FAQs & Tips

For best results, you should stick to plant-based food waste. Some items break down faster than others.  For example, lettuces and tender peels will disappear much faster than chunks of fibrous waste.  Avocado seeds and stone fruit pits will take longer to decompose, but can be added.  Avoid especially hard items such as wooden skewers, corn husks, and the outer portion of coconuts.  Egg shells, vegetable & fruit peels, cores, seeds, and grains (such as rice or bread) break down easily.

No additives are required.  Just add your plant-based food waste.  Also, as you use the liquid compost, top off the composter with water to maintain the water level at about 2 inches below the bottom of the funnel.  Some gardeners choose to add supplements to the liquid compost if they are certain their garden is missing certain nutrients.  Popular supplements include fish emulsion, powdered seaweed, and molasses, but these are not necessary.

Every barrel of compost liquid will be different depending on the types of food waste that you are adding. We have had the liquid compost tested by Texas A & M and found it to include many of the nutrients plants need to grow.  Motzz Laboratory in Phoenix, AZ conducted humic and fulvic acid tests and found that the compost liquid contained 2.5% humic acids and 1% fulvic acids which are extremely beneficial to plant health.  The compost liquid is unlikely to burn your plants even when used without dilution.  This is because most of the nitrogen is locked up in the microorganisms themselves.  As the microbes consume the organic matter or their fellow microbes, they excrete nitrogen in a form that plants can use directly.  In this manner nitrogen and other nutrients are release slowly and steadily for plants creating a living soil that is governed by the soil food web.

First, determine if the air is circulating and pump is working properly.  If you notice an odor it indicates either a) there is not enough oxygen or b) you have overloaded the bin.  Once you have confirmed that the pump is working properly, stop adding food waste for a few days.  Do not unplug the unit.  It is important to keep the air circulating and allow time for the microbes to decompose the current waste. Once the odor subsides, you may begin adding waste to the bin again.  For best results, limit the amount of waste to one half gallon of plant based food scraps per day.

If the power is out for a short time, the bin will be fine.  Do not add any food waste to the bin while the pump is not running.  When the power returns you may notice a slight odor.  The odor will subside as the composter continues to run.  You can resume adding food waste to the bin when the odor has completed subsided.  In the event that power will be disconnected for the unit for more than a few days, empty the bin.  To do so, simply drain the liquid out using the spigot.  There will still be liquid and waste in the bottom of the bin.  Remove the lid and the pump.  Tilt the barrel and empty via the top opening.

The best part of the AeromatiCo is the ability to put it in close proximity to where you generate your food waste.  It’s best in a covered area close to a water source and electrical outlet.  It performs well in a garage, on a patio, back porch, or below an overhang somewhere just outside your home.  For those living in a colder climates, you may even consider keeping it in a basement. The liquid composter works optimally in moderate weather.  Avoid excessive exposure to direct sun that can increase the temperature of the water beyond the ability for the aerobic micro organisms to survive.  We keep ours in our garage and run it all year long.  We live in Houston, TX and have extremely hot summers, but mild winters.

The air pump needs periodic maintenance.  The Hakko, 60L air pump is industrial grade and is built to last for many years.  The pump diaphragm lasts up to 3 years.  We recommend replacing the diaphragm with a rebuild kit every 2 years.  The diaphragms will last longer if the pump air filter is cleaned every 3 months.  The air filter is reusable.  Just screw the top off of the pump, remove the filter, wash it will mild soap, dry it, and reinstall.

The liquid compost can be used anytime.  We fill our watering can directly from the spigot.  We pour the liquid compost directly on the soil in our gardens and potted plants without worrying about watering it down in any way.

Remember when you are first starting out, it takes time for the microbes to populate the composter.  We recommend waiting one month from when you first start adding food waste to the composter before using the compost.  Also, if the composter has an odor, do not use the liquid compost.  Stop adding additional food waste until the odor subsides.  Then, you can resume using the compost in your gardens.

The AeromatiCo is guaranteed against manufacturing defects, and the air pump includes a 1 year warranty. The Hakko, 60L pump is industrial grade and is built to last for many years.  The pump diaphragm lasts up to 3 years.  We recommend replacing the diaphragm with a rebuild kit every 2 years.  The diaphragms will last longer if the pump air filter is cleaned every 3 months.  The filter is reusable.  Just screw the top off of the pump, remove the filter, wash it will mild soap, dry it, and reinstall.