My Separett Privy Tour

Quick tour of my Separett "composting toilet" setup. Hope this is helpful for others looking for ideas on how to go about installing a Separett urine-separating RV, privy, and/or indoor toilet. With gratitude to the Englishman who posted his setup on KZbin--to which I referred often while designing our privy.
This privy was built somewhat in desperation when I found out, months ahead of the Great American Eclipse, that there were no porta-potties to be rented--all had been reserved by others nearly a year in advance of the eclipse! For one single day, about thirty people used our Separett with no trouble or confusion. All commented on how pleasant and convenient it was. The Separett, however, is NOT designed for high volume use. Under normal conditions this privy is designed to accommodate a family of four, full-time (visit Separett-USA for more info). But it worked for us in a pinch, and will henceforth be convenient for occasional use out by the corral.
One correction to my narrative: urine is not "basically sterile." But then neither is tap water. Google the question if you want to learn more.
We do hope use of the Separett and other waterless toilets will grow in acceptance and come into wider use. Separating urine from solids prevents the fermentation that causes "latrine" odors. It saves huge amounts of clean water and energy that would otherwise be spent treating the water to make it drinkable again. Slate Magazine published an excellent review of the book "The Big Necessity" by Rose George, which explores the enormous problem of human waste disposal around the world. A link to this review is posted on the Separett USA website. Thanks for watching!

[@MartinDoyle]

Great installation. I might be the 'nice English gentleman' that made the original video! Really pleased to have inspired you. I love the look of your compost toilet - very well made! The only comment I'd add, from my own experience, is that you would benefit from having some kind of opening (screened) to allow air into the lower compartment - I had some issues with odours and it was because the lower area was too well sealed and the fan was labouring too hard because not enough air was able to come in. When I build compost toilets now, I always add at least one vent, usually opposite the fan to enable good airflow over the solids bucket. Best wishes, Martin.

[@earth2wendy]

Martin Doyle, how nice to hear from you! Thank you so much for your kind remarks. I do believe it was you who gave me the courage to tackle this project. I’m going to pin your comment to the top here so that others can benefit from your more extensive experience with the Separett. We will certainly keep it in mind as well. Due to my poor construction skills, tho, there is probably more ventilation under our privy than is apparent here, particularly around the dividing wall between the two compartments (perhaps the storage compartment also acts as a kind of ‘odor buffer’?). In any case, now that the big eclipse event has passed, our privy sees only very sporadic use. But I’m delighted to have it as it’s perfectly located for trail riders just before setting out, and the pea gravel (pun intended, for those who caught it) makes it perfect for use as an alternative to the house when wearing muddy boots. Thanks so much again for commenting, and for giving us the benefit of your experience! Hope others will find all of this helpful and perhaps encouraging, as polluting good drinking water to dispose of waste does seem so...wasteful. On our reading list: “The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters” by Rose George

[@robinw7985]

You have a nice set up !

[@AMGmagazine]

Nicely done. Thank you.

[@sslcfc]

Awesome! Great video!

[@jaxta86]

Love it

[@ConcernedMalteser]

So sorry I just found the link as I was going through the other comments :) Thank you

[@snowbird29803]

Beautifully well done. One little nitpick/suggestion...it might be nice to have an inline fuse close to the plug end of the fan cord. It should be maybe twice to operating current of the fan, and fairly easy to change if ever necessary.

[@earth2wendy]

snowbird29803 Thanks for the compliment! And the nice, constructive comment, too. Hopefully others will be inspired by it to build that extra margin of safety into their design from the start.

[@CarolSteinfeld]

The capacity is as great as the number of bags or containers you have.

[@ConcernedMalteser]

Hi , thanks for sharing this video. You have a great setup which looks very well planned out. May I ask if you have a link for the toilet seat and urine diverter set please? Thanks again

[@earth2wendy]

Separett.usa.com :-)

[@anastasiahopkinson5676]

Thanks for a look at your well designed facility. How durable is the Separett styrofoam seat and cover?

[@earth2wendy]

Anastasia Hopkinson , it seems as durable as it needs to be. It shows no sign of wear and tear after our big event last year, and occasional use since. It seems to be of very dense styrofoam with a smooth finish, like the boogie boards we’d play with in the water as kids. Those took a real beating and lasted for years. Its main advantage seems to be comfort. It never feels cold, not even in winter in an unheated outhouse.

[@sohappytosew1082]

What is the stuff you use in your stall to help absorb liquid? I didn't catch the name during the video. Thanks!

[@earth2wendy]

SweetPDZ Stall Freshener:)

[@myindiandancer]

Over engineered - not earth friendly - labor intensive and expensive

[@earth2wendy]

Absolutely agree. You're talking about flush toilets, right? Polluting clean, fresh drinking water with human waste, then spending enormous amounts of energy, chemistry and time to turn it back into drinking water again is a terrible waste of resources.

[@hisiderafter]

I find their toilets but not the diverter separate. Can you list where you got it

[@earth2wendy]

Theodore Hileman , it is hard to find. Click on “pricing,” then drill down a bit. The direct link is www.separett-usa-orders.com/collections/privy-outhouse-and-camping-toilets.

[@richardlentner8619]

Very nice unit where can one purchase this unit. Thank you

[@earth2wendy]

Answers are under the other comments. Thanks!

[@DowntownSound1]

VOLUME

[@earth2wendy]

Crank it up!? Turn on closed captions!?💡😃 Shot using an iPad, for lack of specialized sound equipment. 🎻😭