Hotbin composting

[alp]

Read in a magazine about an advert on Hotbin composting. Very interested.

At the moment, I have about 6 compost bins, none of them working to their optimal capacity. My fault, not theirs.

Can anyone shed some light on HOTBIN composting please? How does it operate? I read that you need to have some wood chippings to oil the process, so to speak.

Most important of all, can I make one myself?

Any discussions welcome and appreciated.

 

[alp]

Apparently, there are accessories to buy on top..

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

Looks good, I have compost pit though, veggies peel and other waste goes to bin for a week, then everything goes to compost pit along with little water and thin layer of soil to cover it.

Their web site says to add shredded paper to mask odour, it even has filter and thermometer to check temperature of on going process.

edit : corrected auto spell

 

[alp]

I was thinking if someone like @BigC or @Colin could try to make one. They are very expensive £185 for one. No laughing matter. So how long does it take you to have proper compost from scratch, @Rajesh Sethi ?

 

[alp]

I was thinking if someone like @BigC or @Colin could try to make one. They are very expensive £185 for one. No laughing matter. So how long does it take you to have proper compost from scratch, @Rajesh Sethi ?

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks alp; there are many ways of composting shown on YouTube; here's the "Hotbin".

Below is serious composting which might be of interest to those who wonder what happens to the green bin skip material dumped at our recycling centres.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

@Colin Thank you for the videos .. Just managed to watch one of them as the connection is very slow. I think I've got the gist. I need to research the material and see if I can get it myself. At the moment, my compost is giving me perpetual headache as I keep looking at a certain weed endemic to the kind of compost that I have made with my own method.

Very useful. Can't believe he couldn't record the video somewhere quiet..

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Thanks alp; Bron and I have just watched the YouTube video on TV and as you say it's spoiled by the background noise which isn't in the background and at times is overpowering.

I'm sure a much bigger hotbin can easily be constructed from a double skin of pallet timber with building insulation between the skins just adding an hinged bottom flap for emptying and a simple sliding flap at the top to adjust the temperature?

If our climate was better I would have had a go at making a decent composting bin but whilst the weather permits I've always got other more pressing jobs to do; it's suddenly turned a lot colder over the last couple of days and the breeze coming up the valley this morning is cutting; hardly the weather to be playing outside but then I'm getting soft; when younger I used to be out in all weather on my motorcycle but now I want comfort.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[Rajesh Sethi]

I was thinking if someone like @BigC or @Colin could try to make one. They are very expensive £185 for one. No laughing matter. So how long does it take you to have proper compost from scratch, @Rajesh Sethi ?

It would be nice to construct one in backyard. IDK may be concrete design will be nice and durable, I have not yet dug the compost pit, I cover it and find a new place once it level out.

I collect manure from near by dairy farm to use as fertilizer for my plants.

 

[Colin]

Hi,

Concrete would indeed be very durable Rajesh and of course permanent. Concrete building blocks and mortar don't cost a great deal but do involve quite a bit of physical effort and some degree of skill although for a composting bin they needn't be perfect; a composting bin of any size could be erected using these material with a wooden door at the base and a wooden lid. Bricks also could be used but would be slower to construct.

A sample price is shown above for here in the UK.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

I wonder if I could use kingspan insulation boards or will the compost bin self combust because of the heat!?

 

[Colin]

Hi,

If you decided to build a compost bin alp using concrete blocks you could design it a bit larger; try it without insulation and if it's not performing as expected then add internal insulation but perhaps lining with cheap pallet timber might work; building insulation isn't cheap;

http://www.insulationgiant.co.uk/Ki...M8MettM29ncvZj8yXA3vhmru35w5G5dAaAmm9EALw_wcB

It all depends on how much you plan to spend and how big a compost bin you need? If you include an adjustable vent in the lid then you could regulate the generated heat? This vent could be a simple large diameter hole in the lid with a cover secured by a single screw allowing the cover to pivot around the screw exposing more or less of the hole?

I'm unsure if I'll bother making a compost bin this year due to the bad weather making working in the garden a misery; I could make a sectional wooden compost bin in the workshop then assemble the bin up the garden.

I've just had a quick look at our local treated timber suppliers price list alp out of interest wondering how much a compost bin would cost using new treated timber?

Very roughly a 4' square bin at 4' high with a lid would need the following timber;

3.6 x 150 x 22 at £6.39 each

14 lengths in total to give four sides and the lid.

Roughly 3 pieces out of each full length and 40 pieces x 4' needed? £89.46

https://www.jobearnshaw.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/EARNSHAWS PRICE LIST 2017.pdf

Corner supports and lid braces would add to this but for about £100 a new wooden basic compost bin at 4' cube with no base isn't too expensive? Galvanized nails would be used and these are cheap enough; as I say this is just a very rough estimate and is for a fully boarded heavy duty bin; the wooden compost bins I've just looked at on eBay are "slatted" so if a slatted bin was made it would be cheaper; our neighbour has a plastic compost bin which is sealed and she tells me it gets very hot; I'm not yet into serious composing but would an open topped slatted bin heat up?

I'm just doodling kicking a few ideas around.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[BigC]

I was thinking if someone like @BigC or @Colin could try to make one. They are very expensive £185 for one. No laughing matter. So how long does it take you to have proper compost from scratch, @Rajesh Sethi ?

As per @Colin above or I reckon you could fashion one from an old plastic barrel (with lid), an old large rainwater butt or even a wheelie Bin..the choices are endless

 

[Colin]

Hi,

As you rightly say BigC the choice is endless.

Out of curiosity I've just browsed council composting bins and found this one above.

Our local council has special offers such as the one above buy one get one half price; I'm pretty sure this is the one our lovely neighbour has and uses a lot.

At these prices is it worth the time and trouble to construct a compost bin other than one that has a much bigger capacity?

A big benefit of the 330L bins is that they can be dotted around out of the way in the garden? Four can be bought for only £65.94. Perhaps this will be of help to you alp and solve your composting problem. I think I'll buy four and transfer my big open compost pile into them making the top of the garden much tidier. Four of these work out much cheaper than the single Thermo King and the four combined have a greater capacity offering much better versatility.

A quick edit. I've now bought four of the 330L size costing a grand total of £71.91. On the special instructions I've requested to be informed of delivery day; morning or afternoon then I can be here to receive them. This saves me lots of work; time and trouble making my own bins.

Whoops; Sorry alp; you've already stated you have six compost bins so you are already well ahead of me.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[alp]

Don't rush to it, @Colin . Sometimes councils encourage composting and you can buy one and get one free. I have about 6 of these bins .. and yet when they are huge, you can't really turn over the contents.