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Urine diverter in cold climate

 
Posts: 12
Location: New Albany, United States
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What are some strategies for keeping your urine diverter hose from freezing in sub zero weather? Here in Montana we stay below freezing most of the year. My worries with urine diverting in winter is that your pee will freeze before it can fully drain. This would then clog the outlet cause pee to back up.

No power solutions would be best. Not looking to wrap heat tape or put a heater in this application. I personally would just write my name in the snow, but  what are your ideas for avoiding frozen urine?
 
Posts: 134
Location: Zone 4b at 1000m, post glacial soil...British Columbia
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My two thoughts:  if the line freezes, pour some hot water down.  Or, take the lid off the urine chamber and make additions directly.
 
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Location: In the woods, West Coast USA
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maybe if you could describe your composting setup a little.  Is it an outhouse?  Is it up in the air so there's freezing air going underneath it?  Is it inside but the tube is exiting an exterior wall and freezing at that point?

I'm guessing, since you are asking the question, that heavy insulation wouldn't work?   The ground is frozen so there's no help in burying it?

Using only 45 degree angle turns in the line, this might be a bit labor intensive, but if it's outside, building a working compost pile over the tube (protected by metal pipe that can withstand 180+ F temps)  and keeping the pile warm, if not hot, would be a passive kind of heat.  But you'd have to have a big supply of easily-composted carbons stored up.  Maybe sawdust kept damp with urine.  
 
Rob Hagest
Posts: 12
Location: New Albany, United States
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Dont currently have anything built im just thinking about designs for this spring.  

I work at a ski area, we have two outhouses that are in need of replacing. I would like to do something like the trash can poopers. Was just hanging up on urine flow. Most of their use is in winter. They are both pretty remote, one has no close power.  

Delivering hot water could be done in small amounts, a thermos full would do it I think. Dont know about maintaining a compost pile.  We usually have 3 feet of snow by December. Insulation on hose and a somewhat insulated structure may help too.
 
Regan Dixon
Posts: 134
Location: Zone 4b at 1000m, post glacial soil...British Columbia
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Or, use a wide diameter tube on a steep angle, to mitigate the nuisance if some does freeze?  I don't know how cold it gets where you are--too cold, and the windchill while schussing down the slope probably wouldn't be much fun--but urine is warm when it leaves the body, so has that working in its favour, to delay freezing for a little while.  Also, not using a metal tube will help.  You probably weren't going to, anyhow.
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