​I have had a hot bin for a few years, bought to deal with kitchen waste. I came across this website when I needed to replace my cam straps and I am pleased I found it as now I have a better understanding of how to use the hotbin and I discovered that base plate was removable! I have taken compost out of the bin many times and recently I cleaned out the base because it was so full of humus it was coming through the small grill. Despite not setting the valve to the correct minimum position, another new discovery, this bin works better than the dalek bins I have, producing compost quicker. I have had problems too but armed with my new knowledge I can avoid them in the future.