House sale - strange reluctance...

No worries, swaggie, think I am over my self-pitying moment now []

Kate;190764 wrote: Tell me this is a longdrop......[][]

Yes it's a long drop, Kate![:0]

Swaggie, it'll work whatever age the hole, because it's just sucking out the smelly air from the top of the hole, so it doesn't waft up to your face and hang around in a poisonous cloud waiting for you to come in. I guess it would help to have a prevailing wind direction, but it should be set up so you can just swivel the pipe for the bottle's wide opening to face one way or the other. I guess if the wind is straight on to the back wall, you're out of luck - or need a pipe out one of the sides as well. []

Isla;190782 wrote: Swaggie, it'll work whatever age the hole, because it's just sucking out the smelly air from the top of the hole, so it doesn't waft up to your face and hang around in a poisonous cloud waiting for you to come in. I guess it would help to have a prevailing wind direction, but it should be set up so you can just swivel the pipe for the bottle's wide opening to face one way or the other. I guess if the wind is straight on to the back wall, you're out of luck - or need a pipe out one of the sides as well. []

got something for the flies as well Isla? Even with the lid down Pukekohe Rob (from another thread[] ).

Maybe they'll be enticed up the pipe with the disappearing smell?

From someone who hasn't had to do this before apart from one off uses...can't you put a couple of spadefuls of soil down after you've each done your dash in there? Wouldn't that stop the flies if there is enough to stop the - ahem - contents seeping up through the soil?

After this discussion, I will not be complaining about the chemical loo, that's for sure [}]

I duuno Tiggs, that ghastly deodorant smell from chemical loos is pretty revolting.

In John Seymour's self-sufficiency book on "thunderbox toilets" he recommends the sawdust and the venting, as explained by Isla. No smell he reckons.

So, Tigger, have you had any interest in the house? Are you determined to sell privately? Did you get a valuation first?

Can you tell we're about to put our place on the market ? So, sorry for the 20 questions!

Isla;190708 wrote: ...I cannot think of the name of the effect you're using, but it works with water and air: the passing of a flow of air which is made to speed up by the narrowing of the bottle, will create a suction which draws "air" up from the pipe and thus creates a very slight vaccuum in your long-drop hole...

It's called the Venturi effect. Used in sailboats to achieve a self-draining cockpit amongst other things.

Pumpkingirl;190796 wrote: ...In John Seymour's self-sufficiency book on "thunderbox toilets" he recommends the sawdust and the venting, as explained by Isla. No smell he reckons.

The composting toilets which DOC has installed at various campgrounds work on this principle. They all have a tall vent pipe and the little bucket of sawdust inside. The lack of smell compared to the usual longdrop is quite amazing.

Thanks Grant.

Failing all that I can send yer a peg for yer nose swaggie!

So, with a long drop... can one just dig one where one chooses and plop a shed over it, or does it (like EVERYTHING else) require a resource consent?

Cheers
Andrea
Oxford

Sorry to hijack thread.....

Andrea;190855 wrote: So, with a long drop... can one just dig one where one chooses and plop a shed over it, or does it (like EVERYTHING else) require a resource consent?

Your Freudian slip's showing [}]

Andrea;190855 wrote: So, with a long drop... can one just dig one where one chooses and plop a shed over it, or does it (like EVERYTHING else) require a resource consent?

As with a lot of these things, it depends on when/where/who/how long.

If you are intending to live somewhere on a permanent basis, then putting in a long-drop toilet is likely to get you into trouble in many of the less remote parts of the country.

However, if it's only for a few weeks while a house is being built, then just get on with it and do what you have to do.

Or if you are living in deepest/darkest wherever, for example the Ureweras where council building inspectors would be at risk of a Tuhoe ambush, then you should be fairly safe

You can always do a "short-drop" like we have, but then you'll need to assign someone to clean-up duty... (it's hubby's job at our farm!!)

Diane