Sun-Mar Excel NE Non-Electric Self-Contained Composting Toilet Review

Sun-Mar Excel NE Non-Electric Self-Contained Composting Toilet Review [August 2021 Update]

Introduction

The Excel NE is a composting toilet. As you can imagine, Excel NE separates out the liquids from the solids, which keeps your bathroom smelling fresh. The Sun-Mar Excel NE Non-Electric composting toilet is one of the most popular composting toilets around and this is for a good reason. Sub-Mar toilets have a unique three-chamber design. This makes them fully self-enclosed to ensure that no smells escape.

The Sun-Mar Excel NE non-electric self-contained composting toilet has been around in various forms for years now. They have a dedicated fanbase. This is due to the fact that they are durable and built to stand the test of time. When you buy a toilet you obviously want it to last. We don’t think you’ll have any issues with the longevity of this toilet.

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Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Continued

Every two days you rotate the drum clockwise to mix up the compost and provide aeration. Once a month,  you rotate the drum in the opposite direction.  This clever three-chamber system means that the only time you ever handle any waste is when it is fully broken down. Once this is done, you can rest assure the materials are ready to use. The composed material can be used for various things like gardening, maintenance, or fertilizer.

New owners might be worried about smells and leaks within a composting toilet. With composting toilets, as I mentioned before, this isn’t an issue. When properly install and maintain a composting toilet unit like the Excel NE odor and leaks aren’t an issue. If anything, it’s all in your head due to the advanced technology and innovations of the composting toilet.

Overview

One of the main selling points of a composting toilet is the all-natural process. You’ve probably heard a lot of buzz around composting toilets lately too. They’re rapidly becoming one of the most items for campers and people planning off-grid living.

For the excel Exel NE, there’s a 1” drain at the rear of the toilet. This allows the drainage of liquids from the waste. You’ll do need to connect it to an approved drain soakaway or storage tank. Before you even think about purchasing this item, make sure you have either of the 2 mentioned.

Now that little introduction is out of the way, let’s take a deeper look into this composting toilet. This would be a good time to familiarise ourselves with Sun-Mar Excel NE and explain why it’s such a great composting toilet. In this review, we’ll go over all of the important pros, cons, facts, and features of this great toilet. I’ll also let you know my true final thoughts on this item and why it might a good investment for a composting toilet.

Pros

  • It doesn’t require any water to use, perfect for remote living situations.
  • This is probably one of the most eco-friendly toilets you could buy.
  • Doesn’t require any electricity to run, unlike other models of composting toilet.
  • Unlike chemical toilets which can block up easily, a composting toilet does not require the use of special toilet paper.
  • Free compost to use on your garden for life! Use it to grow fruit or flowers!

Cons

  • You may have a hard time persuading friends and family that composting toilets are just as sanitary as regular ones.
  • It must be properly installed or runs the risk of leaking.
  • The included step is pretty low quality and we don’t think that it will stand up to heavy use.
  • We did find the little plastic footstool that comes with the toilet to be kind of flimsy. You’ll probably want to replace that with something a bit sturdier for long-term use of the toilet. Some users reported solving the issue by constructing their own wooden steps.

Verdict

When you buy a Sun-Mar toilet you’re really buying into a history of quality and innovation. This is the company that literally invented the composting toilet, and they’re proud to stand by it. The Excel NE is an incredibly well-built product. With the right amount of care and maintenance, this toilet should last you for many, many years.

We think that the Sun-Mar Excel NE non-electric self-contained composting toilet is probably one of the best quality composting toilets you can get for the price. The unique patented three-chamber is well designed. It offers many advantages you won’t find in a regular or portable toilet. Plus, it’s far ahead of the competition in my opinion. Overall this is a great purchase for anyone looking to buy a high-quality composting toilet.

Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

History of Sun-Mar

As you may know, the first self-contained composting toilet was actually invented by Hardy Sunberg, the founder of Sun-Mar in 1971. It took Hardy 8 dedicated years of hard work to develop the third generation of Sun-Mar toilets. This design incorporated the well-known rotating drum composting chamber mechanism. This means three separate chambers are dedicated to the individual tasks of composting. This also includes the process of evaporation and the finishing result of the composting process. These mechanisms formed the key components of the patented Sun-Mar toilet design.

In 1983,  Hardy Sunberg took his invention public and founded the Sun-Mar corporation. As we know, Sun-Mar was based out of Ontario, Canada. To this day, Sun-Mar continues to follow in the footsteps of Hardy. The company as a whole to this day constantly strives to push the boundaries of composting toilet technology. Interestingly enough, Sun-Mar is the only company that makes composting toilets with the rotating three-chamber composting drum. This is due to the fact that Sun-Mar owns the rights and patents to this technology, domestically and internationally.

Plus, customer service is a huge priority at Sun-Mar. We’ve heard countless stories of their superb customer service. This includes shipping out replacement parts for damaged toilets and more. From the looks of it, it seems like Sun-Mar really stands by their products. Obviously, as a buyer, this is important when making a decision on purchasing a composting toilet.

How Do Composting Toilets Work?

Composting toilets work by separating the liquid content from waste. This allows the content to naturally decompose. An oxygen-rich environment inside of the toilet allows aerobic bacteria to biologically break down the waste material. Some people use the composed material for many hobbies like gardening.

That might sound a little gross, but composting toilets are actually very clean and odorless. The real smell of human waste actually comes from the liquid, just so you know.

Many composting toilets use a little electric fan to help regulate odors. The fans can be prone to burning out and leaving you with a nasty smell. Because the Excel NE is a non-electric toilet it doesn’t have a fan. Instead, a 4” vent mounted on the rear of the toilet serves to dissipate odors. You can purchase an optional fan that runs off of 12v power for the Excel NE if you absolutely want one.

Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How Do You Clean A Composting Toilet?

The way you clean a composting toilet is essentially the same way you clean a regular toilet. The only difference here is the products you need to use. You’re going to want to avoid using nasty and damaging chemicals when cleaning your toilet. Using the incorrect products could end up killing the bacteria inside of the toilet and ruining the decomposition process.

We recommend using natural enzyme-based cleaners that have been specifically designed for composting toilets. You can use these on the exterior and interior of the toilet. Personally, it’s best to never use bleach or regular toilet cleaners on a composting toilet. It will do more harm than good.

For safety measures, we suggest always remember to follow the manufacturers’ care instructions. This is usually located in the manual that comes with the toilet. They’ll have the recommended products included and instructions to have a hassle-free experience.

Why Use A Composting Toilet?

Composting toilets don’t use harmful chemicals to treat your waste. They are incredibly environmentally friendly. Even if you’re not eco-conscious, there are some big advantages to using a composting toilet.

  1. Composting toilets don’t use any water. That’s right, no water. This is really useful if you have limited access to running water while on the road or off-grid. The fact this composting toilet doesn’t use any water is a game-changer.
  2. You can also use regular toilet paper with these toilets. They won’t clog up as easily as the more commonly used chemical toilets.
  3. When you own one of these toilets you get wonderful high-quality compost essentially for free. This is ideal for any gardeners out there.
  4. Following the above example, you’ll also be saving a lot of money on water and compose. You’ll leave less of a carbon footprint and be saving a lot of money at the same time.

Last update on 2023-09-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Conclusion

Overall, Sun-Mar Excel NE composting toilet is a great buy. If you’re looking for a toilet that will save you money, lessen your footprint, and make off-grid living more convenient then look at this toilet. It uses technology that you won’t find anywhere and with excellent customer support, you can’t go wrong with Sun-Mar. If you have any questions or comments, ask them in the comment section below. We appreciate all feedback and comments. Thanks for taking the time to read out the full guide on the Sun-Mar Excel NE non-electric self-contained composting toilet!