When renting portable restroom equipment, it is important to think about the effect of freezing temperatures on the water or waste tanks. The same concern that goes into winterizing around your home or yard should go in to making sure your rental equipment remains functional on your job site during the cold weather. Not only can freezing temperatures render the equipment useless, it can also damage the portable toilet, causing you to incur added charges.
Usually, your portable toilet vendor will remind you of certain precautions you need to take with specialized temporary restroom equipment. If you are renting portable toilet equipment during the winter months, it is best to ask your vendor about specific instructions to help maintain the toilets during cold weather.
Some bathroom waste systems use water or waste tanks that are installed under or outside of an office or sales trailer. These holding tanks should be winterized by your vendor. This involves wrapping the tanks and attaching a heater that will go on when the thermometer falls below a certain temperature. Always make sure the heater is plugged in and that it does not get turned off at night when lights or other equipment are shut down. If your office trailer has a water tank installed inside, you will need to make sure the temperature inside the trailer does not go below freezing at any time.
If you have any sort of flushing portable restroom in your office or sales trailer, flushing paper towels or feminine products is never a good idea. However doing this in the winter months is especially hazardous to your equipment. These items can freeze in the pipe and cause a clog and an unsanitary back-up of wastewater into the bathroom.
If you have standard portable toilet units on your job site, these also need to receive special attention during the winter months. You may need to move them to a more accessible area to make sure they are easily reachable by service vehicles. Large portable restroom service vehicles can easily get stuck on icy or muddy job sites. It is preferable to keep porta potties close to a road, driveway or paved area. Also, you should keep them away from areas that have a potential to be plowed in.
These few tips can help you avoid unnecessary service calls and can help keep your portable restroom equipment functioning and your staff happy all winter long.
