Can Porta Potties Freeze?

Outdoor work doesn’t stop when the weather gets colder, which means neither can the necessary portable toilet facilities. Proper maintenance to prevent your porta potties from freezing will help keep your team productive and hygienic. Read on to learn more about how to prevent frozen portable potties in winter in Reading, PA.

Strategic placement

Picking the right spot to place your porta potties can make all the difference. A location with maximum sun exposure will warm up the units. If there’s a wall, fence or some other structure that can provide protection from strong winds, place the porta potty against it to minimize the wind’s impact on both the stability and temperature of the unit. If the job site has indoor space in a garage or warehouse, consider using it to store the porta potties. The building will shield the units from inclement weather.

Apply rock salt solution

Rock salt (NaCl) is the most cost effective antifreeze additive. Adding 0.5 pounds of rock salt to one gallon of water will lower the freezing point in the porta potty to 26°F. This freezing point can be further lowered by adding more rock salt, to a maximum of two pounds per gallon of water, which corresponds to a freezing point of 0°F. If your porta potties will be used in temperatures lower than this, alternative antifreeze techniques will need to be employed.

Apply de-icing solution

Magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) crystals are a popular antifreeze additive that can prevent freezing in portable toilets. It’s more expensive than rock salt, but it offers better protection at lower temperatures. While small quantities of magnesium chloride have similar effects on freeze prevention as rock salt does, mixing 2.25 pounds of magnesium chloride with one gallon of water lowers the freezing point to -26°F.

Adding methanol

Unlike the previous methods, methanol does not require the creation of a solution. It can be poured directly into the water tanks of the portable toilets. Adding 6.5 ounces of methanol to one gallon of water will lower the freezing point to -28°F. However, methanol must be used with extreme caution, as it is combustible and toxic, as well as flammable in quantities exceeding 42 ounces.

Combining rock salt and methanol

The lowest freezing point that can be reached with 42 ounces of methanol for one gallon of water is -9°F. If that’s insufficient in preventing freezing, you can add rock salt for additional antifreeze properties. Combining two pounds of rock salt, 40 ounces of methanol and one gallon of water will lower the freezing point to -40°F.

If you want to avoid having to deal with a frozen portable toilet in Reading, PA, trust the experts at Scotties Potties to ensure your rentals can withstand the cold. We’ve been proudly serving the surrounding communities with clean, accommodating portable toilets since 1987, offering solutions for construction sites, festivals, weddings and more. Contact us today to learn more about our services and book a rental for your unique needs in any season. We look forward to working with you soon!

Categorised in: Porta Potties

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