• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • John F Dean
  • Timothy Norton
  • r ransom
  • Jay Angler
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Devaka Cooray
  • Leigh Tate
  • paul wheaton
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • M Ljin
  • thomas rubino
  • Megan Palmer

!! I made a whole house compost worm septic system

 
gardener
Posts: 621
Location: Boudamasa, Chad
236
2
forest garden
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Please do post photos!
 
Rocket Scientist
Posts: 978
Location: Province of Granada, Andalucía, Spain
714
6
cooking rocket stoves woodworking wood heat
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hi Yen, I would love to see some photos and hear about the details.
 
Posts: 26
Location: Güéjar Sierra, Granada, Spain
14
kids purity chicken rocket stoves homestead
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'm also interested in photos! I have plans to build something similar as well , but smaller.
 
gardener
Posts: 3619
Location: Western Slope Colorado.
820
4
goat dog food preservation medical herbs solar greening the desert
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I would love to see photos!
 
pollinator
Posts: 5928
Location: Bendigo , Australia
536
plumbing earthworks bee building homestead greening the desert
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes please. Can you install them on this site?
 
pollinator
Posts: 121
40
fungi composting toilet composting greening the desert homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yen, congratulations on the system working so well!  It would be great to see current pictures and details.  How cold and hot does it get where you're at?  Have you needed to add any bulk substrate like wood chips to your bin, or just periodic greens and vegetables?  Is your greywater system a pipe to daylight in a banana circle?  More info on that would be nice as well.
 
gardener
Posts: 1174
Location: France, Burgundy, parc naturel Morvan
522
forest garden fish fungi trees food preservation cooking solar wood heat woodworking homestead
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Hello Yin. Please do make a simplified drawing of how you do it and maintain it. Is there a time when a tractor comes in and sucks out the composted waste?

I think it's important you tell us all, because you have a long time experience with it. As well many green minded people are not very happy about dry toilet systems and would not dream to install that on their property. Yours is like an in between it seems. Or am i confused and do you not use water to flush waste away?
 
pollinator
Posts: 479
59
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes, please post any photos, this is a fantastic project to observe
 
                    
Posts: 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
interested
 
Posts: 29
3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
This is super interesting. I've been using black fly larvae (which can then be fed to animals right as they leave to hatch). They eat absolutely anything! Dead animals and all! I'm going to try a system for dog waste that people can use in cities (most city dwellers put it in the trash can). And then move onto human waste. Black fly larvae like it wet and soggy......seems like a better choice than worms. But I have never really looked into worm composting. Our compost pile changed from red wiggles to black fly larvae because it became too soggy with too much dropped fruit in it. The larvae devour fast and so made short work of spoiled apples and such. Anyone else use black fly larvae?
 
pollinator
Posts: 261
Location: Mid-Michigan, USA
94
3
chicken food preservation medical herbs building wood heat homestead
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Yen Yus wrote:Hi all

The system has been running for around 5 years now! It's had 0 maintenance so far and has filled up around 20 cm since I first commissioned it. The worms have multiplied beyond my imagination. We've had a lot of rain this year and it's been quite cold but the worms are still doing fine, actually thriving. Also the grey water system has given us many kg of bananas.

If anyone is interested I can post current pics and details. Thanks.



Yes, Please!
 
Posts: 145
49
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Would love to see current photos and hear updated news on your septic system Yen!

Question: would redwood work instead of rocks? Or does it have to be stone or concrete?

 
Posts: 14
Location: Virginia
3
  • Likes 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Yen Yus wrote:You would have to get rid of the bottom of your tank and put in gravel etc. İt may not be worth it.



...which is why the worm method -- as a retrofit -- seems like potentially a GREAT solution for a cracked septic tank, which is generally considered to be an expensive and toxic problem....

Also, re: the comments about "diversified diet" -- if I had a system like this, I think I would probably just toss the kitchen compost into the food processor, whiz it up, and flush it down the toilet occasionally.  Saves some composting trouble and keeps the worms happier, presumably.

I have to imagine the worms are not "staying in the hole" but are migrating out through the soil into the rest of the yard and improving the soil there with their castings.

( I have tested nothing, everything above is just speculation.   )

At present I have standard septic, but I do flush a "SeptiFix" tablet every six weeks that provides oxygen-producing bacteria to the tank, to create an aerobic environment.  It has been a number of years since it was pumped.  Will see how long that task can be deferred.
 
Posts: 20
Location: Manton, CA
2
4
trees wood heat homestead
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yes, please provide an update. I would be very interested to know your thoughts after 5 years of use. 😀
 
Posts: 50
9
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yen,

Yes Sir I would like to see updated picks as I am in process of building a place at present !
 
pollinator
Posts: 1595
Location: NW California, 1500-1800ft,
496
2
hugelkultur dog forest garden solar wood heat homestead
  • Likes 9
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I built one of these with the help of friends. It’s been functional for a few weeks now. So far, so good.  We used the designs from:

http://www.vermicompostingtoilets.net/design-construction/

The outhouse is made with mostly salvaged wood and plumbing parts. The walls are clay-sand-hemp hull-dog fur-straw-biochar, with a lime plaster over that. Same for the IBC tote worm house, with some extra straw and dog hair insulation. The secondary filter is a 500gal basin dug on contour in a forested area, filled with woody debris and biochar.
IMG_4581.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_4581.jpeg]
IMG_4582.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_4582.jpeg]
IMG_4587.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_4587.jpeg]
IMG_4635.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_4635.jpeg]
IMG_5836.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5836.jpeg]
IMG_5841.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5841.jpeg]
IMG_5846.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5846.jpeg]
IMG_5849.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5849.jpeg]
IMG_5852.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5852.jpeg]
IMG_5867.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5867.jpeg]
IMG_5980.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5980.jpeg]
IMG_5985.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_5985.jpeg]
IMG_6018.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_6018.jpeg]
IMG_6038.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_6038.jpeg]
IMG_7960.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_7960.jpeg]
IMG_7962.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_7962.jpeg]
IMG_8012.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_8012.jpeg]
IMG_8011.jpeg
[Thumbnail for IMG_8011.jpeg]
 
John C Daley
pollinator
Posts: 5928
Location: Bendigo , Australia
536
plumbing earthworks bee building homestead greening the desert
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Please do so.
 
I agree. Here's the link: http://stoves2.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic