZI

[@davidmiddleton7029]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm Daz the Cowboy channel on here (has had his going for a while (can't remember how long) he doesn't use specific soakaway pit for his runoff)

[@Platypus2012]

Nice job.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I'm sure there are microscopic bugs at work as well as the worms. What's your point?

[@Q5000]

Wait, did you just throw earthworms in the 2nd tank?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

We went through the same plumbing and construction process with the second tank. We've made some improvements in how we add branches and other material, which I'll cover in the followup. Can you point to where you got the impression that I just threw worms in, so I can understand better? Thanks.

[@iknowheis]

Is there a follow up video? I don’t see one….

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Yes the update is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b37cYqF8f6eof80

[@thebeautifulones5436]

1. A flushing toilet makes compost too wet. 2. Worms don't need much water as long as they are fed plant matter 3. Worms don't eat poo. 4. Those wood chips are too big to rot quickly 5. It is going to be hard to empty those containers. Take out the flushing toilet, replace it with a bucket, use saw dust and make a raised compost pile for it all. Build a seperate worm farm for food waste.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I agree with some of your points and disagree with others. I've filmed two follow-up episodes in the years since that first installation video. If you want to take the time to watch them and then have a discussion, I'd be interested. I'm leery, though, based on your comment that "worms don't eat poo". That's just false, and if you think that's true, there's really nothing else to discuss around this system. I'm happy to engage in constructive criticism and discussion, but I can't tell if you're in that category.

[@CarolSteinfeld]

How do you empty it? Folks show me these and claim they will never need to be emptied. Three years later, they aren't used anymore.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

No problem if you're a skeptic. I'm hopeful and quite confident our system will be functioning satisfactorily well passed the three year mark (we're at 2.5 years now). I'll be making an update in a few months. Feel free to check back in a year or two to see if we're still using the system, if we've made changes, etc.

[@iknowheis]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm So in an undetermined amount of time will the tanks need to be emptied or do the worms eat it all? It seems like a waste of worm tea and worm castings which I have paid for at the garden store! Another thought. When you cut the small hole in the first tank and then slightly enlarged in the second tank, I didn’t think enlargement was the solution. Why couldn’t you just cut the top off so you could work freely inside the tank? I’m sure you could design a rim or cap type design so it can close well…maybe put it on a hinge and hold it up with a pole while you are working.

[@peterbishop7569]

Hi, Your volume equation doesn't work eg, volume of waste to volume of worms to reduce your effluent..one worm will eat it's weight in food per night. E.g 10 kgs of effluent to 10kg tiger worms. 😊

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

I don't remember discussing a volume equation, can you reference it more specifically to a point in the video?

[@rosecosta374]

Rose Brasil/Italia Seria ótimo plantar bananas e folhas de folhas largas abaixo da saída final das águas Cinzas.

[@Anosha116]

Why put toilet paper in there? You can have a bin and just burn it or possibly put in compost

[@annavi7627]

here is an above-ground worm and woodchip-filled concrete tank that collects everything from the flush toilet: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6qnfHxvedSVmJI

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Thanks, very interesting! Would love to gather information from as many systems as possible to keep improving.

[@Azariah-pv2xv]

The music is to loud

[@fineartonfire_5327]

You’re putting WAY too much water on your worm bins if you have that much liquid leaching out the bottom!! I don’t even use bottom buckets anymore. Bc I don’t allow mine to get that wet!!

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Interesting; we never add water to our worm bins, the water just comes from the stuff like coffee grounds and banana peels that go into the bucket. Thanks for the comment anyways.

[@robinlangeliers6870]

Can you smell it?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Only if I open the tank all the way up and stick my head in. No odors from our general living area, which we're very happy with.

[@xikano8573]

Just dont sniff the glue there, little bubba...

[@crosisofborg5524]

The effort is good but this system will not work. Every flush introduces too much water. The leach field will clog up quickly and the worms won’t do well in the totes due to water.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

You realize the system is over 4 years old now?

