Propane Toilets

Incineration Cycle

• Unlike electric incinerating toilets, which must enter an incineration cycle after each use, a propane toilet incorporates a holding tank so that you have to initiate incineration only after every 40 to 60 uses. When the tank is full, the user adds an anti-foam agent to the tank and initiates the incineration cycle. The toilet takes about four hours to incinerate a full tank of waste, and the unit can't be used until the cycle is finished. At the end of the cycle, the waste is reduced to a fine sterile ash; each use of the toilet results in about one tablespoon of ash.

Ventilation

• Propane toilets can be connected to portable gas cylinders, or they can be connected to permanent gas supply lines. Because the units use a gas flame, they produce toxic exhaust gases and must be vented to the outside when used inside an enclosed space. The unit must also have access to a free flow of combustion air, so unobstructed air space under the toilet is required; intake vents may also be required in the room in which the toilet is installed.

Applications

• Incinerating toilets are best used where there is no regular water supply or access to sewage or septic systems, and they are good alternatives at remote work sites and rest areas where maintenance of a portable outhouse is impractical. They are also an option for use on boats in which waste must be stored or treated before it is discharged into the water. A single toilet can accommodate the needs of 8 to 10 workers during a typical work day.

Environmental Considerations

• Although it is sterile and nontoxic, the ash produced by a propane toilet does not work well as compost because the heat of the incineration process destroys nutrients that would be beneficial to the soil. The incineration process itself also produces air pollutants, and the fuel used during incineration gives the units a relatively high cost-per-use energy footprint.