I've now had my hut for a year and it is a couple of hundred metres from my house and so I am still able to use it during lockdown. Lucky me!
Here are a few things I have observed over the year about water collection, toilets and lighting.
The swanky metal gutters and down pipes are lovely and were very easy to fit aparently. There are no pre cut holes in the gutter lengths which allows choice about where the down pipe is placed. Murray the joiner drilled several small holes instead of cutting one big one to stop leaves etc getting into the waterbutt. But they block too easily so going to have alter that. I have heard of various methods of keeping leaves out including plastic spikes and pot scrubbers. For now, I just clean them out now and again as they're not very high up and I put a "pop sock" or whatever they're called now(Knee high tights) over the end of the down pipe to cach pollen and small bits that blow off the trees. There's one hanging on the end of the rail having just been washed out. Works quite well. Last year I had quite a thick layer of yellow pollen on top of the water that went a bit yuck.
I have a basic composting toilet with a separate urine container which I have to remember to empty. If I was living further away I would have the urine going to a soakaway as it could get a bit unpleasant if the wee bucket got forgotten about for more than a day or two. The poop and sawdust bucket isn't a problem and sat half full all autumn and winter without any smell or fly problems. Might be different if the urine was going in the same bucket.
It all gets emptied into a container at the bottom of the beautifully manicured lawn. Its an old barrel with some holes drilled in, half filled with straw to help air circulation, covered with an old dustbin lid held down with a brick. I also add in coffee grounds and other kitchen waste and occasionally a bit of washing up water if it's all loking a bit dry. It's rotting down nicely. I keep a long handled brush near the bin to give the toilet bucket a scrub out after each empty.
One of the other hutters has been using compostable toilet liners and putting them in a normal metal dust bin with no extra holes and no straw in the bottom. I was not at all sure that that was going to do but I had a peek in it recently and it all seems to be breaking down nicely if a bit more slowly.
I have an Aladdin oil lamp which gives off an excellent light and a bit of heat which is handy on cooler evenings as I dont have a stove. I love it but it's a bit fiddly to opperateand takes a bit of getting used to so I'm not sure I'd be happy letting visitors use it and I'd be happier with a slightly sturdier table for it to sit on when grandchildren are crashing around. Otherwise I have candles in sturdy wide bottomed containers and a solar powered light for reading in bed at night so that I dont have to take anything with a flame near the bedding.
I was given the solar light by one of the other hutters who now has a much more sophisticated solar power set up in her hut. I also have a small solar powered radio sitting on the windowsill along with the little panel for the light
I also have an old filing cabinet for food, crockery and cutlery, hot water botles, t-towels etc which will hopefuly keep mice out but also keeps things quite cool. Not had any sign of mice in the hut yet.
Looks great...good info on the toilet as well...have you looked at a gutter brush for the leaf problems...they work well on normal house gutters
The gutter brushes look just the job. I'll give them a try. Thanks!
Hi. Sounds you are well established and nested in.
I note two gas cylinders. Is that for the cooker? ... as you mention there is no heating. .... do you not use the hut much in winter? or is it a blanket job?
The gas cyinders in the toilet are spares. Big one for the gas heater which is all I have for heating at the moment so I haven't slept in it in the winter. My house is very nearby and I can nip up there anytime. One of my favourite things to do on a crispy winters day is to go have my coffee in there with the doors wide open. The small gas cylinder is a spare for the gas cooker. Coulpe of rings and a grill.
The hut looks fantastic, and great to learn about how the toilet system is getting on. At a conference in Ireland last year someone called Ollan Herr was talking about how plants can be used to absorb the nitrogen and phosphorus that's lost through domestic sewage systems. Image attached here. I wonder how much ths might apply to huts?
Our toilet system is the simplest of simple and suits low usage. More complex systems will be more expensive and possibly not worth it for a couple of people using a hut even if they are there for months at a time. If there was a group of huts sharing a toilet or a toilet block it might be worth something more complex. There are some great ideas out there and many of them tried and tested. The choice is a bit mind boggling which is probably why planners get a bit freaked by the whole idea
This is always a great source of conversation for us, especially in the wake of Covid-19. I'm now even more wary of composting toilets as they may not be the easiest things to deep clean between visitors so, for now, we are restricted to a WC in Fields, which can be fully disinfected. I was planning on having communal facilities initially but I think your idea is far better - each to their own and each responsible for their own health & hygiene with a plastic tardis for day visitors and volunteers. Solar radio sounds interesting, what type do you have, if you don't mind my asking?
The radio is a Duronic Apex solar/wind up. I leave it in the window to charge when I'm not there. Good reception and also has a torch. Think it cost about £25. Neat wee radio. I'm very pleased with it.
I'm not sure about the barrell thingy...why not let the insects help as well?
There are plenty of insects in it including a wasps nest. They find a way in. It's not sealed, it's got holes in the bottom and the lid doesn't fit tightly. A fairly solid bottom helps keep out things that dig like rodents or possibly foxes or dogs if there's food waste in it and especially if I'm not up there for a bit. If it gets emptied I guess it might take a while for invertebrates to find their way in again but at the moment it's rotting down much faster than I'm filling it up so I don't think I'll need to empty it for a while, possibly years.
Hi, this is all really helpful thanks! I'm a complete novice to Huts and Hutting, it's great to hear about all the various elements to think about.
Hand washing solution.Soap in a pair of tights tied to the handle of a 5 litre container. Either plug the hole with a golf tee or similar, or lay the container on its back to turn off. Sit upright to turn on! It is easily emptied and taken inside when not in use. I find anything left out gets covered in debris and fly poop.Also the soap goes soggy
I've been up at the hut cleaning out the gutter and the water barrel which had an inch of sludge in the bottom but that is the first time I've cleaned it out in a year and a half. I put a new bit of nylon on the down pipe to catch the pollen that'll be blowing off the trees just shortly. I'm also realising that having the gutter that collects the water within easy ladder reach makes it very easy to keep clean