That moment I chose a composting toilet over a septic system and it was a nightmare at first

I was building my cabin near Asheville and had to decide between a $800 composting toilet setup or a $4,000 septic system. Picked the composting option because I thought it would be simpler, but after 2 weeks the smell was unbearable and I was dumping solids wrong. Anybody else had to switch methods mid-stream after realizing their first choice was a mistake?

3 comments

3 Comments

sean_green441mo ago

Heh, yeah I read somewhere that composting toilets need way more maintenance than people expect. Sounds like a tough lesson to learn the hard way.

aaron7401mo ago

Oh man, that sounds rough. I feel for you, I made a similar call on my place and ended up kicking myself for months before I caved and went septic. You're definitely not alone in that sinking feeling when something you thought would be easy turns into a disaster.

wyatt1351mo ago

Did a friend of yours ever try to go the composting toilet route too? A guy I worked with a few years back did the same thing on his cabin, thought he was being eco-smart and saving money. @aaron740 he ended up with the exact same sinking feeling you're talking about, except his whole place smelled like a damp barn for three months before he gave up and got a proper system installed. He said the worst part was how the thing needed constant turning and mixing, like it was some kind of science project instead of a toilet. By the time he finally called a septic guy, he'd spent more on composting supplies and frustration than a regular system would've cost him in the first place. Really makes you think twice about those online tutorials that make everything look so simple.