Why does our porta potty smell worse right after service in October heat?
We're renovating our only bathroom, so we have a standard portable toilet on our driveway. It's been there for three weeks now, and the rental…
2answers
6views
Kim S. replied
Questions tagged “Holding tank”
157 questions across all categories.
157 questions
Why does our porta potty smell worse after service in hot weather?
We have a dozen standard units on a Phoenix high-rise site for 80 guys, six days a week. The rental company services them every Thursday. It's 110…
2answers
6views
Tyler R. replied
Relatives camping on our land for a week long reunion. Can they empty their camper toilets into the rented porta potty?
We're hosting my wife's side of the family for a reunion on our five acres the first week of November. Probably 25 people, and four of the families…
2answers
9views
Nina R. replied
Gate locked on pump day: what happens and who gets charged?
We have a 12-week commercial job in Phoenix with 60 workers. We rent six standard units and one ADA-compliant unit clustered near the main gate. The…
1answer
17views
Tyler R. replied
Hunting camp used weekends only: monthly service or pay per pump?
We have a hunting camp on our ranch that gets used weekends only, maybe two days a week tops. It's just a small crew of 4 to 6 guys, no alcohol, and…
2answers
11views
Ashley M. replied
High-rise site: what's the backup if service elevator is unavailable?
We're 20 stories up on a downtown Phoenix tower. I've got six standard units and one ADA-compliant unit for a crew of 120. The service elevator is…
2answers
14views
Carl D. replied
What's the most unusual thing you've found in a porta potty?
Nine years on the route, and I thought I'd seen it all: the usual phones, wallets, the odd shoe. But last week took the cake. An entire, fully…
3answers
23views
Porta Potty Forum Team replied
Vacuum hose reach: how far from truck can it pump?
A 50-foot hose reach is standard for most vacuum trucks. The driver will not need to move your portable toilet if it is 50 feet from where the truck…
1answer
14views
Nina R. replied
Well down until spring 2027: one porta potty for family of four?
Our well pump died last week, and the replacement is a big job that will take until spring 2027. That's at least six months. Our family of four, two…
2answers
15views
Jake W. replied
Winter 2026: will porta potties freeze on a Montana construction site?
We're on a commercial build outside Billings that runs through February. We've got 45 crew on site ten hours a day. The ground is gravel, and the…
2answers
16views
Toni S. replied
Family of six, well down until spring 2027. One porta potty enough?
We're a family of six with a well pump that just died. The repair is scheduled, but the parts are backordered until spring 2027, so we're looking at…
2answers
13views
Jake W. replied
Painter dumped a bucket of brush rinse water and drywall mud into our job site porta potty. Will the pump truck refuse it? ✓ Solved
Owen is right about the refusal, but I'll tell you what the driver actually checks for. The driver will dip a sample from the tank before pumping.…
2answers
17views
Deb K. replied
2026: Enzyme deodorizers vs chemical for construction site ammonia odor?
We've got 60 men on a Dallas construction site, four weeks into a summer job. The sun bakes eight standard portable toilets all day. The ammonia…
2answers
21views
Kim S. replied
Why does our porta potty smell like ammonia in heat?
We've got a standard portable toilet on our construction site for a crew of about 25 guys, been there for three weeks now. It's serviced weekly, but…
2answers
16views
Hector V. replied
Gate locked on pump day: what happens?
We've got a 12-week commercial job with 60 guys on site. I ordered four standard units and one ADA-compliant unit, all on weekly service. The driver…
1answer
19views
Tyler R. replied
Hunting camp used weekends only: bi-weekly service okay?
I run a hunting camp in Montana that gets used maybe two weekends a month, mostly October through December. We have a crew of eight guys, no alcohol,…
2answers
18views
Ashley M. replied
One of my framers dropped his phone down the jobsite porta potty. Will the service driver fish it out, or is it gone? ✓ Solved
The route driver will not fish out the phone. The vacuum hose on a vacuum truck is designed to pump liquid waste only, and operators have a strict…
2answers
21views
Hector V. replied
Family of four, no well until spring 2027. One unit enough?
We're breaking ground on a new well next month, but the contractor says it won't be operational until spring 2027. Our family of four is facing over…
2answers
16views
Marcus B. replied
Family of four, well failed until spring 2027: one porta potty enough?
Our well pump died and the wait for a new well is until spring 2027, six months without running water. We're a family of four: two adults and two…
2answers
19views
Marcus B. replied
What's the strangest thing you've fished out of a porta potty?
Five years driving a vacuum truck for a rental company, and I've pulled out my share of surprises. A full set of car keys from a standard unit on a…
3answers
30views
Priya N. replied
2026: Are enzyme deodorizers as effective as chemical ones in stopping ammonia odors?
Our crew of 12 uses one standard portable toilet on a Chicago residential gut rehab. The unit sits on level gravel, and the vacuum truck has no…
2answers
20views
Carl D. replied
2026: Are enzyme-based deodorizers as effective as chemical biocides for construction site units?
Our company is looking at switching to enzyme-based deodorizers for our construction site units. We run about 200 standard portable toilets on…
2answers
21views
Deb K. replied
Hunting camp used only on weekends: can we schedule service for every other week?
We run a hunting camp in Montana that's only used on weekends from late September through November. We have one standard portable toilet for a group…
1answer
20views
Sam O. replied
Why does our construction site porta potty smell like ammonia on hot October afternoons?
We have a standard portable toilet for a crew of 15 working a six-week residential addition in Chicago. It's on gravel in the side yard, and the…
2answers
25views
Hector V. replied
Well pump failed until spring 2027. Can a family of four rely on one porta potty for 6 months?
Our well pump failed last week and the replacement parts are backordered until spring 2027. We're a family of four with no running water until then.…
2answers
25views
Marcus B. replied