While having a great adventurous time with your friends, you have probably seen the waterless toilets. A question might have crossed your mind that how do they even work? If the answer is YES, then welcome, you have just clicked the right place. A toilet without water and electricity is not something so obvious. However, the vault toilets have made this come true. Parks, camping areas, picnic spots happen to have the vault toilets. These waterless vault toilets have made it so much easier and convenient to have a long adventurous time outdoors.
Here you will be introduced to the vault toilets, how do they work, the pros and the cons, and if you want to make one, you will get a guideline as well. So let’s get started!
What is a vault toilet?
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Vault toilets are generally placed outdoor and do not use water for flushing. A vault toilet has a sealed container that is placed underground and collects the wastage. These toilets are easily user-friendly, of good quality, not only that, they meet the standards of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which makes it useable for everyone.
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These toilets are environment-friendly, as the dry sanitation system saves gallons of water every day. No day to day transportation is needed as well. The vault toilets reduce energy and costs. Well-planned vault toilets can be a great deal for both the environment and cost management.
From where the idea came?
The costs, waste of energy, the limitation of transportation system made the US Forest Service reconsider the traditional toilets in remote areas. As a result, the imagination of this legendary innovation came into reality. The service felt the necessity of a waterless toilet and would be eco-friendly as well as user-friendly and would be energy efficient. They tested the whole process; it was eventually successful.
How to make one?
If you are thinking of making one, this may help you as a guideline. You may need things like- Reinforced cross-linked polyethylene, concrete, plastic materials, and woods. Reinforced cross-linked polyethylene is a leakproof seal, so there is almost no chance of leakage or crack.
To install a vault toilet, at first, you have to dig the ground and bury the vault. Then pour the concrete slab over it. Make the construction over the plate and connect with the trunk, vent pipe, and the toilet. You can also make one with the wooden structure. But, the concrete one is more convenient and long-lasting as per the experts’ advice.
You can quickly get the materials to build a vault toilet online.
How do they work?
A vault toilet is a container that can take 700- 13000 gallons of wastage. The waste goes to the box buried underground through the pipe, and after a time, the municipality comes and takes them out. Usually, the design of the toilets makes it odor-free, with enough ventilation system, enough airflow, and sunlight. If the roof of the construction gets enough warmth by sunlight, the bad smells can not stay in the toilets and go outside through the pipe.
However, if there is not enough ventilation, airflow, and sunlight, it can be smelly sometimes. A dense crowd can also be a reason behind the disgusting smells. Converting the ammonia to nitrogen through filters can help in this case. Activating carbon and putting the putrid away by pips can also bring a change. Having ventilation in the walls can let the air and odor out. The hanging air freshers may also work, but it may bring up the costing a little bit more.
How to use it?
You can use the vault toilets like any other ordinary toilet, but there is one thing you need to keep in mind. After using the bathroom, you must close the lid. Although most of the time, the toilets are odor-free, if you do not close the cover every time you use it, the smell gets spread all over the restroom, and it may not be an enjoyable experience for the next user.
Both sides of the coin. Just like any other invention, the vault toilet also has some pros and cons.
The pros: The vault toilets are cost and energy-efficient. The supply of gallons of waters a day is not something needed here. The transportation for cleaning also happens once in a few days, which is a great advantage for the remote areas. It has made camping a lot easier as you do not need to look for a place with some privacy anymore. Plastic made vault toilets are portable. You can use these re-useable toilets, in numerous areas.
The cons: Although most of the vault toilets are odorless, lack of airflow and sun warmth can create a disgusting smell. Cleaning on time is difficult sometimes in detached areas. Concrete made vault toilets are not moveable so that you can use them in one place. If someone mistakenly throws something in the vault, it may be costly and difficult to remove the blockage in the drain.
In the end, considering both the pros and cons of the vault toilets, we can come into the conclusion that vault toilets can be a great option if it is well designed. These toilets are affordable, convenient, and, most importantly, nature-friendly, with almost zero waste. The saving of water is something that has made it more accessible. This innovation can bring us one step closer to a greener world.