The Rundown on Porta Potties

June 10, 2020 5:07 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

Whether it’s at a sporting event, outdoor festival or construction site, we’ve all used porta potties before—but it’s safe to say that we probably don’t stop and wonder how porta potties work in Reading, PA while we’re using them. This post will teach you a thing or two about porta potties.

Structural design

Porta potties consist of a translucent roof with vents and a body made of polyethylene and aluminum. Inside, you’ll find a urinal, toilet seat, non-slip floor and a holding tank. High-end units may also contain a flushing mechanism and pressure system to circulate the water in the holding tank.

Chemicals used

You’ve undoubtedly noticed the blue liquid in a porta potty’s holding tank. Though there isn’t a universal formula, the liquid generally contains five main ingredients: water, blue dye, fragrance, surfactants and biocides and enzymes. These ingredients work together to both mask the smell of waste before the unit is cleaned and help with the decomposition process.

Emptying porta potties

Speaking of cleaning porta potties, this needs to be done regularly to ensure a safe and clean environment. To clean a unit, a technician first pumps the waste using a vacuum and then refills the holding tank with the chemical solution described above. Next, he’ll spray the interior of the unit with a disinfectant and scrub everything down to ensure the unit is spotless.

Porta potties and weather

Portable toilets can be used year-round in pretty much any weather. However, technicians need to prepare the porta potties to handle extreme temperatures. Hot summer temperatures intensify odors in porta potties, so we use a higher chemical-to-water ratio in the summer to fight the smell. We also try to move the units to a shady area to keep them cool. In freezing temperatures, we add rock salt to the holding tank to lower the freezing point of the chemical solution in the tank.

Renting your next porta potty

Now that you know how porta potties work in Reading, PA, it’s time to rent your units! Here are a few things to consider before renting:

  • Number of guests: The more people you expect to have at your event or construction site, the more porta potties you’ll need to have on hand. We recommend having one porta potty for every 40 guests, or one unit for every 20 construction workers. When in doubt, rent more units than you think you’ll need.
  • Venue: Generally speaking, the larger the venue or construction site, the more porta potties you’ll need to rent. After all, you don’t want people having to walk long distances to use the restroom.
  • Maintenance: If your event lasts longer than a week, you’ll need to schedule at least one cleaning. Before renting your portable toilets, confirm that the rental company can also service the units for you.

From answering your questions about how porta potties work in Reading, PA to renting handicap-accessible units, we do it all at Scotties Potties. Give us a call today to get a rental quote or learn more about our services.

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *