...
Tiny Houses Inside Logo

Can You Have A Flushing Toilet In A Tiny House – Guide 2024

If you’re asking can you have a flushing toilet in a tiny house, then read this article.

Once you make up your mind to go off-grid and live your life in a tiny home, you’ll get tons of questions from people who aren’t very familiar with the tiny home lifestyle.

One of the questions we see a lot is- how do you go to the bathroom?

And sure enough, this is a pretty important question every would-be tiny homeowner should have an answer to.

For tiny home enthusiasts, picking a suitable bathroom that ticks all your boxes and lifestyle isn’t among the easiest things to do, and because you have tons of toilet options on the market, you may find it hard to decide which toilet is best for your tiny home.

And for tiny home enthusiasts asking if they can install a flushing toilet in their home, we will let you know if this is such a brilliant option shortly.

But just so you know, without access to a regular septic or sewage system, you’re better off with alternative toilet options.

And guess what?

Today is your lucky day as we will run you through some of the alternative options you can explore.

Flushing toilet: is it recommended for tiny homes?

While there are tons of alternative toilet options that are great for tiny homes, many tiny home enthusiasts still prefer to go the old-school way of installing a flushing toilet in their homes.

Even though there is nothing wrong with opting for a flush toilet, flush toilets fall below the pecking order for many reasons, especially compared to other toilet options on the market.

To start with, flushing toilet isn’t great for many off-grid or THOWs situations.

However, if you plan to build your tiny home on a permanent foundation somewhere within the city where these homes are legal, you can opt for traditional flush toilets.

But before you tow this direction, keep in mind that flush toilets require that you install a full-water hookup.

More so, it must be permanently connected to a septic or sewer tank system.

And, of course, it isn’t feasible to disconnect and reconnect flush toilets.

On the flip side, if you plan to live off-grid, you can still install a flush toilet in your home and have your own dedicated septic tank.

But remember that this will cost you quite a fortune.

Nevertheless, if you have the money to spend on such a project, then installing a flush toilet in your tiny home wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

But if you don’t have money to waste, you’re better off with alternative toilet options for tiny homes.

Pros and cons of flush toilets

While traditional flush toilets aren’t always perfect for tiny homes, especially if you live off-grid, this toilet option has some great and not-so-cool sides.

Check out some pros and cons of flush toilets:

Pros

  • Flush toilets ensure that your home is rid of unpleasant odor
  • It is insanely easy to clean and manage

Cons

  • If you plan on using flush toilets in your tiny home, you’ll spend extra money installing full and permanent water hookups.
  • Flush toilets aren’t ideal for any type of THOW. This toilet option won’t work in freezing conditions, whether you hook it to a sewer or septic system.

Other toilet options for tiny homes

Now that you know whether or not a traditional flush toilet is great for your tiny home, it’s time to take you through some alternative toilet options that are suitable for your tiny home project.

Composting toilets

Without mincing words, composting toilets are arguably one of the best alternative toilets for tiny homes, and you’ll learn why shortly.

This toilet option uses the natural process of decomposition to convert waste into valuable compost.

And just so you know, composting toilets are among some of the oldest waste management systems out there.

Using this toilet, what you’re basically doing is allowing natural bacteria to break down waste.

Only that this time, things are done in a controlled manner.

To do their work effectively, composting toilet only requires a couple of things, and they include:

  • Urine diverter
  • Ventilation
  • Bulking materials like sawdust and peat moss

The ventilation is designed to remove additional moisture nicely while allowing the aerobic process to kick off the waste breakdown process.

And since liquid waste has an insane amount of water content, it’s always a brilliant idea to separate it from solid waste.

Bulking materials like peat moss, coconut husks, and sawdust are great for composting toilets, and that’s because these materials help create air gaps that fast track the decomposition process.

Another great thing about this bulking option is that they help reduce the number of harmful bacteria.

Incinerating toilets

Incinerating toilets have long been the ideal toilets for cabins and seagoing folks for many decades.

Plus, we like them because they do a brilliant job of handling your waste.

This fantastic toilet option for tiny home works by burning waste just right after you’re done with your business.

Incinerating toilets look pretty similar to your regular flush toilets.

You only start to see the difference when you open it up.

These toilets are made from quality metal.

To work correctly, you have to use a piece of paper every time you use the toilet.

All you need to do is place the paper in the bowl, do your business and proceed to seal the lid.

Most incinerating toilets we have come across either have a button system or a foot pump that opens a trap door to the incinerating chamber.

The minute you hit the button or release your foot, anything in the incinerating section is reduced to ash which you can quickly dispose of in your household trash.

Frequently asked questions

What toilet options are great for your tiny home?

While a regular flush toilet isn’t a bad option if you have the money to spear and live within the city, other alternative toilet options like composting toilets, chemical toilets, incinerating toilets, and others are great for your tiny home.

Plus, they don’t cost so much to buy and install.

Can you do regular plumbing for your tiny home?

To be honest, tiny home plumbing isn’t very different from regular everyday plumbing.

All you have to do is mark a space on your wall and make all the necessary fitting.

More so, it will cost you less, as you’d probably only be installing one shower, a sink, and a single toilet.

Can I hook my tiny home toilet to a septic tank?

With a tiny home, you have less space to install a septic tank.

So instead of opting for those bulkier tanks, we recommend going for a lightweight tank that is easy to transport and install on your foundation.

Conclusion

Even though you can install a regular flush toilet in your tiny home, this toilet option is a bit expensive right from the get-go.

If you’re looking for something you can easily manage, we encourage you to go for some of the alternative toilet options we have highlighted in today’s post.