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IcutMetl
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2024 07:08pm
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Does an outhouse vent have to extend from underneath the seat thru the roof to be effective at reducing odors?
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 8 Apr 2024 07:36pm
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If your trying to reduce odors I suggest useing a urine diverter. I wasn't useing one in a composting toilet and the smell after 2 people after a weekend was nearly un bearable. I added a urine diverter and its night and day different. How ever not different enough to use a bucket composing toilet in my cabin.
I have use standard outhouses and one that even had gutters draining into the pit and they all smelled worse than my composting toilet with urine diverter.
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razmichael
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 08:03am
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I can't find the original reference I used for venting my outhouse but I'll describe the main features. Concept is to make sure the seat (when down0 is as airtight as possible. The main exhaust pipe extends into the hole and up through the roof then a further couple of feet and painted black. This will heat up in the sun and cause a bit of natural air flow. The second main feature is a second pipe that is white and does not extend as far up - primary role is inlet for fresh air. Both pipes has screening to reduce insects. The main goal of the two pipes is to allow a free flow of fresh air through the pit while keeping the "living" space as isolated as possible - helped by a fair amount of screened vents into the living area as well..
I won't say our outhouse gets a huge amount of use but it certainly seems to stay as fresh as you could hope for.
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Nate R
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 08:12am
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I use a fan in the pipe, battery and solar panel to keep venting going 24/7. When I had a squirrel get into the vent and chew through the fan....it illustrated that the fan helps enough to be worth replacing! 
-Nate
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toyota_mdt_tech
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 08:25am
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Quoting: IcutMetl Does an outhouse vent have to extend from underneath the seat thru the roof to be effective at reducing odors?
Its a requirement in my area for a permit for one. And the house needs to be fly tight.
I just bought a Satellite Industries Tufway 150. Was $695 then, when you figure in treated wood, all the hardware, screens, paper holder, seat, vent stacks, adds up quick. Mine even came with a urinal inside.
You can mix the colors up, ie side panels brown, front and back green etc. Mine is all forest green. Roofs are white for light.
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WILL1E
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 03:36pm
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I second BrettNY, my composting toilet came with a urine diverter and I get zero smell from my indoor setup!
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IcutMetl
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 04:02pm
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I appreciate the suggestions, but I’m really only interested in knowing if a vent pipe has to extend thru the roof to be effective.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 06:36pm
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Been in more than a few (but none With a pipe that didn't extend thru the roof).
Those with a pipe seem to smell better to me than those without
So yes, I think so
If my diy composting T didn't work so well Id have to pipe
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IcutMetl
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 07:52pm
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I’m going to use clear corrugated polycarbonate for my roof and wondered how it’d work if I brought the pipe out the sidewall at a 45deg angle before going straight up above the roof line.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 07:59pm
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Quoting: IcutMetl I appreciate the suggestions, but I’m really only interested in knowing if a vent pipe has to extend thru the roof to be effective
Well what we are telling you is a urine diverter will prob help more than a vent pipe. Keeping the urine and solids separate makes them stink way less.
My urine diverter is just plumbed to a 5gal bucket underground with a bunch of holes in it. I even have a P trap on it. 3-4in pvc is so expensive now that a urine diverter may cost the same now.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 08:48pm
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There have been times when I have gone to the 'outhouse' to vent......
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 9 Apr 2024 10:38pm - Edited by: darz5150
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Quoting: IcutMetl if I brought the pipe out the sidewall at a 45deg angle before going straight up above the roof line.
On ours. I cut the bottom out of a 55 gal plastic barrel. Buried it deep enough to where the top was at a comfortable sitting height. Then built the outhouse around it.
I cut a 4 inch hole out the backside, thru the wall and in the barrel about a foot above the ground.
I used cheap dryer vent pipe, and ran the stack above the roof line with a rain cap. So, out the back with a 90° elbow, then up.
It provides a slight down draft on the throne, then up and out. Also I fabbed a stand up urinal that goes through a garden hose, into a small gravel filled hole. Not in the pit.
If you don't throw TP in the pit, the solids will break down easily. About once a year, I mix regular yeast with warm water, and pour it in the pit with a 2 gallon flower sprinkler.
