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Why does our porta potty smell like sulfur after a few days?

Hector V.asked 0 viewsOdor, Cleaning & ChemicalsOdorDeodorizerService frequencyOdorsHeat

I've got a standard portable toilet on a job site with 50 guys. The unit was serviced this Monday, but by Thursday it smells like sulfur. It's a rotten egg smell that hits you when you open the door. We're in Phoenix, so the heat is intense, and the unit sits on level gravel in full sun. The vacuum truck has no problem reaching it. The rental company uses a formaldehyde-free deodorizer. I thought the blue liquid was supposed to control the odor for a full week. Is the high heat breaking down the deodorizer faster? Or is this a sign that the holding tank isn't getting pumped completely clean? Should I be asking for more frequent service in the summer?

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Carl D.Oklahoma City, OK

That rotten egg smell is hydrogen sulfide building up in the holding tank, and Phoenix heat plus fifty guys will push a weekly service visit past its limit fast.

Formaldehyde-free deodorizer still works, but it gets overloaded quicker when the tank is cooking in full sun. The blue liquid is not a week-long guarantee in that weather. Incomplete pump-outs leave a sludge layer that keeps making the sulfur smell even after a fresh charge, so ask the driver whether they are rinsing the tank walls or just sucking the liquid.

On a 50-person crew in summer I would bump to twice-a-week service at minimum, and shade the unit if you can without blocking truck access. Level gravel is fine for placement. The smell is load and heat, not the pad.

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