CUDDY Composting Toilet
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Cuddy is 16.3 high by 15.1 inches wide by 16.8 inches deep—and if you believe in the power of the metric system (which we do 😎), it’s 414 x 384 x 427 mm.
It’s about the same size as standard portable chemical toilets so you can easily change it out if you have one.
It’s also at a comfortable height for most people. Your toilet at home is probably between 15-17 inches tall.
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Externally venting your Cuddy is not always necessary. It depends on how often you use it - full or part-time and where you live.
Venting Cuddy Lite is unnecessary.
Watch this video: To Vent or Not to Vent
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Cuddy is assembled in the USA using both U.S. and imported parts.
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The liquids bottle is 1.7 gallons / 6.5 liters.
The removable solids bin is 3.9 gal / 14.7 liters.
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The removable solids bin allows for quick and easy emptying, rather than having to remove the entire toilet to dump its contents like some composting toilets require.
This is much more convenient and takes a lot less time to empty and replace. And it's a lot less messy.
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You’ve heard the phrase “Leave no trace,” right? That’s part of the reason. Listen… seriously, if you prefer a hole or a bucket, we want you to use a hole or a bucket. We encourage DIY for those who have the gumption and skills. Cuddy is for those who want an alternative to holes, buckets, standard RV toilets, and more cumbersome composting toilets.
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It depends on how often the Cuddy is used and how many people use it.
The simple answer is when either bin is full, it should be emptied.
For two people, this can be 2-3 days for the liquids bin and 2-3 weeks for the solids bin.
The solids bin is usually 20-25 uses.
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We recommend emptying and rinsing out the liquids bin after every trip even if it’s not full.
The solids bin should be fine to leave until it is full.
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Turning the contents of the solids bin with the agitator boosts the composting process.
Mixing the solids bin helps waste break down quicker, exposing it to oxygen and mixing around the aerobic bacteria and carbon-rich material.
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The extending agitator handle was designed so that Cuddy™ can fit in tight places. It extends 66.5 mm forward (about 2.6 inches) and then tucks back into place after you're done using it.
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Because of the Cuddy's agitator, adding a liner bag isn't possible.
If you'd prefer to use bags you can order a Cuddy Lite composting toilet
or if you'd like the best of both worlds - sometime agitating sometimes not you can order a spare bin without an agitator.
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Yes!
We now offer a Cuddy™ version without an agitator called Cuddy Lite.
If you already own a Cuddy, you can order a solids bin without an agitator in our store.
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Smart LED (pee level signal) - 9v battery (not included)
Internal fan - 12v hard-wired
The fan connector is a standard 5.5 x 2.1mm male DC power cord.
This will be attached to a 4ft length of cable that can be wired into your van's power supply with a 1A fuse.
Watch this video on: Wiring Cuddy into your van, RV, etc.
Watch this video for other power cable option.
For example you it is also possible to get a cigarette lighter connector, or wall plug as well.
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Power: 12v hardwired
Amperage: 1-1.5w
Cuddy's fan runs all the time, unless you unplug it. Depending on your situation you will not need to run the fan constantly.
The fan connection is at the rear, in the center, under the rear handle to avoid direct water contact.
The connector is a standard 5.5 x 2.1 mm male DC power cord.
As standard this will be attached to a 4ft cable that can be wired into your van's power supply with a 1A fuse.
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Cuddy is made from polypropylene, ABS plastic, stainless steel, and anodized aluminum. The liquids bottle is made from ABS plastic. All other plastic parts are polypropylene.
The agitator is made from lightweight aluminum finished by anodizing to prevent discoloring and corrosion. The agitator handle is marine-grade stainless steel and lightweight aluminum finished by anodizing to prevent discoloring and corrosion.
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Another interesting FAQ. One of Cuddy's unique features is its internal carbon filter for additional odor control.
The filter is a reusable polypropylene design for less plastic waste and more money saved, filled with the same carbon pellets found at any pet store or online store like Amazon.
The pellets should be changed every 6 months to a year, depending on how often you use your Cuddy.
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Cuddy is water resistant and can be used in a wetbath. However, it should not be in the direct line of spray.
Cover your Cuddy with something waterproof when you shower, and remove it when you're not showering. This will help keep any unwanted water out when it's being hit directly from the shower and allow proper circulation when not covered.
Keep an eye on your composting agent moisture level—you should do this anyway with any composting toilet, and especially if the toilet is living in a steamy shower enclosure. Lastly, while not necessary, you can vent the Cuddy externally to improve airflow.
When you install the Cuddy, seal any holes you make for screws and/or rivets using silicone or vulkem caulking.
CUDDY Lite Layering Compost Toilet
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The main difference between the Cuddy and the Cuddy Lite is the lack of an agitator system for the solids bin in the Cuddy Lite.
The Cuddy has a handle on the front that is pulled out and turned to turn the prongs in the Cuddy solids bin to stir things up. The Cuddy Lite has an open solids bin.
