Why does our porta potty smell like ammonia in the heat?
Our company has six standard units and one ADA-compliant unit for a crew of about 80 on a nine-month commercial job in Phoenix. The rental company…
2answers
42views
Ray M. replied
Questions tagged “Deodorizer”
97 questions across all categories.
97 questions
Why does the blue liquid disappear so fast in hot weather?
Our standard portable toilet is serviced every Tuesday by a reliable rental company. The unit is on a residential construction site with a crew of…
1answer
42views
Hector V. replied
Treatment plant tightened its septage rules. How are other operators handling disposal?
Our main wastewater treatment plant just tightened its septage rules. They're now testing every load and charging extra if the waste doesn't meet…
2answers
41views
Kim S. replied
Why does our porta potty smell like ammonia after a hot weekend?
Had a family reunion this past weekend. We put a single standard portable toilet out by the barn for about 40 people over two days. There was a lot…
2answers
41views
Kim S. replied
Why does our unit smell like sulfur after service?
Our ranch has one standard portable toilet for the seasonal hands. It gets a weekly service visit from a driver who comes 40 miles out. The unit sits…
2answers
41views
Ashley M. replied
Why does our unit smell like ammonia after a week?
We have a standard portable toilet on a residential addition project, and it's starting to smell like strong ammonia about five days into the weekly…
2answers
40views
Ray M. replied
Is the blue dye in porta potties required for odor control?
I'm renting a standard unit for a three-day weekend event on my property. The ground is level and the vacuum truck has easy access for the weekly…
1answer
40views
Megan H. replied
Liquid vs packet deodorizer on a summer route: what are you dosing?
I drive a vacuum truck on a summer route with 40 to 60 stops a day. Most are standard units on construction sites, some are deluxe units with sinks,…
2answers
39views
Kim S. replied
Why does our porta potty smell worse after a service visit?
We've had a standard unit on the ranch for our seasonal hands for about six weeks, serviced every other week because it's low use. The ground is…
2answers
39views
Ray M. replied
Is the blue dye in porta potties necessary for the deodorizer to work?
I was helping with a community festival last weekend, and a guest pointed at the standard portable toilet and asked me a great question. We had about…
1answer
39views
Ray M. replied
Why does our porta potty smell like rotten eggs after a rain?
We have a single standard portable toilet for our seasonal ranch hands, serviced weekly. It sits on gravel about 50 yards from the main cabin, and…
1answer
39views
Ray M. replied
Is the blue dye in porta potties required for the deodorizer to work?
I run a small event planning company in Oregon, and we just had a client request clear deodorizer in our standard portable toilets instead of the…
1answer
39views
Dave P. replied
What's the biggest challenge in wastewater disposal for operators in 2026?
I've been hauling waste for 16 years, and 2026 is shaping up to be the toughest yet for disposal. My vacuum truck makes the same trips, but the costs…
2answers
38views
Kim S. replied
2026: Are more wastewater plants refusing waste with blue dye?
I just heard from another operator that a wastewater plant in a neighboring county is now turning away vacuum trucks if the waste has that familiar…
2answers
38views
Hector V. replied
Are formaldehyde-free deodorizers as effective in controlling odor in high-traffic events?
We rent for large festivals with crowds of 5,000+ over three-day weekends, mostly standard units and a few ADA-compliant ones on grass fields with…
1answer
38views
Hector V. replied
Why does our unit smell worse on the second day of a hot weekend?
We rented a standard portable toilet for a big backyard party Saturday and Sunday. The rental company delivered and serviced it Friday afternoon, so…
1answer
37views
Megan H. replied
Can a porta potty sit unused for a month at a hunting camp?
We have a hunting camp in Montana with no septic. I rent a standard unit for the season. It's just four of us, only on weekends from September…
1answer
37views
Marcus B. replied
Is Blue Dye Required for Health Code Compliance?
The blue dye in a standard portable toilet is not required by health code. It is an industry practice for odor control and to mask the contents of…
1answer
37views
Hector V. replied
Is the blue dye in porta potties necessary for odor control?
The blue dye in a standard portable toilet is functional, not just for looks. It serves two main purposes: it masks the visual appearance of waste in…
1answer
36views
Deb K. replied
Why does our porta potty smell like ammonia after a hot week?
We have a standard portable toilet on a commercial site in Phoenix. It's July, over 100 degrees every day. The unit gets used by about 20 guys from…
2answers
35views
Deb K. replied
Why does our unit smell like rotten eggs after a hot weekend?
We have a standard portable toilet on our driveway for a bathroom renovation. The rental company serviced it on Thursday, and it was fine Friday…
2answers
35views
Ray M. replied
Why does our porta potty smell fine Monday but terrible by Friday?
Our crew of 50 uses a cluster of three standard units and one ADA-compliant unit on a commercial site in Phoenix. The rental company does a weekly…
2answers
35views
Deb K. replied
Hunting camp porta potty: can it sit unused for weeks between trips?
Our hunting camp is about 40 miles from the nearest town on a rough ranch road. We have a spot for a portable toilet that the service truck can reach…
1answer
35views
Toni S. replied
How do operators choose which deodorizer to use in their units?
Operators choose deodorizer based on wastewater treatment plant rules, odor control performance, and cost. The main types are formaldehyde-based and…
2answers
34views
Kim S. replied
Why does our porta potty smell like rotten eggs after a week?
We have one standard unit for our six-person crew on a remote ranch. The rental company serviced it last Monday. By Friday, a strong rotten egg smell…
2answers
34views
Kim S. replied