Gee, we built a Clivus Minimus, developed at Brace Research Institute
(McGill University), about 15 years ago, using concrete blocks. It is
dead simple, and has worked great - about all you need to learn to
operate it is to add woodshavings to balance the nitrogen. For a 2
family household, I've removed about 15 wheelbarrows of compost over all
that time. With a small exhaust fan to carry off the moisture the system
is always at negative pressure and there is no odor at all, unlike many
of my rural neighbours with septic systems who seem to have to be
careful about how often they flush.
Did I miss something? Needless to say, we had no building codes to
contend with, and we built some others that weren't successful (kids
leaving the seat up, throwing blankets down them, white porcelain bowl
envy, etc.). Often the problem with inherently simple things like this
appears to revolve around having to foolproof them, and not with any
innate difficulty in the biological processes.
Best......Norbert Senf
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Norbert Senf email: mheat@mha-net.org
Masonry Stove Builders mheat@hookup.net
RR 5, Shawville website: http://mha-net.org/msb
Quebec J0X 2Y0 fax: 819.647.6082
voice: 819.647.5092
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