From an aesthetic point of view, they are both just as beautiful as the other and at first glance may seem exactly the same. The seat and lid and drop zone and urine bottle and sensor and fan and all of that are the same, as are the physical proportions.
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For the most part, customers that requested an agitator-less version of the Cuddy want to be able to put a liner bag in the bin for easier cleaning.
Some want to avoid using a composting agent like coir and prefer to empty the bin after each use.
Some prefer to add the composting agent after each use rather than having to stir up the whole bin.
There are also some that prefer the lower price of the Cuddy Lite.
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The bins for the Cuddy Lite hold the same amount as those in the Cuddy.
The liquids bottle is 1.7 gallons / 6.5 liters.
The removable solids bin is 3.9 gal / 14.7 liters.
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External venting is unnecessary for the Cuddy Lite since there's an integrated carbon filter to reduce odors.
If you still prefer to vent externally, you can—check out our video on How to vent Cuddy externally for more help with that.
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Yes, you can use a 8-9 US Gallon bags for the solids bin.
We recommend that you use a compostable bag.
COMPOSTING TOILETS FAQ
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We often get asked this FAQ!
No, composting toilets do not smell when used properly. They will not stink out your van, RV, boat, tiny home, camper, or cabin.
The composted material looks and smells earthy—like a forest floor. When emptying the loo, there is no unpleasant odour, unless you're one of those rare folks that don't like forest floors.
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Dealing with diarrhea is straightforward: When the solids bin is too moist for any reason, the first step is to add more of your composting agent (coir or peat moss, etc.). This will help to get the contents back to the right moisture level.
Depending on your situation, you may have to empty the solids bin a little sooner or more often.
Collateral messes can be an issue with whatever toilet you use. You'll want to clean your Cuddy following the directions in the manual—basically with a sponge or soft cloth and soapy water.
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Yes, you can pee in a composting toilet.
Our composting toilets are designed to separate the pee from the poop to eliminate any nasty odours.
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The solids section of the Cuddy™ composting toilet typically needs emptying every 2-4 weeks depending on how much it's been used.
You can look into the chamber to check the level. We would advise emptying when the chamber is around two thirds to three quarters full.
The LED light will let you know when the liquids bin is ready to be emptied.
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Not until it has fully finished composting which will take several months.
While composting toilets begin the composting process and reduce the volume of waste, the material needs additional time to kill off bacteria and parasites usually 6-12 months depending on how hot it gets.
it is safe to add the contents to your compost pile and let them continue composting.
Joseph Jenkins wrote the 'humanure handbook' and we would encourage any readers to refer to this as a reference.
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We don't recommend this because food scraps will attract flies and other insects.
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Always check the rules that apply to your specific location. Usually, solids from composting toilets may be put in a biodegradable bag and disposed of in a regular rubbish bin. In general, the law permits disposal of human waste in this manner to due to the need to dispose of baby and adult diapers, as well as pet waste.
If you have a space to do so, you might consider continuing the composting process that Cuddy started. There are several resources for how to compost and use human manure. We like The Humanure Handbook as a starting point. Urine can also be used as a fertilizer—the Rich Earth Institute is a good resource about peecycling.
Our toilets are specially designed to make emptying as quick and easy as possible. The solids bin is simple to remove and empty, and liquids from composting toilets can be poured down a regular toilet or onto the nearest thirsty looking mature tree.
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Yes, you can pee in a composting toilet.
Our composting toilets are designed to separate the pee from the poop to eliminate any nasty odours.
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Yes, you can. Period blood and tissue is totally fine to go into a composting toilet, either in the liquids or solids bin.
We do not recommend that you put pads or tampons in the bin.
They will no break down like #2, will make the bin fill up faster and the agitator may be more difficult to turn.
Keep in mind that many composting toilet manufacturers have white, opaque liquids tanks to make it easier to see how much liquid is inside. However. when you have to walk through a campground carrying a full liquids bottle, everyone else can see what's in the bottle, too. Cuddy™ has a non-see-through black liquids container that hides what's inside. We incorporate a sensor that lights up an LED light to let you know when the bottle is ready to be emptied.
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Another common FAQ.
Yes, composting toilets need emptying but much less frequently than chemical toilets.
From our experience, composting toilets are much less unpleasant to empty than chemical toilets because they don't have an unpleasant smell and the solids simply resemble dirt.
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No! There is no need to use bleach in a composting toilet. In fact, it’s significantly better not to.
Bleach will kill the bacteria necessary for the solids to compost. If you feel the need to deep-clean your containers, we suggest using a 5-1 solution of water to vinegar.
You'll want to clean the rest of your Cuddy following the directions in the manual—basically with a sponge or soft cloth and soapy water.
Troubleshooting
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Contact us at info@compocloset.com!
It’s our goal to make your experience with CompoCloset and Cuddy a good one, and we do our best to solve every issue.
When you email us, include photos and/or a video that illustrates the issue (if applicable) so that we can assess more clearly what's going on.
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Hinges in Cuddys made prior to August 2023 were made of nickel-plated steel and need to be cared for properly, as the manual suggests.