[@morningmystfarm2017]

I can really see your insulation attracting rodents and other undesirables.... If you use the silver bubble wrap insulation under the roof over the tanks, it will insulate just as well and not give pests a safe haven.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Yep, you are right that I've seen signs of mice in the fiberglass insulation. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@alextejeda2451]

Hi

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Heyyyy Alex! How are you? :)

[@gwendamark2463]

Are you expecting the solid material to disappear? Is the idea that the worms will just eat all the solid waste? Surely, the solid material will be converted from poo to earthworm compost which is ideal for growing vegetables etc. By putting everything into a huge sealed container You are making it very difficult to remove the worm compost. Maybe you have no plans to remove the compost and intend to cover your land with plastic containers.... or am I confused ?

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

The goal is that the worm castings are water soluble, leading to the solids eventually becoming liquids and passing through the system. I'd rather not hear passive aggressive comments about "covering your land in plastic containers", though. Quite rude.

[@gwendamark2463]

You’re right. That was passive aggressive and I apologise. I guess I was trying to get the point across that if you continue to believe that your solids will ‘disappear’ and if you continue to solve the problem by adding more plastic containers then you will end up covering your land with plastic containers. It’s the logical end point. However I don’t want to be rude to you and your lovely family. Again, I apologise. I am coming from a place of spending a lifetime thinking about these things and living with a variety of different systems. My understanding of our bodily wastes: 1. Poo and wee are entirely different types of bodily excretions 2. Wee is made up of material that we have taken into our bodies and that our bodies need but we have no way of storing. Therefore we need to distribute it over the land so that those materials can be stored by plants/ animals that we can consume at a later time. 3. Poo is all the material that our bodies can’t absorb but other animals/bacteria/fungi can absorb. Through this process the solid material is reduced to 1/10th of its volume. 3. Wee is sterile and has a range of uses ( see richearthinstitute.org/) 4. Poo has potential pathogens and so it’s unwise to introduce directly to a plant/creature that you will then eat. 5. Although greatly reduced in volume, solids will not become liquids. Particles my be carried by water but around 10% will never dissolve. If the geotextile is doing it’s job then it will hold back the particles in solution. 6. It would actually be terrible for our bodily wastes to completely disappear/ absorb into the water cycle. We need the worm castes so that we can grow our next meal. Our bodily wastes are part of the cycle/ our connection with the land. So, to conclude, you need a way of removing ( & using) the nutrient rich earth that you are creating within your plastic containers. I hope that’s helpful, Gwenda

[@trishoconnor2169]

I can see that you take a lot of satisfaction in handling your own sewage treatment, but I guess I'm not quite seeing how this is really more sustainable than a conventional septic tank.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

The top of my list for differences in sustainability is that we will never need to call a pump truck to come pump out our septic tank.

[@trishoconnor2169]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm But only because eventually you'll be shoveling out the worm castings yourself, right? Basically, you're your own septic tank guy. He pumps out sludge and produces agricultural fertilizer. You use the worm castings to fertilize the soil on your property. Both are kind of doing the same thing.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

The system is designed so that the worm castings pass out of release pipe (they are water soluble). The goal is to never need to shovel anything out of the system. It certainly will require maintenance and work on my end, and I'm not here to argue that you shouldn't use a septic system. If you prefer a septic system, that is perfectly fine.

[@trishoconnor2169]

@@Green_Heart_Family_Farm I hope it all works out as intended, and that you continue to gain satisfaction from taking a hands-on approach to your family's sanitation needs.

[@unclebenny9028]

Septic systems are GROSS, anaerobic and generate methane which causes GLOBAL WARMING and CLIMATE CHANGE! How DARE you! This family is solving the world's problem by asking the RIGHT questions and solving their own problems...

[@jamesgleason2682]

These don't work. Use a composting toilet or a septic tank.

[@apinhmi]

Worm will die if it is filled with water.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Yes we discuss that scenario in the video

[@apinhmi]

The drain pipe inside the IBC should IS too high. It should be halfway or only a 3rd only of IBC HEIGHT so the worm will a have a place to eacape the water.

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

@@apinhmi I don't think you watched the whole video. The primary drain pipe is near the bottom.

[@apinhmi]

I didn't see you drilled holes on the drain pipes you installed inside

[@harrysollmer1644]

Hopeless i know of people for over 7 plus years Not having these issues sorry Your out Bye 😅

[@Green_Heart_Family_Farm]

Congratulations, you managed to write the dumbest comment I've ever received!