Using the HOTBIN Hot Water Bottle
If using the hot water bottle when starting your HOTBIN you must create a base layer of waste to above the top of the hatch – approx. 16 in. deep.
- Carefully fill your bottle with hot water
- Replace lid tightly and carefully carry the container to your HOTBIN
- Bury the bottle in the top layer of waste, covering with fresh waste
- Leave for 24 hours and do not open during this time
- After 24 hours check lid thermometer is above 59-60°F
Result: Bacterial process is kick-started, if not repeat process one more time. To Learn more Click to view video on How to Crank up the Heat of your HOTBIN with a Kick Start Bottle.
Please Note:
- Always wear gloves and handle with care
- The HOTBIN hot water bottle is designed to hold hot water. Please DO NOT substitute bottle with another plastic or glass bottle as this may result in injury
- Do not pour boiling water directly into the heap
This winter kick-starting technique only works if there is enough easy to compost food waste. We liken it to a human diet - if you eat a high fibre breakfast you get steady energy all day, but drink coke and eat sweets and you will be on sugar high for an hour. Since the initial heat boost from the bottle is the most crucial to get the bacteria active, they require easily digestible food during this hour.
If your HOTBIN is full of woody waste they find hard to compost, then no new heat will be generated. The hot water bottle works best when bacteria have a diet of fast food, i.e. fruit and vegetable peelings, soft plant material and nettles and comfrey, a full list can be found here.
How and Why the HOTBIN Hot Water Bottle Works
Once you know this, it is easy to identify when it will and will not work.
- Heat in a compost heap is produced from bacterial activity as they digest the waste • More bacterial activity = more heat produced
- Bacteria do not grow quickly below 5°c and not at all at 0°c
- When waste is cold only a tiny amount of heat is created by the bacteria, and this is quickly lost to the cold air - therefore cold composting heaps lie almost dormant through winter
- When you add the hot water bottle into the waste, this heat (1 litre of boiling water contains 4200 J energy as heat) moves to the colder waste
- As the bacteria become warm enough to become active, they generate heat which makes them more active and generating more heat.
- The HOTBIN's insulated walls help retain this heat - just like a thermos flask
- However, bacteria only generate heat when they have food to eat, so they need to be fed with fresh waste on a regular basis
Will a Cooler HOTBIN Turn Anaerobic?
No, the HOTBIN will continue to compost the contents at a cooler temperature and if paper and woodchip are added with the waste then there is no reason for your HOTBIN contents to turn anaerobic. However, if the contents of the HOTBIN begin to smell putrid or become saturated that is the time to become concerned about the contents turning anaerobic and to start taking corrective action.