Sun-Mar COMPACT - Compost Troubleshooting; Compost too Wet; Waste Not Breaking down; Lumps in Drum

Compost Troubleshooting
Symptom Cause Remedial Action Prevention
Compost Too
Wet
Compost porosity is
poor
Ensure that Compost Sure
Green is being used.
Use Sun-Mar Compost Sure
Green
Drum screen clogged Spray the drum screen with
Compost Quick. Scrub the
drum screen with wire
brush.
When toilet is in use, turn the
Bio-drum™ every other day, for
six (6) revolutions of the drum.
W
aste
N
ot
Breaking
Down At All
(the drum will
fill up quickly)
AND/OR
Large Lumps
In Compost
Insufficient microbes Add Sun-Mar Microbe Mix.
Be sure to add the Microbe Mix
packet at start up and a scoop
e
v
ery couple
o
f weeks.
Room temperature
below 55° F/13°C
Install heat source to
increase temperature.
Temperature should be
above 55° F/13°C
constantly to ensure
composting does not stop.
Install toilet in warm area. The
warmer the area, the better
your compost will be!
Compost too dry/
Insufficient Moisture
Add 1/2 to 1 gallon of warm
water to compost in order
to bring it up to appropriate
moisture level. Remove or
break
any
lumps apart.
A moisture content of 40-60%
is ideal for aerobic microbes.
Drum Too Full Compost not emptied
into finishing drawer
in a timely fashion
Remove compost until
drum is only half full or
less. Rotate compost
thoroughly to aerate, and
add compost accelerant
(Compost Quick and
Microbe Mix)
.
Do NOT let drum get above 1/2
full. This will lead to a lack of
aeration, and the possibility of
an anaerobic compost.
Strong Odor Compost anaerobic
See “
Co
m
post
To
o
We
t
”,
“Drum Screen Clogged”
and “Drum Too Full”
Follow “
Ongoing
Toilet
Maintenance” and use
Compost Sure Green.
Flies Present
Kitchen/Garden
w
aste added
D
o not
add kitchen waste
or garden scraps.
D
o
n
ot
add kitchen waste or
gard
e
n
scraps
.
Compost too dry
OR
Foreign material
added
Applying pesticides such
as pyrethrin, or any locally
permitted equivalent safe
for garden use, to your
compost is an immediate
remedy. Please contact
Sun-Mar for assistance.
The alternative to using
pesticides is to completely
clean the toilet out, and
wash the inside of the drum
with soap and water.
IMPORTANT:
If using pesticides, avoid
spilling on the outer shell of
the composter.
Keep compost moist. It should
have a slight gloss or shine. If it
does not, add warm water to it
until it reaches this
consistency. Fungus gnats
tend to be attracted to the
fungus which forms on
compost when it dries out.
Moist compost will not be
attractive to flies.
Do not add topsoil from the
ground, composted matter, or
kitchen scraps to the toilet.
These may carry or attract
flies.
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