Everything you need to know about the separator of a portable composting toilet

Are you in the middle of planning your own composting toilet? You want to know what the separation insert is all about and what possibilities Trelino® has in store for you? Then you've come to the right place! We will explain the function, the advantages and the possibilities that a separation insert offers you and present you with variants for your composting toilet construction project. 

By the way: You can find out what you should consider if you want to build your own individual toilet in our ultimate guide to DIY-construction of a portable composting toilet. 

How does a separator work?

The separator is the heart of any dry composting toilet, ensuring that everything ends up in its place and the toilet doesn't stink. Its job is to cleanly separate urine from solids. In this way, it prevents small and large business from mixing and unpleasant odors from arising. In order for the separator to do its job as well as possible, it should have the following criteria:

• optimal fit into the toilet body
• exact fit to the urine canister and the solids container
• deep urine outlet that allows good drainage
• large recess for the big business, so that nothing gets stuck on the sides
• smooth surface that allows easy cleaning

If you would like more information on how a portable composting  toilet works, feel free to take a look at our ultimate composting toilet guide.

What are the advantages of separating business in a separator?

The advantage of separation is that it prevents odors from forming. Fresh, healthy urine is odorless as long as it does not decompose, become contaminated by other substances, or combine with water. With solids, the drier the more pleasant their odeur. For this reason, no. 2 in the composting toilet is covered with moisture-absorbing litter. You can find out what is particularly suitable for this in our article "Which litter for composting toilets should I use?". To achieve faster drying, it is advisable to install a fan to remove excess moisture, depending on the frequency of use and emptying cycle of the toilet.

Which separators does Trelino® offer?

In case you want to build your own portable composting toilet, we offer complete toilets as well as individual separators.

Our separators are made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) coating. This combination of materials gives them stability and high quality. ABS is a relatively hard and rigid material, which is characterized by its particular toughness and resistance to temperature changes.

PMMA also has high rigidity and impact resistance. The polishable surface of the material is exceptionally scratch resistant when specially surface treated. Thanks to this coating, our separators have a particularly smooth surface on which dirt rolls off very well. The inserts are stable and easy to install, either by gluing or screwing.

You can choose between different sizes so that the separator fits perfectly under your toilet seat. So that you can optimally integrate the separator into your toilet, we offer you the colors white or anthracite. So you decide what suits you and your individual toilet best. The white version resembles the ceramic of a conventional toilet. Thanks to the smooth surface, the material is resistant to discoloration despite the light color.

The Trelino® XL separator

The XL separator with dimensions of 50 x 50 cm is particularly suitable for covering the entire upper panel of your divider toilet with plastic. It can be easily cut to the desired size with a fine jigsaw. Here, too, you can choose between a white and anthracite-colored separator.

Cleaning the separator

To clean the separator, you can use a vinegar or lemon solution (1:10) and a soft cloth. You should refrain from using harsh cleaners or scouring pads to preserve the smooth surface. We have compiled further helpful tips on cleaning the dry composting toilet for you here. 

How do I install the separator?

When installing the separator, it is important to take into account the anatomical differences between men and women. Therefore, carefully check the optimum positioning of the separator beforehand. In this way, you can avoid unpleasant surprises that only occur when the toilet is already completely assembled. To ensure that everything ends up in dry cloths, a standing pee ban applies to portable composting toilets. The aim works particularly well if you sit as upright as possible on the toilet.