Less so than an ordinary water toilet, as all odours are ventilated directly out of the toilet. The ventilation operates along the same principles as the fireplace in your house. In the model meant for indoors, an electric fan assures ventilation.
No. The toilet needs no additives such as bark or sawdust. This is thanks to the patented air circulation system and humidification. Three-year-old compost soil is emptied once a year and the empty compartment will be rotated back under the seat to be used. The compartment is easy to empty by using an ordinary shovel through an opening on the side or through an opening on the top of the container that is of an ergonomically convenient height. No after-composting is needed. One can use water for bidet-shower in all the models. The model meant for holiday home outdoor toilet has a sink in the toilet lid for washing one’s hands.
No special skills are needed for installation. Any normal, handy person is able to install the device into a new building, usually into an old building too.
The compost soil one gets from the EKOLET toilet makes for good fertiliser and contains no harmful bacteria. The liquids are biologically pre-cleansed and can be treated as normal household wastewater (grey water). In the models meant for holiday homes, the majority of the liquid is evaporated and the remaining liquid is extracted via the exhaust hose. EKOLET toilets have been manufactured using recyclable materials.
Temporary over-use is not harmful. Constant over-use, however, may cause the problem that the waste is not ripe when the compartment is emptied. If the usage amounts to four times the recommended limit, the resulting waste will of the same kind as in a single-compartment composter when emptied.
Due to single-compartment structures in some toilets, solid waste hasn’t had time to mature when it is time to empty the toilet and the waste must be stored in a separate outdoor compost for 2 to 3 years prior to use as fertilizer.
To improve ventilation and to reduce moisture one must always sprinkle bark or saw dust or other substances on the waste after use.
The liquids are not biologically cleansed and should not therefore be treated as normal household wastewater (grey water).
In some models, the liquid is evaporated by electricity, which consumes vast amounts of energy and causes acid rain. In some cases, the liquid separator in the toilet seat might be blocked.
Also, flies and other insects might have free access to the toilet; additionally, the composters often have holes and small niches where the eggs laid by flies can’t be destroyed.
In Ekolet shrub purification plants The waste water and nutrients are lead to a 60-70 cm deep pool with decorative shrubs. The shrubs lift the nutrients into their vegetation and from there the autumn winds carry these further into the normal natural nutrition circuit. Nutrients will not be flood to the groundwater as in case of traditional sand filters.