How many people have outhouses

perry · #1 07/27/04, 02:55 PM

I'm wondering how many others out there have an outhouse? Been getting a lot of flax from family but I'd rather do without indoor plumbing than move back to Long Island. Oh I do have hot and cold running water and electric.

Thank for your responce

Cyngbaeld · #2 07/27/04, 03:03 PM

Does this 'family' have to share the outhouse or do they just disapprove of you doing your own thing.

mtnhighgirl · #3 07/27/04, 03:21 PM

We have an outhouse.I can't decide what's worse; the bugs in the summer or freezing temperatures in the winter.

But we have a great view.

Michael W. Smith · #4 07/27/04, 03:22 PM

I have one, and although we do have an indoor bathroom, it does get used from time to time. Sometimes it's nice to sit on it and listen to nature!

almostthere · #5 07/27/04, 03:38 PM

I had 2 aunts that used outhouses up until about 10 years ago. They survived just fine, raised kids and all, and no one came out in therapy because of it. Its a personal thing. The family should think about why its importanat for you to change your life to suit thier taste.

**Cabin Fever** · #6 07/27/04, 04:00 PM

Okay, I must be missing something here. Seems like you figure that there are only two options to you rproblem: Option 1-live in country and use outhouse and Option 2-live in city with toilet.

Whatever happened to Option 3????-Live in country with septic system or Option 4-Live in country with composting toilet. I’m sure there are other options that I haven’t thought of…..Like Option 5-Live in country and have the weeny kids use a chamber pot.

Take that flax that the family is given you and weave some linen toilet seat covers with it to keep their sensitive heinies warm in the winter.

OUVickie · #7 07/27/04, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by perry

I'm wondering how many others out there have an outhouse? Been getting a lot of flax from family but I'd rather do without indoor plumbing than move back to Long Island. Oh I do have hot and cold running water and electric.
Thank for your responce

Sounds like it might keep any unwanted visitors away!

We don't have one yet, we have indoor plumbing, but we hope to add one in the future since we have power outages at times and it's always nice to have a backup!

big rockpile · #8 07/27/04, 04:46 PM

I do but their illegal here.

big rockpile

FolioMark · #9 07/27/04, 04:46 PM

We have a raggedy old outhouse that was on the land before we bought it. We use it when we visit the homestead to work and its okay. Eventually we will have an inside bathroom but we are seriously thinking about a composting toilet as a septic system would be pricey and a pain to put in on our land. One of these days though im gonna tear that old monstrosoty down and replace it with something a bit more upmarket. its really crude.

Haggis · #10 07/27/04, 06:21 PM

Herself and I have a privy and no running water. We built our new home with these features factored in. At the time we built our home we were working full time as tenured teachers so it wasn't and isn't the money, but as we have lived with a privy and no running water most of our lives we saw no reason to change; besides, half the water lines and mound systems freeze around here in winter anyway.

By-the-by, Herself has an electric incinerating toilet she uses when it's 100 below miserable or pouring rain, but she hasn't used it in nearly two years.

We prefer "the long walk."

Blu3duk · #11 07/27/04, 06:50 PM

I grew up with one... dont have one now, but ifin i move to another piece of third rock from the sun, we will install one and uise it regularly to save upon the water issue.

William

And in Idadho you cannot get electric unless you have an "approved" septic, an outhouse qualifies because of a couple lawsuits a few years back.

Terry - NW Ohio · #12 07/27/04, 06:54 PM

It's illegal to have one in our county.

desdawg · #13 07/27/04, 07:23 PM

It's illegal to have one here too. I bought a Porta-Potty, one of those types people rent for shows and events, dug a hole in the ground and cut the bottom out of that plastic toilet. Looks official......... but its an outhouse. I have a composting toilet that will be operational soon. No room in the house for the composter so I had to build a building to house it. In the meantime I didn't feel like hunkering down over a log. Listen to nature, huh Michael? I guess you could call it that. A septic system is for another time when some of the other priorities have been met. We also take cup showers. Heat a pot of water on the stove, pour it into a bucket of cold water to the desired temperature, grab a cup and pour the water over your body. Lather up the shampoo and soap and grab the cup for the rinse cycle. Beats a sponge bath. Sometimes you just gots to do what you gots to do until sufficient progress has been made.

sisterpine · #14 07/27/04, 07:34 PM

Greetings from montana! We have both an outhouse and an indoor compost toilet. We like them both. The outhouse outside is a solar outhouse, plans available on the net and it does not stink and does not get bugs! But it is cold in the winter unless you light a propane light a couple of minutes before you need to sit! The indoor compost toilet is okay to, but we continue to have excess moisture problems. I guess I pee too much LOL. The rep has advised that we raise the vent stack another 4 feet but that is a real long way off the steel roof and so far neither DH or I has been willing to put our longest extension ladder up from the back of the truck, tie ourselves to the big tree out front and climb on the roof out back just to put up more pipe which will then need to be wind anchored! But hey why not have an outhouse, it keeps life interesting!

moopups · #15 07/27/04, 07:40 PM

The outhouse here is complete with cresent moon cut in the transom, but it just happens to be the wellhouse! Actually I have an orange grove, much cheaper than a septic system, benifical to all conserned, ect.

RedneckWoman · #16 07/27/04, 08:14 PM

Illegal here too

We had one when I was growing up but the state said that we had to "tear down that little brown shack outback".

Dreams30 · #17 07/27/04, 09:12 PM

Who would I ask in a very small town whether or not outhouses are legal without allerting everyone to the fact that I am considering it? Does this type of law go by the town or county? (or state?)

snoozy · #18 07/27/04, 09:22 PM

We have one -- a composting bucket-type. I don't know if it is illegal in this county...I was living in a 20ft shipping container at the time, and I didn't ask the county how they liked that either. We live in our strawbale house now, complete with septic system. Sometimes I miss the view in the outhouse. It was odorless and perfectly comfortable.

#19 07/27/04, 09:35 PM

We have an outhouse here too as we dont have running water. Also have a pee bucket in the house for the kids to use. Have a wooden box that the bucket goes in with a toilet seat attatched to it. Just have to be sure to empty it every day or it gets mighty stinky. Whew! As for bathing we have a camping shower. Just heat up some water, fill the shower bag and hang it on a hook above our bathtub and voila, you've got yourself a shower. Its funny how little water you use when you have to haul it all in buckets from the well.

snoozy · #20 07/27/04, 09:40 PM

Just have a layer of sawdust in the bucket first and have the kids cover there "donation" with a scoop of sawdust, and you will have no smell. Honest -- try it.