Hello - help - I don't want to wish I had not bought this

[Soil in my turnups]

Hello I am new to the hotbin, and was very enthusiastic to begin with - I have had it going now for nearly 2 weeks. But I never expected it to take up so much time tending it. And there are a few concerns which don't help.... I really want it to be a positive addition to the busy household, and not something I wish I had not bought or abandon.... I have several dalek style compost bins on my allotment. Problems:

1. Leachate - no mention of this in the sales blurb, and poor design to cope with it - sticking bits of tape under the grill so it can drop into a plastic box with a stone in it to weight it down! The bin sits on a stone patio.
2. Leachate also now slightly leaking out of bottom of hatch panel - does that mean it has risen above the aeration plate? It doesn't smell bad and the temp is 50 inside. I really don't want to have to empty the whole thing and start again...
3. It is a bit like having a pet - needs regular attention and effort to amass enough shredded paper and cardboard. Unlike an ordinary compost bin which you don't have to think about. I am not sure I wanted these extra duties.... how do others manage?
4. Why is newspaper a no-no? It's much easier to source than shredding paper specially for the hotbin.

Does anyone else have similar response - any solutions?

[HotPeter]

Hi. Ive had mine just over a month now - I agree they are rather like a pet - you have to get attached to it and pay it attention.

Mine leached at the beginning - I now have a folded piece of towel under it which never needs any attention so I think it's not a continuous leak. Others may know better, but I think it will leach when there is a lot of wet material and not enough paper to absorb the moisture.

I manage the attention thing as its a pleasure to do - if its a chore then I dont think the hotbin is for you.

Newspaper is no good because it is predominantly lignin which is slow to breakdown and not as absorbent. Good material such as office paper is predominantly cellulose which absorbs and breaks down. I spent an hour shredding down some old files to fill a box which will now last for months.

There is a lot more science to it than I thought but the information Hotbin provide is very extensive and well researched it does give confidence in the process.

Good luck and I hope things turn out well for you.

[Scaleyback]

Followed the instructions to the letter and allowed 48 hours before checking and it was registering approx 20. Mixed a large load of shredded paper, cardboard, house waste, grass cutting a little compost from my cold heap a little horse manure and a handful of chicken pellets. By the following morning it had shot up to 65 and stayed there since. Bin now full to capacity and in time will have my compost.
Maybe just lucky - don't know but found it very simple after a worrying start.

[Jondy]

Hi soil in my turnups.
I think I can see where your coming from regarding the time your hotbin demands.
I hope and think that when I finally get the hang of it, and perhaps your situation may be similar, the time demands will be somewhat reduced. I have had three complete starts with mine since the beginning of August, but think I may have got the hang of it now!
Other than mixing the waste and an occasional empty of the bottom section, I am hoping the workload won’t be too great.
There is a great video on u tube by hotbin which shows the mixing process actually in the bin, that’s got to make life easier for me as I premix everything together in a trug at the moment.
Looking forward to using some of this compost on the allotment! I’m sure we’ll get there in the end with a much reduced work load.
Here’s to good results in the future