Incinerating toilets are becoming more popular as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional flush toilets. Instead of being flushed down the drain, waste is burnt in incinerating toilets.
For several years, this technique has been implemented as a substitute for typical waste treatment options. Incinerating toilets are eco-friendly, do not contaminate, and do not even require plumbing.
Incinerating toilets are built of durable materials that can last a lifetime. Overall, they are excellent toilets for use at home, in Motorhomes, and at special events but you should know the pros & cons of incinerating toilets before you get one yourself.
What Are Incinerating Toilets?
An incinerating toilet is a type of toilet that burns excrement instead of washing it down. There is no need to link an incinerating toilet to a water supply.
An incinerating toilet converts waste to smoke and ash rather than dumping it into a sewage or sanitary system.
When there is a shortage of water, installing incinerating toilets is a good option. These are ideal for use in regions lacking access to water, barns, and cottages that aren’t linked to water. These toilets are also widely used on the roads in a compact SUVs.
The Pros & Cons of Incinerating Toilets
Below we are going to discuss different incinerating toilet pros and cons that will help you in making a final decision.
The 6 Pros of an Incinerating Toilet
People living in rural areas benefit the most from incinerating toilets. Most incinerating toilets are used in this capacity and continue to be a perfect element for this use. The following are some of the incinerating toilets pros.
1. Environmentally Friendly
Since it does not need any water or processing chemicals, incineration is an environmentally beneficial method of disposing of fecal matter.
Recycling things that otherwise wind up in landfills also helps to lessen the demand for landfills. This is the most noticeable incinerating toilets pro.
2. Easily Cleaning
Since no water has to be discharged, this style of toilet is considered more hygienic than the usual toilet.
It takes a simple pull of a little handle to discharge all of the remains from inside into an easy empty container. Aside from that, you should clean the compressor every three months and repair it when it wears out.
Once a year, the catalyst, as well as the air and emission pipes, must be updated. Furthermore, because incinerating toilets have fewer moving parts than other types of toilet systems, they can be more durable and long-lasting.
3. Waterless
People prefer incinerating toilets due to this incinerating toilets pro. A water source is not required for the incinerating toilet to function.
This makes it perfect for sailing, hiking, and other recreational sports when potable tap or sewer connections are unavailable. You won’t be dealing with issues like overflowing toilets or other water-related inconveniences.
4. Easy to Travel Around
Incinerating toilets are simple to carry about because they aren’t fastened to the floor. If you have a small bathroom or storage closet, this is ideal because you can move these out of the way while not in use.
Similarly, when redesigning your home, it would be very easy to find a spot for it.
5. Convenient Maintenance
In contrast to composting toilets, incinerating toilets do not require you to turn or add chemicals to the waste, nor do they need you to take the processed waste outside.
Cleaning the exhaust system every three months and replacing it when it wears out, as well as cleaning the emission and air pipes and the catalyst once a year, are all required to keep an incinerating toilet in good working order.
6. No Contamination
There’ll be no germs or pathogens to cause pollution because there would be no excrement around the toilet. The remains from the combustion chamber can be disposed away in a regular trash can at home.
The 6 Cons of an Incinerating Toilet
The small inconveniences involved with the incinerating toilet are more than worth it for those who are looking for a well-rounded, efficient, and spectacularly designed toilet! Some of the incinerating toilets’ cons include the following.
1. Increased Energy Charges
Electricity or gas is used in the incineration process. The most significant incinerating toilet con is their greater electricity costs, which can be compensated by water savings.
In each incineration cycle, an incinerating toilet consumes roughly 1.5 kWh of electricity. This is about the size of a moderate fridge.
2. Uncomfortable
The wastes in the chamber take approximately an hour to incinerate in these toilets. You are unable to use the toilet during this time, which is a massive hassle.
Additionally, it might take 3 – 4 hours for a gas incineration toilet to be ready for use again.
3. They’re Costly
They cost a little more than standard toilets and take a little more room owing to their high elevation. Incinerating toilets for a Motorhome can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $3,500.
4. No Recycle and Reuse
You won’t be wasting water, but you won’t be receiving the benefits of making nutritionally rich compost for your gardening plants either.
Since the heat from the incinerator flames away from the majority of the minerals in the garbage, the ashes aren’t very helpful for your plants.
5. Demand Venting
They require airflow as well, thus they should not be placed near windows or doors where draughts could obstruct appropriate ventilation.
Moreover, these units are flammable and contain precautionary measures such as fire breakers, which limit ventilation during use. It must stay in place long after the unit has been shut down.
6. Odor
Some people despise the thought of having their waste incinerated within their houses, and they dislike the smell that these units emit as they burn.
There are a variety of manufacturers on the market, each with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, based on what you want from your incinerating toilet system.
However, regardless of which model you choose, make sure it has a clean combustor to avoid bothering anyone else who lives close particularly if the device is being put in a shared residence.
Pros & Cons of Incinerating Toilets-Conclusion
Overall, incinerating this is a promising innovation in the development of sustainable sanitation solutions.
They provide a potential solution to issues associated with improper waste management and can be used as a focus for enhancing awareness of and reducing organic waste production.
The detrimental health impacts associated with open defecation on farmland could also be reduced by increasing the adoption of incinerating toilets.
However, an effective maintenance process is required to keep them operating efficiently and prevent them from potentially generating more solid waste than they can handle.
It is very possible that incinerating toilet technology will have an important role to play in the future paradigm shift towards sustainability.
The most pressing of these issues is how foul-smelling the burning fecal matter can be – although it’s not exactly unexpected.
In the end, you’ll have to weigh incinerating toilets’ pros and cons before deciding which will serve your needs the best.
It’s important to remember that, like any product that you buy on the market today, the perfect toilet will largely depend on you and your preferences.
We hope that you would have benefitted from our discussion above. Do not forget to leave your comments and feedback below!