The Ecolet family of composting units are the first composting toilets specifically designed to recycle waste on boats and recreational vehicles. Less pump-outs! No more chemical toilets! Recycling brings freedom, with the ODOR-FREE operation of a Sun-Mar.
The Design of the Ecolet Family
Although the Ecolet uses Sun-Mar's tried and true three-chamber system, "marinizing" the unit led to some interesting adaptations. The need to be able to handle violent motion meant that the finishing drawer had to be gasketed so that no liquid could escape from the evaporating chamber.
The air intakes faced the same problem. These had to be located higher up and the air ducted down to the evaporating chamber.
At the same time, a new drum lock was designed to ensure that the composting drum was held upright under all sea conditions.
Space constraints meant that a fold-away foot rest was needed on the unit. This footrest had spring loaded legs, and a safety release mechanism to enable it to be removed periodically when access to the finishing drawer was required.
To assist installation, strong mounting brackets were mounted at the base and rear of the unit. The only difference between the ECOLET (Sloped back) and the ECOLET (Regular) is that the MARINE unit had a 45° angle designed into the base of the unit at the rear, so that hull shapes could be better accommodated when the ECOLET was mounted across the boat rather than fore and aft. The RV unit has a square bottom for easier installation in a vehicle. The RV unit is also ideal for a boat where the installation does not require the 45° angle at the back.
Electrically, the ECOLET Family are quite different from other units because of the unique situation on many boats and RV's. A 4.0 Watt 12 Volt fan is installed in a fan box within the vent stack. This fan, (which is on its own circuit) is designed to operate continuously while the unit is in use.
To assist the 12 Volt fan in providing adequate venting, the ECOLET is unique among Sun-Mar units in having a 3" vent stack. Customers need to supply their own deck vents, which should be constructed to allow adequate air movement while preventing seawater from entering the unit.
Carbon and Zeolite Filter
While venting is optimal above deck level, some installations will require that the deck vent is flush with the deck. Sun-Mar has incorporated the use of activated carbon and zeolite filter materials in the fan box to "scrub" the air of fresh ammonia odors. Tests of this have proven successful, and ensure odor-free operation at deck level.
Heater Configuration
Evaporation is aided by separate 12 Volt and 110 volt heaters each of 120 Watts, and both with their own individual thermostats. These heaters are located in the sealed base compartment which on the Ecolet (Sloped Back) also extends up the 45° angle at the rear of the unit.
The thinking in designing two different heaters into the unit was that a 12 Volt supply is often available while the unit is in motion, while the 110 volt heater can frequently be used while the vehicle was in an RV park, or, in the case of a vessel, hooked up to shore supply. Most do not have enough 12 Volt power to run the 125 watt heater when it is on - for that reason the dual voltage is available as a special option only, and all of the units will come with just the 110 heater when ordered. Both will still come with the 12 Volt fan.
Evaporation capacity on ECOLET units is limited by the size of the heater, the surface area of the evaporation chamber, and the volume of air movement. Consequently, arrangements should be made to connect the ECOLET drains to a container or small holding tank for disposal in an approved manner, especially if you are unable to incorporate the 12 Volt heater option into the unit.
