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Stick-frame house through November: when should we winterize the porta potty on site?

Brad L.asked 0 viewsConstruction & Job SitesStandard unitWinterizationService visitConstructionTruck accessLong term rental

We're framing a new single-family house and the crew of six will be on site into late November. We already have a standard portable toilet on the compacted gravel pad next to the driveway, and the pump truck reaches it fine from the street.

Nights are starting to dip near freezing here. The rental company mentioned winterizing at some point, but I'm not sure if that means they add antifreeze to the tank, switch chemicals, or change the service schedule. We don't have power at the unit and there's no heated enclosure.

Do most crews wait for the first hard freeze, or switch as soon as overnight lows stay near freezing? And does winterizing change how often they need to pump it when the crew is still using it every weekday?

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Tyler R.Columbus, OH

Ask for winterization as soon as overnight lows are hitting freezing a few nights a week, not after the first hard freeze. By the time you get a hard freeze the tank can already have a slush layer and the hand sanitizer or flush water will be frozen solid.

On our framing jobs winterization meant the driver added a salt brine or antifreeze mix to the holding tank on every pump out, swapped any freshwater sink or flush feature out for a sanitizer dispenser rated for cold, and stopped refilling anything with plain water. Nothing about the unit itself changes, so you don't need power or an enclosure for a crew of six using it weekdays.

It doesn't usually change pump frequency much. Six guys every weekday is the same waste volume in November as it was in August. What it changes is that every service visit has to include the recharge, because pumping pulls the antifreeze out with everything else. Just call them, tell them overnight lows are near freezing, and have them note it on the route sheet so every driver does it, not just your regular guy.

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