Today, we are going to be looking at eco friendly home installations and in particular, something we all use every day, often frequently!
A common misunderstanding is that toilets cannot function without water, this is a misconception, in fact, there are numerous toilets on the market that use and need no water.
These toilets function in the same way as a conventional toilet does, they effectively remove waste, hygienically and safely. They are of course more labour intensive than conventional toilets, and it must be said that they will need a ‘green’ attitude and mind set.
The process, in itself is simple; the toilet will be fitted into a conventional bathroom and WC area, however rather than being plumbed into the water mains, the toilet will instead be connected to the electricity supply. This electricity supply then supplies an extractor fan that will remove any unnecessary odour.
The toilet itself works via a trapdoor system; the pressure of the user on the seat opens the trapdoor, this then exposes the storage compartment that will store and treat the waste, naturally degrading it, once the user is finished, the trapdoor will seal itself further aiding the composting process.
This stored waste will need to emptied at regular intervals, with the manufacturers generally recommending once per week. The constraints of this type of system is that the user will need to have outside and readily available garden space, this will allow the built up waste product to be effectively composted, so that eventually (6 months) it can be used to treat and enrich the garden, in the same way that compost does. – Obviously, this type of system would involve a rather significant change in lifestyle, in that the user would be responsible for ensuring the regular upkeep and composting system is maintained.
There is no denying that using an eco toilet will drastically improve the sustainable credentials of the home, on average a conventional toilet uses up to 40,000 litres per year. This will obviously lead to a dramatic financial saving when considering ones water bills, however, despite this huge benefits, it’s likely the idea of ‘tending’ to one’s own waste is a step too far for many.
But lets be honest! In reality who really wants to have to manually remove the households built up toilet waste, and then compost it, let alone reuse it on the garden once its natural composting process has been completed!
If you’re planning on undertaking installations, changes, or new wet rooms and toilets to your property and you live in a flat, don’t forget the licence for alterations procedures will apply.
If you’d like to discuss how our team of Chartered Surveyors can be of assistance to you with your Licence to Alter requirements, give us a call today, we will be happy to assist.
