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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / 12V Outhouse Fan
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spillenger
Member
# Posted: 17 Jun 2015 05:23pm
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Hi.

I have an outhouse I'd like to make less smelly. I have sealed all the openings in the walls, floors and floor with silicon. The exhaust pipe is 2-1/2" outer diameter PVC. My grand plan is to put a small but adequately powerful 12V fan at the top of the exhaust pipe and connect it to a small 12V battery charged by a small solar panel, which I can also use to power a light. Can you help me realize my dream?

I have been told I should get a computer exhaust fan, the cheapest option. But I'm having trouble determining whether the fans I'm seeing will easily fit my pipe. Ease of installation a definite plus.

Any ideas or specific recommendations for fan, panel and battery?

Many thanks.

spillenger

MtnDon
Member
# Posted: 17 Jun 2015 06:21pm
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The best solution is a very large diameter vent pipe such as used on the forest service vault toilets. They use 10 inch or larger diameter pipes with a lower inlet vent.

Most computer fans are very low in CFM capacity. If solar powered they run for less than half a day. I'm not sure how much that will help.

We have found that a 4 inch, straight up and through the roof pipe works well on our composter system w/o any need for a fan. You need a reasonable seal under the toilet seat for best air flow. Note that a thinwall 4" OD pipe has about 4X the cross section area of a 2 1/2" diameter shed 40 pipe.

toofewweekends
Member
# Posted: 18 Jun 2015 02:06am
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x2 on the pipe size. We put in a 4" plastic sewer pipe straight up, added an elbow to reduce water/snow although in hindsight that was sorta pointless. Close to odorless year round.

razmichael
Member
# Posted: 18 Jun 2015 07:19am
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Ref the computer fan - not sure it would even stand up to the environment (moisture, rain coming down the stack etc). Previous thread on this subject way back where I described the double vent design I use
Outhouse
That thread also contains lots of other suggestions.

creeky
Member
# Posted: 18 Jun 2015 07:32am
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you could also reduce or eliminate the smell by using a bokashi inoculate.
Bokashi

I have a better bokashi recipe with pics on my blog

it's a very simple process.



SE Ohio
Member
# Posted: 18 Jun 2015 08:56am
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A solar attic fan might be overkill, but...

http://t.homedepot.com/p/Active-Ventilation-365-CFM-White-Powder-Coated-5-Watt-Solar- Powered-Roof-Mounted-Exhaust-Attic-Fan-RBSF-8-WT/204203001/

Also, one could paint the sun-exposed pipe black to encourage more ventilation.

Leave a clothes pin or two in there for after dark use

Cowracer
Member
# Posted: 18 Jun 2015 09:00am - Edited by: Cowracer
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I have seen a few outhouses at my lake with attic style "whirlybirds" on them. Kinda hokey looking, but apparently they work good.

You can get them down to 4" pipe sizes for about $35



Tim

ClimberKev
Member
# Posted: 18 Jun 2015 09:06am
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Sun-mar compost toilets offer's a low watt fan that comes fitted into a PVC housing.

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