Narrowboat Toilets: The Good, The Bad, and the Smelly - which did I pick?

If you have a narrowboat channel, at some point, you have to make a video about toilets - and now it's my turn. When I first started looking at narrowboats, one of the big considerations for me was the type of toilet on board. And like many, I spent hours watching videos on YouTube, reading forums and articles, and trying to understand the pros and cons of each option. In this video, I explore the four main types of boat toilets: • 💧 Cassette toilets (including Thetford and porta-potties) • 💨 Pump-out systems (think of these as big cassette toilets) • 🔥 Incinerator toilets (burn, baby burn) • 🌱 Separator toilets (often misleadingly called composting toilets) And discuss their pros and cons. If you have watched any of my other videos, you will know that I like a bit of science, and in this video, I look at the chemicals in the solutions used with cassette and pump-out toilets. I look at: • Formaldehyde - not nice.... • Methanol - another nasty.... • C12-15 Pareth-11 - what is it and what does it do? • Various surfactants • 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol - really not nice I also discuss why I ruled out cassette and pump-out toilets (it has to do with the mixing of solids and liquids, and why that causes the smells), and incinerator toilets (despite some appealing features). That left me with separator toilets (often misleadingly called composting toilets) and I explain why I went for that type, and do an unboxing and setup of a Trelino separating toilet – the model I chose for Grey Wagtail. (This video is not sponsored by Trelino or the separating toilet industry.) I also touch on environmental concerns, cost comparisons, ease of use, and my personal experience with smell (or lack of it!). If you’re currently choosing a toilet for your boat, off-grid cabin, or campervan — or if you’re just curious — this should give you a solid (pun intended) overview with a bit of opinionated honesty thrown in. 🧴 Spoiler: I’m not a fan of harsh chemicals or smelly waste tanks. 🌿 So far, my separating toilet has been clean, odour-free, and easy to manage. 👉 Let me know in the comments which toilet you’ve gone for, or if you’ve had good (or bad) experiences with any of these types. 🛒Channel Amazon Shop - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/nickswa... - things bought from the shop help to support this channel ☕️If you would like to help support my efforts, then please feel free to Buy Me a Coffee - https://buymeacoffee.com/nickswanderings Thanks for watching, and if you enjoyed the video: 👍 Give it a like 🔔 Subscribe to join me for more life aboard the Grey Wagtail 📽️ New videos regularly on narrowboat living, off-grid systems, and everyday canal life 📩 Sign up for the Grey Wagtail newsletter here: https://nickswanderings.substack.com Social Media 🦋 - https://bsky.app/profile/nbgreywagtai... Video Equipment Used (* are affiliate links) iPhone 13 Pro Insta360 Ace Pro* - https://amzn.to/4fqOcS0 Insta360 Quick Release Mount* - https://amzn.to/4fO83u0 Insta360 Ace/Ace Pro Mic Adapter* - https://amzn.to/48THH7U Insta360 Ace/Ace Pro Cold Shoe attachment* - https://amzn.to/4fpmYeA Insta360 selfie stick* - https://amzn.to/40Fc8wp UTEBIT Magnetic Camera Mount* - https://amzn.to/3CCnBmd Hollyland Lark M2 Wireless Lavalier Microphone* - https://amzn.to/48OMLdy Phone Tripod Stand* - https://amzn.to/42foYBU Edited using Final Cut Pro - https://www.apple.com/uk/final-cut-pro/ #NarrowboatToilet #CompostingToilet #Trelino #GreyWagtail #NarrowboatLiving #CanalBoatLife #OffGridToilet #BoatToiletOptions #LiveAboard #UKCanals #PumpoutToilet #CassetteToilet