You can’t always count on an endless source of electricity or water. Whether you’re dealing with knocked-out powerline, limited solar, or a broken water pump – you’ve got to get prepared. Most people connect to city septic and never have to think about outages for their toilets or water. But when you’re off the grid, you’ve got to consider everything.
Luckily, a non-electric composting toilet is a great solution to bypass power concerns. And if you’re considering going that route, you should know about the BioLet composting toilet.
What Is the BioLet 30NE Composting Toilet?
The BioLet 30NE Toilet is a composting bathroom that is completely non-electric and doesn’t require water to work. In short, it’s the most self-sufficient toilet you can have today. There’s nothing you need more than this when it comes to situations like that.
But how well does it work and what is having one like? We’ve tested it out to bring you answers to all the questions you might have, like:
- Does this toilet work well for regular use?
- What’s the number of people it can handle?
- Will it smell all the time?
- How often do you have to empty the toilet?
- Is it hard to install?
BioLet 30NE Composting Toilet
- Dimensions: 25 ½”H x 21 ¾”W x 29 ½”D
- Compost Bin
- Convenient Drain Tube
- Batch Composting System
We’ll answer all these questions and more in our review. Because we understand choosing a toilet is an important decision that affects your standard of living. Once you’ve fixed the toilet bowl in your restroom, it stays there permanently unless you renovate your entire space.
There are some important differences between electric and non-electric composting toilets though. You’ll need to consider them before you make a purchasing decision. To help, here’s everything you need to know about the BioLet 30NE Composting Toilet.
Is it possible to live “green” and still have modern conveniences?
We live in an environmentally stressed time where we’re using up limited natural resources. That means going green has never been more important.
Related Read: Living Without Electricity
The BioLet 30NE is earth-friendly and doesn’t require electricity or water to work. For those who need to watch their power use or just want to be greener, the BioLet 30NE is the perfect solution. Here are other reasons to choose this composting toilet.
- Easy installation – It takes only a basic handyman’s skills to install this toilet in approximately 2 hours.
- Equipped with a drain tube – The drain tube allows excess liquid to flow into another container, French drain, or leach field, which makes the composting process quicker.
- Handles a large number of users – Because liquids drain elsewhere, owners can add more compost bins to increase user capacity as needed.
The BioLet 30NE comes with one compost bin that is suitable for 3 people with regular use or 4 people with part-time use. Each bin increases user capacity by 2 to 3 people.
- Adds nutrients back to the soil – The toilet mixes human excrement with mulch to create humus, which you can put into the soil. It’s an excellent source of nutrients for plants or a garden.
- Large composting bin capacity – With full-time residential use for 3 people, the bin needs emptying about every 6 months. This is a relatively long time considering some other toilets need emptying every month.
- Optional: 12VDC fan for added ventilation – If the smell is a problem or concern, BioLet offers an auxiliary ventilation fan that owners can purchase separately.
Overall, the BioLet 30NE sounds really good in theory. But how does it perform when it’s actually put to the test? Here’s our review after actually testing it.
The BioLet Composting Toilet Reviewed in 2023
The idea of using a composting bathroom requires a small shift in thinking. It won’t be like using a traditional toilet simply because it requires adding materials to help with the decomposition and removal of the waste.
With that in mind, the BioLet 30NE does an impressive job turning waste into compost. Especially considering there are no water or electric needs for the process.
First, installation is easy and doesn’t require advanced skills. The manual comes with thorough instructions on vent installation whether you’re going to run it straight through the ceiling or through an exterior wall.
After months of regular use, it consistently handled the waste of 3 adults reliably. One of the tricks to keeping the toilet efficient was maintaining adequate moisture at the right temperature for the compost. To simplify things, we made it a habit to add half a cup of mulch after every bowel movement and mixed the compost frequently. We also kept the heat on in the bathroom at 65 degrees to keep ideal composting conditions.
As far as smell went, we discovered keeping a window open in the bathroom actually pushed the smell into the house. That’s likely because the window created a backdraft so we had to keep the window closed.
The smell wasn’t an issue as long as the door to the bathroom was open. So we simply kept air fresheners nearby and it wasn’t much of a concern. For smaller spaces, they do offer an additional fan that you can get from BioLet directly.
Overall, the BioLet 30NE is an excellent option for anyone considering a composting toilet. If you have a big family, it’s not an issue since you can expand capacity with extra bins. And you don’t have to empty it except a few times a year.
The only thing not to like is you can’t clean the bowl with bleach because it will kill the microbes needed to make the compost. You’ll have to use other kinds of cleaners that are less caustic. But this is true for any composting toilet.
Other than that, the BioLet 30NE is a composting toilet you can count on at any time. It’s especially useful for people who care about their energy use or experience power outages.
Suggested Read: Lifestraw Review
You Can Go Green and Have Working Bathroom Facilities All the Time
Having a bathroom when you need it is one of the most basic needs in day-to-day living. Without power or water, it’s often not an option.
That is unless you have the BioLet 30NE in your house. It’s a clean and environmentally friendly composting toilet that helps you and your family prepare for all situations.
For anyone looking for a composting toilet that is non-electric, this is your best option. And with no limits to user capacity and a generous-sized compost bin, it’s a no-brainer. Going green or staying off the grid doesn’t have to be a big hassle.
Conclusion
Have you decided to try this product on the market? Or do you prefer a traditional bowl to be used in your restroom? Let us know in the comment section below!
Becky is a wildlife enthusiast and pet and livestock care expert with a diploma in canine nutrition. With over a decade of experience in animal welfare, Becky lends her expertise to Simple Family Preparedness through insightful info about pets, livestock, bee keeping, and the practicalities of homesteading.
Last update on 2024-04-19 at 13:10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API