What is a Recirculating Toilet? – A Detailed Explanation

Written by

Paulk Webb

FACT-CHECKED BY

Freddie J. Hagopian

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what is a recirculating toilet

There are many good features of a recirculating toilet that makes it a must-have appliance for a long trip on your RV. So, what is a recirculating toilet, and how does it work?

For your information, this type of toilet uses chemcials to dissolve waste, and it allows maximum portability where sewer and plumbing connections are limited. Its toilet manual can help you in operating, maintaining and troubleshooting your system.

Read below to know more.

About the Recirculating Toilet and Its Use

chemical-toilet

A recirculating toilet is a waste containment system consisting of a water storage tank mixed with chemicals used for multiple flushing functions.

This compact system combines chemicals and water to neutralize waste bacteria such as coliform. In having so, it functions similarly to a chemical toilet process that eliminates contamination and odor.

The recirculating toilet chemicals include dye and biocides for the breakdown process. It also contains surfactants and fragrances to handle the smell.

What is a recirculating toilet’s primary use?

boat-toilet

A recirculating toilet breaks down effluent using only chemicals and water. It also works to recirculate the liquid for future flushes, making it ideal for travel.

It occupies only a tiny space, allowing it to be completely operational without external plumbing and sewer connection.

With portability as a primary feature, it finds great application as an RV toilet, boat toilet, aircraft toilet, or as an option among available camper toilets.

Pros

trailmanor-recirculating-toilet

  • High Ph – Recirculating toilets are alkaline, preventing anaerobic bacteria growth and limiting contamination.
  • Portability – Due to their convenient use for remote or outdoor occasions, they are ideal to be used or rented for long or short periods.
  • Being frequently cleaned, they are best for festivals, concerts, work sites, andopen-airr or off-grid locations. Its minimal water usealso makes it very eco-friendlyl.

Cons

camper-toilets

  • Waste breakdown – Older models address this by adding a macerator, a mechanism that dissolves solids to the liquid, preventing drain clogging. Use of siphon to separate solids and liquids into different compartments also allows synching of waste processing and bacteria removal, just like in boat toilets.
  • Contamination – A filter mechanism is added beneath the flushing liquid to destroy bacteria. Adding more bactericide above the standard amount also fixes this.
  • Toilet tank gets easily filled – Tank filling takes only several days. Finding a sewer system more frequently means disposing of waste can be an inconvenient task compared with other toilet systems.

Overall, a recirculating toilet’s advantage for great functionality in off-grid locations makes it a very desirable system for RVs.

Frequently Asked Questions

rv-toilet

How do you dispose of waste in a recirculating toilet?

Waste disposal needs to be done once the toilet system becomes full. You can bring your tank and dump it at an RV park whenever it’s filled.

Those in a boat or aircraft are pumped out regularly when they return to land. A recirculating marine toilet tank can be emptied easily when connected to a sewer system.

Cassette toilet vs Recirculating toilet

If you’re an experienced camper, these two toilets look very similar. Both designs are compact for traveling. Furthermore, they both use chemicals to break down waste for dumping later on.

However, the cassette toilet is installed permanently in the RV, its toilet parts include a removable storage tank underneath. Meanwhile, a recirculating toilet is portable and not permanent.

How much does a recirculating toilet cost?

On average, this type of portable toilet’s prices ranges from $200 to over $500, depending on the brand and model. There are indeed high-ends products like the Thetford recirculating toilet with a tag of up to $665 with its latest technology and design.

 What type of toilet does a Trailmanor use in production?

Trailmanor makes recirculating toilet designs that are more similar to residential models. A recirculating toilet Trailmanor flushes gently like at home and uses a blue or green chemical solution.

Trailmanor similarly builds cassette-type and flush-type toilet systems in their trailers. The cassette type has a more portable waste tank, while the flush type has a larger tank capacity.

For campers, online reviews of the Trailmanor recirculating toilet system prefer its good fit, durability, portability, and convenience.

Conclusion

Different situations demand different needs. Waste treatment and disposal are no exceptions. Your best option when this concern arises requires that the toilet is available all the time, anywhere.

What is a recirculating toilet’s best feature to be your choice? It’s the best compact system to treat waste in the most portable and convenient way available!

The ideas here provide the most concise yet informative facts about recirculating toilets, its pros and cons, and many more!

Read more: Portable toilet vs restroom trailer: which is better?

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