I've never had to dig out the pit, only had to pick out the occasional TP, when someone doesn't read the sign on the wall, right in front of them.
Tread plate urinal
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Think about it
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Nate R
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 08:01am
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Quoting: IcutMetl i’m going to use clear corrugated polycarbonate for my roof and wondered how it’d work if I brought the pipe out the sidewall at a 45deg angle before going straight up above the roof line.
It'll work OK. See my pics here: https://www.small-cabin.com/forum/3_7174_0.html#msg104006
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 08:51am
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Quoting: IcutMetl Does an outhouse vent have to extend from underneath the seat thru the roof to be effective at reducing odors?
Yes. As I understand the health dept design, air movement across to top of the pipe crates a vacuum and pulls air from the pit. So you want the pipe below the seat and through the roof. The health dept has specs as to how low and how high for the pipe. Also, using powdered Lime and a colander (round screen thing used in a kitchen) helps also. I personally experienced one like this, both pipe and lime, no smell. The lady had a small metal trash can with cover to keep the lime dry. Nate's design is very nice.
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Grizzlyman
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 09:40am - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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No it doesn’t have to go through the roof specifically. You can vent it through the side-and then up past the roofline a ways…that’s what I did. Just make sure it’s as far up as can be.
The state of MN has a nice piece on it. It has a lot to do with specific MN statutes, t also just good info in general:
https://www.stlouiscountymn.gov/Portals/0/Library/Dept/Environmental%20Services/Privy -Information-Sheet.docx?ver=OcpzjY8gA9jTIl2nLV9IyQ%3d%3d
Cross ventilation is important too. Interesting about a second smaller pipe. I hadn’t heard that before but makes sense.
My set up is a holding tank rather than pit because the state won’t let me install over a pit even though I’m 100 yards from the lake and 50 ft above it… I cross vented the tank and vented the pipe out of the back of the outhouse and up the back wall. I also have Clear roof as well.
I will however second the urine diverter. I will be installing one first thing this year. When it was just men using the outhouse mainly for a year while building there was almost zero smell. When the girls started using the cabin more, the smell has gotten to be pretty bad at times. Ive learned that It’s the liquid waste that carries most of the noxious smell. We’ve tried lime and a lot of the other suggestions to no avail. I imagine my setup is particularily bad for liquids since there is no way to drain them into the ground like in a pit. Aside from the diverter, I will be dumping in chemicals this year similar to a porta- potty to try and cut it down.
Here’s my privy. I couldn’t find any picture of the back unfortunately.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 01:15pm
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Quoting: Grizzlyman No it doesn’t have to go through the roof specifically.
My county health dept says it does. I like what Nate did but I think it might be better above the whole roof.
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IcutMetl
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 01:21pm
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Very few of you actually answered my simple question- thank you guys.
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Grizzlyman
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 03:27pm - Edited by: Grizzlyman
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DaveBell Not being argumentative- but genuinely curious-why would it matter if it was vented through the roof of the outhouse or 6” to the side outside the structure?
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 07:39pm
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Unless it needs to be for some kind of legal/building code reason I dont think it matters because a vent with no fan prob dosnt do a whole lot. After all every portAjohn has one and we all know how they smell.
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 08:04pm
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Might not be a problem with the vent on the Jonny on the spot, but maybe the 250 deposits that it holds. Lol
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 08:19pm
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If vent pipes without a fan didn't work. They probably wouldn't make you put them on your home.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 09:09pm
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Quoting: Grizzlyman DaveBell Not being argumentative- but genuinely curious-why would it matter if it was vented through the roof of the outhouse or 6” to the side outside the structure?
My guess is they came up with one simple design and all shall comply or else. Uniformity. KISS.
Quoting: darz5150 They probably wouldn't make you put them on your home.
Those are for pressure relief/equalization. ICC, is that right?
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darz5150
Member
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# Posted: 10 Apr 2024 09:19pm
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You are correct. But if you've ever had your face close to one, it does help remove the smell also.
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Grizzlyman
Member
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# Posted: 28 Apr 2024 11:21pm
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Was able to get a photo of the venting on my setup. This passed inspection. I asked the inspector and he said it didn’t matter as long as it had somewhere to vent.
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