Once we were able to source a stainless steel version of our hinges, we started manufacturing with them.
We also have replacement stainless steel hinges for sale if you'd like to upgrade to a more trouble-free hinge.
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First of all, be sure to completely close the solid bin plates before urinating. If you look closely (not while you’re peeing because that might be awkward), you can see that the closed solids bin plates divert any urine hitting them into a pee chute toward the front of the Cuddy and into the pee bin.
Still, sometimes pee makes it into the solids bin. For example, some of us have been known to pee and poo at the same time, which means the solids bin plates will be open. A little bit is fine, but it’s better to have it go where it’s supposed to.
Even if you’re used to standing while urinating in a regular toilet, you should sit down while peeing in the Cuddy. It can help with getting liquid waste going in the correct direction. Some people find that scooting forward on the seat helps in aiming urine into the front diverter.
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There are a few things that will work to remove and help prevent scaling. Many people use white vinegar. You can both clean the container and spray it as you use it to help keep it clean.
We recommend around a 5 to 1 ratio, water to vinegar. Pouring some of the vinegar mixture into the liquids bottle after you empty it and swirling it around and then emptying that will help, too.
There are enzymatic products specifically designed to prevent scaling and odors. Like vinegar, each has a water-to-product ratio, can be used in the container for cleaning and odor control, and as a spray after going each time.
Emptying and rinsing the container regularly helps to keep the scaling down, also.
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Here's another common FAQ.
If you have bugs in a composting toilet, they are likely what are commonly known as fruit flies.
Try sprinkling a half a cup of diatomaceous earth on top of your composting agent to kill the flies. Let it sit for awhile to kill the bugs, Then agitate the diatomaceous earth with your composting agent to help kill eggs and larvae.
We’ve found that coconut coir is a lot less likely to be attractive to bugs than peat moss, so a change in composting agent may help.
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Normally a Cuddy will not stink—but we’ll admit that it’s possible for it to under certain conditions if it's not being taken care of properly.
In the front:
Someone—we’re not going to mention any names—forgot to empty the liquids container when they got home from their roadtrip. The urine has been doing what it does and has been evaporating and turning ammonia-y.
Solution: clean out the urine container after every trip!
It's been 94F degrees and humid in the van/camper/bus since it’s been parked. Combine this with the previous situation and it will be an assault to most senses.
See previous solution.
In the back:
Somehow a larger amount of urine or other liquid than recommended got into the solids bin.
Solution: Add more composting agent to help manage the moisture or change out the old for new composting agent.
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Check to make sure that funnel at the end of the pee chute is sitting correctly on top of the hole in the liquids bottle and that the liquids bottle is in all the way. If it’s not meeting it in the right place, or the bottle seems like it is loose or wobbly, take the bottle completely out to check if there is anything underneath it.
Occasionally a piece of coir or other bit of something or other will find its way into or underneath the bottle and cause it not to sit straight.
The blue valve in the liquids bottle is a check valve, which only allows fluids to move one way. We have one in the Cuddy to keep potential odors from leaving the liquids bottle.
In rare instances, there is a manufacturer's defect in the check valve and it will not have any holes in it.
To check it, use a flat screwdriver to remove the white ring on the liquids bottle and remove the valve to inspect it. If there are no holes in your blue valve, send us a note and we’ll get a replacement out to you.
In the meantime, removing it will allow urine to flow freely into the bottle.
Make sure that your RV/van/camper is level. If it is tilted, gravity could be taking some of the urine for a ride outside the pee chute.
Contact us ASAP if you need more assistance.
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The composting process produces heat which can create condensation in the unit.
The internal fan can help, but it is not meant to get rid of moisture; its job is to push air through the carbon filter.
While we currently don't have a built in solution for moisture, we are working on an upgrade to solve this issue. At the moment we recommend adding some absorbent material inside to soak it up.
Some users have had success by adding wood pellets. In our Compo Crew Facebook group there are several discussions on ways to deal with moisture.
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In general, there is no need to worry about mold in your solids bin–it’s part of the natural composting process.
Make sure to regularly turn the agitator to mix everything up, including the mold, in the solids bin.
Shipping & Returns
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We ship to the USA and Canada from this website.
For UK please go to our UK Website: compocloset.co.uk
For Australia please go to our Australian website: compocloset.com.au
For other inquiries please email us at: info@compocloset.com
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We ship for free in the continental USA, and Canada.
We have a flat-rate of $150 USD to Alaska and Hawaii.
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We typically process orders in 1-3 business days. Cuddy ships from our manufacturer in Baldwin Park, California.
Shipping to the West coast usually takes 1-3 days, and 1-5 days to the East coast.
Canada delivery depends on province location and how long it takes for your Cuddy to make it through customs.
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We accept returns of unused toilets with in 30 days.
Used toilets can not be returned.
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Returns are free in the continental USA and Canada.
When an order does not include free shipping, all shipping costs (including the return shipping) are handled by the customer.
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When an order includes free shipping, only the cost of the return shipping is handled by the customer.
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Yes, we have a 2 year warranty