Long Term Storage
Long-term storage
Are you planning to switch off and store your toilet for a longer period or over winter? If so, it is especially important that you prepare the toilet for storage. To ensure that your toilet remains in the best possible condition, it is important that you follow the instructions below for each product you want to switch off and store.
Winter storage of an incinerating toilet
Our incinerating toilets consume approximately 0.13 kWh over 24 hours in standby mode. Every time you switch off the toilet, the following steps must be carried out to avoid frost damage:
1. Turn off the power switch on the back and unplug the toilet. If your toilet has two switches, both must be turned off; otherwise, there is a risk that the battery will discharge.
2. Disconnect the toilet from the ventilation pipe and seal the ventilation pipe/chimney. Use either the 110 mm cover plug, item no. 1268-01, or a similar plug to seal the pipe.
3. Clean the toilet thoroughly. Do not forget to empty and clean the ash pan.
These steps protect the toilet from moisture that could potentially enter and damage the toilet’s electrical components, while also preventing cold air from entering the space where the toilet is located.
The battery in this model should not be left uncharged for more than 3 months. We recommend maintenance-charging the battery every six months during long-term storage. To do this, plug in the toilet, turn on both switches and leave the toilet switched on for approximately 8 hours.
Once the steps above have been completed, your toilet is ready for storage. For more information about cleaning incinerating toilets and other product-specific information, see the “maintenance & cleaning” section for each product.
Cleaning the ash pan:
1. Remove the ash pan and empty it.
2. Pour 1 litre of water directly into the ash pan, without a bag.
3. Place the ash pan back into the toilet.
4. Run a large programme, without a bag.
This makes it easier to remove deposits in the ash pan, and the steam that passes through the toilet and ventilation pipe helps clean the entire toilet.
The video below shows how to empty the ash pan.
Winter storage of a urine-diverting toilet
For both the fan and odour removal, we recommend keeping the fan running at all times, even if you will be away for a long period. This keeps the toilet space/house dry and extends the service life of the fan. Separett Villa consumes 0.06 kWh over 24 hours.
Cleaning is very important in order to avoid bad odours and prevent flies from entering and laying eggs. If you are going to be away for a long time, over winter, or want to save electricity, you should consider cleaning your urine-diverting toilet thoroughly. Do the following:
1. Switch off and unplug the toilet.
2. Put the lid on the container and remove it from the toilet. This is necessary to prevent odours from spreading. Empty the solid waste container, rinse it with water and clean it thoroughly with a cleaning agent.
3. Clean the urine pipe/siphon. Rinse the urine pipe and urine hose with water. It is also useful to do this before using your urine-diverting toilet after a longer break. If the urine pipe and/or urine hose become blocked, they are available as spare parts in our webshop or from our retailers.
4. Clean the toilet. Clean the toilet inside and outside with a cleaning agent, cloth and brush if necessary.
Urine freezes at approximately -5°C, so if the toilet is used during winter, make sure that the urine drain has a slope all the way. We recommend an external urine drain with a diameter of Ø50 mm. A larger dimension reduces the risk of the urine drain freezing. It is also possible to insulate the parts of the urine hose that run outdoors.
If you have a urine container, it should be cleaned if there is a break in toilet use. Fill approximately ¼ of the container with water, close the lid and shake vigorously to clean the inside of the container. Then pour out the water. You can also use an environmentally friendly cleaning agent to remove any odour.
Ejector Tank
Empty the Ejector Tank before winter, as urine freezes at -5°C and can cause the ejector pipe to crack. Make sure that the ejector pipe in the lid is emptied of liquid. Any liquid remaining at the bottom will not cause damage.
If you use the toilet during winter, collect the urine in suitable containers and save it for fertilising in spring, or route the urine to the greywater system/drain or to an infiltration system. Do not forget that the municipality’s environmental office can provide guidance on approved alternatives – decisions regarding waste handling are not the responsibility of the average citizen.