Why does deodorizer lose effectiveness faster in November cold?

Question

I service a route of about 40 standard units on construction sites around Akron. Every November, I start getting calls about odor complaints even on units I just serviced two days ago. The cold seems to knock out the deodorizer faster. The blue liquid is still in there, but the smell breaks through by midweek. It happens in standard units with their holding tanks and even in deluxe units with flushing bowls. The ground is frozen mud, and my vacuum truck can reach all the spots fine. What changes in the chemistry when it gets cold? Does the cold slow down the bacteria action or something else? Should we switch formulas for winter, or just service more often?

Brad L. · Answer

Cold mostly hurts the formaldehyde-free and enzyme style charges, because those lean on biological action that slows way down when the tank sits near freezing. On our sites the blue still looks right, but by day three the product is barely doing anything.

What fixed it for our crews was a few small changes, not one big one:

1. Run a winter blend of [deodorizer](https://portapotty.forum/glossary/deodorizer/) that your supplier rates for cold, instead of the same jug you use in July.
2. If you add salt brine or antifreeze to keep the [holding tank](https://portapotty.forum/glossary/holding-tank/) from freezing, measure the deodorizer charge against the bigger liquid volume. A summer dose mixed into a winter recharge just gets diluted.
3. Hit the urinal trough. On our jobs the urinal drain went sour before the tank did, and a splash of charge there cut most of the midweek calls.
4. Check the vent stack. Less sun in November means less draft pulling air out, so a cap that is iced over or knocked loose shows up fast.

Servicing more often works, but it eats route time. I would try the winter blend and the dosing fix first, then add a midweek visit only on the units that still get complaints.

Why does deodorizer lose effectiveness faster in November cold?

1 answer